Approved Topics/Questions  Be testable  Be able to be completed in the time allowed  Materials can be obtains and will not cost to much  Meet safety requirements  Be something that you can understand and can be completed with little help

Question  This is what your experiment will be answering.  It must be testable, meaning it can be answered through hands-on investigation  A good testable questions is always about changing one thing and keeps everything else the same.  Example: Broad QuestionTestable Question How do plants grow?In which type of soil to tomato plants grow best? How does detergent work?Which detergent will remove grass stains from cotton? How do batteries work?Which brand of battery will power a toy car longer?

Hypothesis  What do you think the outcome will be based on your research.  Remember a hypothesis is not always correct.  Use the words “if” and “then” and “based on the research”. QuestionHypothesis In which type of soil to tomato plants grow best? If the tomato plant planted in loam soil then it will produce more green leaves and rip tomatoes. This is based on the research that says tomato plants need more nutrients the soil to grow the best plant. Which detergent will remove grass stains from cotton? If grass stains are treated with Tide detergent then the grass stain will be removed completely from the cotton. This is based on the research that there is a better concentration of detergent with tide than the other 2.

 Independent- The one thing you changed in the experiment  Controlled- the things that will stay the same throughout the experiment  Dependent- the things that will change due to the independent variable

Creating Variables From your Question QuestionWhat changes?What stays the same? How will you collect data? In which type of soil to tomato plants grow best? Soil- sand, clay, and loam Tomato plant, location, treatment Measuring growth, number of tomatoes grown, number of leaves Which detergent will remove grass stains from cotton? Detergent- Tide, Gain, and Sun Grass stain and cotton fabric Pictures of the stain before and after cleaning Which brand of battery will power a toy car longer? Batteries- Energizer, Eveready, and Duracell Toy CarTime used prior to battery dying.

Materials List Stain Removal Investigation Materials  % cotton cloth samples  Grass  Commercial detergent #1 - Tide  Commercial detergent #2 – Gain  Commercial detergent #3- Sun  Wash basin  Timer/stopwatch  Rubber gloves

Design Experiment 1. Clarify variables 2. List materials needed and how much 3. List steps with detail 4. Estimate time it will take to complete 5. Check Work- who will read and check your writing

Procedures Stain Remover Investigation Procedure 1. Place a grass stain approximately 4 inches in diameter on 100% cotton fabric. Prepare 4 identical stain samples in addition to the first sample. 2. Place 10mL of stain remover on the grass stain sample. Wait 3 minutes. Scrub for 1 minute. Label this sample. Repeat this using the other 2 stain removers. 3. On the fifth sample, do not put on any stain remover. Leave the ketchup stain as is. Scrub for 1 minute. Use permanent marker to write the word ketchup on each sample. 4. Wash each sample using soap and water in a basin. 5. Compare the samples to see which stain remover worked the best. 6. Repeat the experiment using different stains (coffee, ink, grass, and soil)

Data Collection  Detailed notes of what is happening with your experiment.  Can be shown in a chart, graph, or table.  You can create a key to help organize your data. DetergentStain trial # 1 Stain trial # 2 Explanation Tide55Successful! Gain34Add more water the second time Sun12Add more water the second time KEY 5- Stain is gone 4- Slightly visible3- Faded2- No change1- worse

Take Pictures  Write a descriptive caption for each picture or set pictures in a table.  Pictures can be used to backup your data finding. BeforeAfter Tide Gain Sun

Write Your Conclusion  The conclusion should include the research, hypothesis, and outcome of your experiment.  Questions to ask yourself: What can be learned from looking at the data? How does the data relate to the original hypothesis? Did what you changed (independent variable) cause changes in the results (dependent variable)?

Display Board  Sketch a rough layout on a piece of paper before pasting up your display.  Leave yourself plenty of time.  If you forgot to photograph each step of your procedure, consider re-staging it now for documentation. (Some are better than none!)  Come up with a catchy title and display it prominently.  Include all required categories and content on your display.  Arrange items from left to right, from top to bottom.  Mount black-and-white text blocks on colored construction paper for contrast.  Make type large enough to read from four feet away: As a general rule, use 24 pt type for headings, 16 pt type for text blocks.  Use subheads and bullet points rather than long paragraphs of dense text.  Label all graphs, charts, and tables. On graphs, make sure you label the X and Y axes.  Write descriptive captions for photos.  Leave your display until the last minute.  Forget to spell-check and proofread!  Write or draw directly on the board.  Use too many fonts, or fancy fonts that are hard to read.  Display photos without captions.  Go crazy with colors. A few bright colors are good to accentuate key elements and add pizzazz. But stick to a handful and keep it professional.  Cover every inch of your display; remember to leave some breathing room (what graphic designers call “white space”) between blocks of text and graphics.  Glue any 3-D objects to the display board at home. Wait until you transport the board to the fair, and do it there. DODON’T Display Board

Final Check List Did you remember to…  Required categories/scientific method  Label every chart, graph, illustration, etc  Captions for every photograph  Proofread every word on your display Ask yourself…  Is the type large enough to read from far away?  Are the lines straight?  Does the display look overly crowded? Did you add to much?  Are there any empty spaces? (Move things to balance it out.)  Did you follow all rules and guidelines?  Do you have everything you need to display your experiment? (electricity, water, etc)