Science Fair Projects

Picking Your Topic The best projects come from questions that YOU generate. Use your observational skills to observe the world around you and ask questions.

Topic Search 1. Choose a topic you like 2. Choose a topic/question your parents and teacher will approve 3. Narrow your topic to a single question to research 4. Plan your time wisely to allow for completion 5. Consider the materials needed for experimentation 6. Choose a topic/question that is important to society

Websites to help you Often websites do not have good topics to select from-often are projects that are simple experiments or topics that are not allowed. Just building a model is not a science fair experiment. Use websites to generate your ideas: http://www.lasciencefair.org/ideas.htm#Biochemistry https://www.sciencebuddies.org/

Good Topics Should….. Focus on one specific question Have a variable that you can change and measure the effect of the change Be an upper middle school or high school level project Not include testing on humans or any vertebrates (animals with backbones) Not include any dangerous materials Provide important information ex) mentos in soda does not provide any useful information

Topic Wording A good way to choose the question or problem for your topic is to use the following questions: 1. What is the effect of ____________ on __________________? 2. How do/does ________________ affect __________________? 3. To what extent do/does ______________affect ____________?

Which are good topics? 1. Volcanoes 2. How does the position of a seed affect it’s growth? 3. Who is the most popular recording artist? 4. To what extent does insecticide affect plant growth? 5. How do different surfaces absorb sunlight? 6. Colored light and plants. 7. Which ice cube shape melts the fastest? 8. Making invisible ink. 9. How does different colored light affect the behavior of earthworms? 10. What types of life are present in pond water? 11. Making glue from milk. 12. Tornadoes in a bottle 13. Which cup insulates the best?

What is a log book? It is your science fair “diary” It can be a composition book or spiral-not your science spiral though- you need a separate log book It contains: your question, hypothesis, background research, data and analysis It must contain dates, especially for data collection It must be hand written Need 1 log book/project Name (s) should be on the front of the log book

Background Research In order to make a good hypothesis and design your experiment, you need to do some research. Record all research in your log book with your bibliography information. You will need 5 sources-one of them must be the the ISEF page (on upcoming slide) You will turn in a printed bibliography using Noodletools.

For each source include: 3-5 bullet point facts/information Information that you would need for a bibliography entry: date, website name, website URL, page name, author, etc

Sample Page in Log Book Put only 1 source on a page Website: Society for Science and the Public Intel International Science and Engineering Fair Page Title: The International Rules and Guidelines Last updated: not available Access date: 8/25/18 URL: http://student.societyforscience.org/intel-isef RECORD THIS AS YOUR FIRST SOURCE IN YOUR LOG BOOK _______________________________________ What I learned: My project must be approved by my teacher before I begin experimentation I need to complete a Form 1A and 1B Anything potentially dangerous requires special permission from my teacher and completion of specific forms All forms are available on this website

What to research???? Topic: How does acid rain affect the growth of pea plants? You would want to research: -pea plant care and general information about the plant type -acid rain-what causes it, how it affects plants, how to make acid rain for your experiment -chemical safety-for any chemical you use, you need to research safety by looking up a MSDS sheet for all chemicals-include this in your bibliography.

Try it…..what should you research on the following topic? Topic: How does temperature affect viscosity of different liquids? -viscosity-what is it? How can you measure viscosity? -any relationships between viscosity and temperatures -type of materials that you could use to test viscosity -any safety information on the materials that you are using

Try it…..what should you research on the following topic? Topic: Which material of sunscreens keeps the interior of a car the coolest? -how air heats up inside a closed car -types of sun shades -greenhouse effect -relationship between color and temperature

Noodletools-use for your bibliography Log in at school if first time logging in this year Click on “New Project” Add title-Science Fair 1819 or another title Format: MLA advanced level Click on sources to add bibliography information for each source To print: click “Print/Export to Word” Add name to your document

Computer Lab To Do List Log into online book-do activity Log into Noodletools-set up a science fair folder-ADD ISEF WEBSITE TO BIBLIOGRAPHY Check your grades if you have not done it already Research your topic ****Bring your log book to record your research