1. Science Fair Part 2

2. Step-by-Step Directions Your directions are like a recipe. Anyone who reads them will be able to duplicate your investigation and get the same results. Include units in your procedure.

3. Example Directions for paper towel experiment. 1. Cut 3- 15x 15 cm sq. from each brand of paper towels. 2. label each cut piece with brand name. 3. pour 50 ml of 20 0 C water into 20 X20 cm sq pan. 4. Place 1 square of generic brand paper towel into water in pan. 5. leave for 30 seconds. 6. remove paper towel. 7. measure water remaining in pan & record. 8. dry pan. 9. repeat steps 4-8 for each brand paper towel. 10. repeat entire process 2 more times for each brand of paper towel.

4. Data / Log Data refers to information gathered during your investigation. Writing in your notebook is the most convenient way to keep a log.

5. Data Log Should Include: 1. A list of all materials you use. 2. Notes on all preparations you made prior to starting your investigation. 3. Information about the resources you use- books, people, libraries, web sites… 4. Detailed day-by-day notes on the progress of your project-  A. what you are actually doing  B. problems you have with investigation  C. things you would change if you were doing it again.

6. 5. Any pictures or drawings that you feel might help explain your work. 6. Data that you gather from your investigation- notes, tables, charts, graphs. *Be sure that you date each entry in your log.

7. Labeling & Averaging The data collected during the course of your investigation needs to be quantifiable (measurable, numeric information). All measurements in your investigation must be in metrics.

8. Quantification of Data Volume: milliliter (mL) 1000mL= 1L liter (L) Length: millimeter (mm) 10mm=1cm centimeter (cm) 100cm=1m meter (m) 1000m=1km kilometer (km)

9. Data Mass: milligram (mg) 10mg=1cg centigram (cg) 100cg= 1g gram (g) 1000g=1kg kilogram (kg)

10. Graphs Two main types of graphs: Bar Graph- used to display data that does not occur in a continuous manner. Use to compare groups. Line Graph- used to display data that occurs in a continuous manner. Show data that changes over time.

13. Making a Graph Title- short description of the data being displayed. Horizontal Axis- the manipulated variable (what you changed on purpose) is displayed here. Vertical Axis- the responding variable (what happened as a result of what you changed) is displayed on this axis.

14. Graph Spacing Plan your graph so that your data will be evenly distributed across the horizontal and vertical axes.

15. Create-a-graph is a very useful website for graphing. https://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph Students will have time at school to create a graph if they bring their data to school when project is complete.

16. Conclusions Your Conclusions should include: 1. Statement of support or non-support of the original hypothesis. 2. Description of any problems or unusual events that occurred during your investigation. 3. What you would do differently next time. 4. Revised hypothesis (if data did not support your original hypothesis).

17. Writing a conclusion Before you write your conclusions, carefully examine all your data (graphs, charts, tables). Your conclusion should mirror your data.

18. Before you write conclusion, ask yourself these questions: 1. Did you get the results you expected? If not- how were the results different? 2. Were there any unexpected problems or occurrences that may have affected the results of your investigation? 3. Do you think you collected sufficient data? Were there enough trials? Samples? 4. Do I need to revise my original hypothesis? If you write a revised hypothesis, DO NOT use it to replace your original hypothesis for this project.

19. Ex. Conclusions Questions: Do all brands of paper towels absorb the same amount of water? Hypothesis: The cheaper the paper towel, the less water it will absorb. Conclusion: The data collected does not support the original hypothesis. The cheapest paper towel did not absorb the least amount of water. The higher priced paper towel (Brawny) did not absorb the most. My revised hypothesis is the price of the paper towels does not affect the amount of water absorbed.

20. Table of Contents- Project Notebook Introduction 1. Purpose 1. Hypothesis 1. Procedure 2. Materials List 2. Variables 3. Step-by-Step Directions 4. Data- notes & tables 5. Results 6. Conclusions 7. Related Research 8. Bibliography 9.

21. Related Research General information about the research. Descriptions of related experiments conducted by others. Brief overview of the topic- related material that helped you gain background to set your procedure.

22. Guidelines For Research Paper Paper must be 2 typed pages, double spaced. Paper is research that supports the experiment. The paper is NOT ABOUT the experiment. Look for real world scientific experiments that support this research. Ex. If experiment is about the type of building that with stands earthquakes best, look for actual research on building designs for earthquake prone areas. Ms. Strange also will work with students in English classes on the paper. She will provide specifics on the format and the works cited.

23. Bibliography/ works cites List alphabetically all books, articles, people, or other sources used for researching and writing your paper. See sources in library and Ms. Strange for correct way to site resources.