1. Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Science Fair Project
Amy Ross Bradl | Robert E. Willis Elementary School

2. Steps in the Scientific Method At a Glance
Problem – What is the question you are trying to answer?
Research – At least 8 sentences on the topic of your project.
Hypothesis – What do you think, based on your research, will happen when you complete your experiment? Why do you think it will happen?
Materials – What supplies and how much of each will you need to complete your experiment?
Procedure – What are the steps to your experiment?
Results – What numeric data did you collect while doing your experiment?
Conclusion – Was your hypothesis correct? Why or why not?

3. Problem
Think of a topic that is of interest to you. What are some questions you or your classmates may have about this topic. Please remember to think ahead to the experiment to avoid hurdles to your success. Answer these questions to make sure that your problem is appropriate for this project:
Can my results be measured?
Can I phrase my problem in the form of a question?
Are any of my materials on Mrs. Bradl’s “Materials That Aren’t Allowed” list?
Will I be able to write 8 sentences of research on my topic?
Can I complete the entire project by the assigned due date?
Summarize your research in three to five points.

4. Sample Problem
Which herb will grow best in my kitchen? I am going to measure the growth of parsley, cilantro, basil, and mint as it grows in pots on my kitchen counter.

5. Research
The research portion of your project requires you to find information about your topic to share with the class. Your research should be at least 8 sentences in your own words. In the case of our example project, my research can be on what plants need to grow and thrive, what the different uses for the herbs are, similarities/differences between the herbs, or any other related facts. What is plagiarism? Plagiarism is the practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and taking credit for them as if they were your own. Although you do not have to cite your resources as part of your project, please write down where you found your information just in case Mrs. Bradl asks you.

6. Hypothesis
A hypothesis is what you think your experiment results will be based on your research and/or previous knowledge. You should tell your audience why you believe your hypothesis is correct. A hypothesis for our example project could be “The parsley will grow best in my kitchen because of the four herbs in my experiment, parsley requires the least amount of water and sunlight to thrive. Your hypothesis doesn’t have to be correct. In other words, if the results of your experiment don’t support your hypothesis, it’s okay.
I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.
-- Thomas Alva Edison

7. Materials
Your materials are what you used to conduct your experiment. Like a recipe when you cook, it should be an itemized list that contains what you used and how much or how many. Your list should be either numbered or have bullets.

8. Materials That Aren’t Allowed
Mrs. Bradl will not approve or grade any project that uses any of the following:
Weapons, spears, knives, darts, arrows (real or toy) of any kind
Hazardous or toxic substances
Flames or flammable substances
Dry ice
Any solid, liquid, or gas that could possibly harm any living organism

9. Materials That Cannot Be Brought Into School
Any living organism
Anything or part of anything that was once living
Human or animal food
Soil or waste samples
Liquids in any type of container
Empty tanks
Any type of glass item or container
Dirt, sand, mulch, or other ground cover
Bacteria or fungi (mold)

10. Procedure
The procedure should be a numbered list of the steps you used to perform your experiment. Your procedure should be specific and detailed enough that a fellow student scientist would be able to repeat your experiment on their own with ease. Evidence of a control and repetition should be shown.

11. What are Variables? Controlled Variables
These are kept the same throughout your experiments
Independent Variable
The one variable you purposely change and test
Dependent Variable
The measure of change observed because of independent variable
Decide how you will measure the change

12. Results
The results of your experiment will be presented in three ways: a written summary, a table, and a graph. The same data should be used or summarized for each type of presentation. An example of the written summary might look something like this: The growth of the parsley, mint, and basil consistently grew 1 to 2 centimeters with each measurement. The cilantro, however, began to die and its height went down with each measurement. By the end of the experiment, the parsley grew 3 centimeters, the mint grew 3 centimeters, the basil grew 3 centimeters and the cilantro was starting to die.

13. Growth of Plants Over Three Weeks
An Example of a Table
Growth of Plants Over Three Weeks
Week
Parsley
Mint
Cilantro
Basil
Starting Height
5 cm
3 cm
7 cm 1
6 cm
4 cm 2
7.5 cm
4cm 3
8 cm
Don’t forget that your experiment must have at least three trials or measurements. You must collect data that is measurable so it can be graphed.

14. An Example of a Graph Herb Growth Types of Herbs
The graph of your results should have the same experiment data as the table and the written summary.
Your graph needs a title and a label for the x and y axis.
You may draw your graph or use a graphing program. If you draw your graph, please make sure you use a ruler!
Mrs. Bradl has graph paper if you would like to either draw your final graph or draw a draft from which to create your final copy using a graphing program.
Height in Centimeters
Types of Herbs

15. Conclusion
The conclusions is a brief summary of what you discovered based on your experiment results. Write to explain whether or not the data supports your hypothesis. A conclusion for our example experiment might be: My hypothesis was incorrect because the rate of growth for three of the four herbs planted was the same. The parsley grew no better than any of the other herbs except the cilantro that died. The cilantro may have died because it was not as healthy as the other herbs when I brought it home from the store. If I want my herbs to survive, I am going to make sure that they are healthy when I buy them.

17. Ask Mrs. Bradl
Please feel free to contact Mrs. Bradl if you have questions, concerns, or you run into a problem while working on your project. Mrs. Bradl’s contact information is: Phone: Fax: In the past, the quickest response from Mrs. Bradl is by . She can’t always answer the telephone or return your call during the school day. However, in addition to during the school day, is read and responded to after school hours and on weekends too! Mrs. Bradl enthusiastically welcomes from students with their parent’s permission.