1. Mrs. Smith’s Guide to a Successful Science Fair Project

2. How Do I Get Started? 1.Select a topic and get approval from your teacher. 2.Select a question about your topic that you would like to answer. 3.Create a science project notebook. 4.Conduct background research to find out more about your topic. Be sure to create a bibliography for your project and give credit for the use of these resources.

3. Now What? 1.Create a hypothesis for your project. 2.Test your hypothesis by conducting an experiment. Be sure to document the procedures used in the experiment and provide a materials list. 3.Collect and analyze your data. Be sure to present this data in a chart or graph format. 4.Draw a conclusion. 5.Can you think of any new questions or a next step for your project?

4. Putting It All Together: The Display Board

5. The Display Board Use a standard tri-fold display board to communicate your results. These can be purchased at Staple’s, Office Depot, Wal- Mart, Michael’s, or Hobby Lobby. Make your display look visually appealing. Use contrasting colors that will make your information “pop”. Label each section of your display board (ex. : Hypothesis, data, conclusion, etc.).

6. My Favorite Resources Be sure to visit the www.sciencebuddies.org website. Click on the Project Guide tabwww.sciencebuddies.org Also check out http://www.all-science-fair- projects.com/category0.htmlhttp://www.all-science-fair- projects.com/category0.html