Science Fair 101

The Big Question A scientific question usually starts with: How, What, When, Who, Which, Why, or Where. Your science fair question should involve factors or traits that you can easily measure using a number. Or factors or traits that are easily identified like colors. Make sure to find a topic that your child considers interesting when developing a project. Sciencebuddies.org is a wonderful site where you can answer questions about interests, and it helps students choose a project that is right for them. It also gives a lot of tips and guidelines when creating a science fair project.

A hypothesis should be stated as Forming a Hypothesis A hypothesis should be stated as If _______ (I do this) _______, then ________ (this) ________ will happen. Examples: If I raise the temperature of a cup of water, then the amount of sugar that can be dissolved in it will be increased. If there is a relation between the wave length of light and the photosynthesis rate, then light of different colors will cause the plant to make different amounts of oxygen. If fenders are placed on a bicycle, then the user will stay dry when going through puddles. Make sure your hypothesis is very clearly stated so that you can test it specifically.

Planning the Procedure Materials Step-by-Step Description Make sure and gather all materials before beginning the experiment. Thing preparation, conducting the experiment, and clean up! Have all materials easily accessible before beginning the experiment. Be very specific in the description and number each step. You want someone looking at your project to know exactly what you did. (measurements, order in which things are done, etc…) Have the description written down and close by when completing the experiment. It’s a good idea to keep a log or journal when conducting experiments. This can be a place where you jot down any notes or things you notice. This can also be put on display with the board during the science fair. Control your variables. A variable is anything that can change or vary during an experiment. In an experiment, everything should be the same each time you test, except the one variable you are testing.

Results (What happened when you did your experiment?) This section should hold any charts, graphs, tables which help display your results a little more clearly. Pictures of the results if applicable would also be an excellent thing to include. Including a picture only without any description is not advised. Do not include your child’s face in the pictures so that judging remains fair.

Drawing a Conclusion Abstract This is where you explain what you have learned from the experiment. Explain why the results were the way they turned out. Explain why your hypothesis was incorrect or correct. Abstract Write a one page description of what you did to complete the project. Be sure to include what you have learned.

Display Boards -Display boards should be neat. Try to avoid stapling, messy marker, uneven cutting, etc… -Colors always make a board more attractive, but are not a requirement. Be careful not to add to much color which can make a board seem overwhelming. -Visuals such as pictures, diagrams, materials, etc… Display boards must be 76 cm (30 in) deep, 122 cm (48 in) wide, and 274 cm (108 in) high including table. There are a few boards placed around the room of different difficulty levels for you to look at.