The scientific method… Is a logical, organized way to conduct an experiment.

While the scientific method is necessary in developing knowledge, it is also useful in everyday problem-solving. Like any good scientist, you may 1. question what could be wrong, 2. apply what you know and can do to fix that problem 3. determine if what you changed actually fixed the problem.

There are 7 steps to the Scientific Method

Step 1: Make Observations Look all around you. Think about how or why things work or don’t work. Read about nature and science; Wonder about how living things interact with each other and with their environment; basic items you might use at home each day

Step 2: Ask a Question What is it that your are trying to find out from your experiment? The question that you select for your project is the cornerstone of your project.

Step 3: Research Your Topic Research is the process of collecting information from knowledgeable sources. This research helps you to understand the topic you have chosen, propose a hypothesis or educated guess, and design an experiment.

Step 4: State Your Hypothesis This is an educated guess about what you think will happen in your experiment or a statement based on your research and observations. Write the hypothesis in a single statement.

Step 5: Design an Experiment Develop a procedure for testing your hypothesis by changing the independent variable and measuring the change it has on the dependent variable. Controlled variables must remain the same throughout the experiment.

Understanding Variables Question: Does fertilizer make a plant grow larger? The Independent Variable is the one that is changed by the scientist. The Dependent Variable changes in response to the change the scientist makes to the independent variable.

The Controlled Variable will always be the same. [The same type of plant, soil, and pot are purchased at the same store; and the amount of water and sunlight are the same for each plant]

Step 6: Conduct an Experiment Carefully follow the procedure you designed for testing your hypothesis. Keep track of your data in a journal. (time/date/result)

Step 7: Analyze Your Results Did you get the results you had expected? What did you find out from your experiment? Think about the best way to show this information. Should I make a chart or graph? … a bar graph, a line graph, a pie chart or a list?

Science Fair Project Evaluation Checklist