1.  Preparing for the Science Fair Mrs. Zimmerman 11/10/10

2. How do I choose a good project?  Focus on investigative questions.  Why? How? What is the cause?  Example:  Which brand of diapers absorbs more liquid?  What causes Huggies to absorb more liquid than Pampers?

3. How do I choose a good project?  Topic/Question:  Is it original and creative?  Is it testable?  Does it isolate ONE factor?

4. How do I choose a good project?  Think about your project in terms of:  Time – will the project take too much time?  Materials – can you get the materials?  Safety – will the project be safe for you to do?  Appropriateness – can you understand the topic?  Animal care* – will they be kept safe?

5. How do I get started?  Research the topic

6. How do I get started?  Research the topic  Use information to formulate a hypothesis  What you think will happen  Why you think so

7. How do I get started?  Research the topic  Use information to formulate a hypothesis  What you think will happen  Why you think so  Identify the variables you will test

8. What are variables?  Independent: What you change  Controlled: What stays the same  Dependent: What will be measured Yeast + C 6 H 12 O 6  6 CO 2 + energy

9. How do I get started?  Design a “fair test”  Determine if the changed factor has an impact on the end result Yeast +  6 CO 2 + energy

10. How do I get started?  Design a “fair test” Yeast +  6 CO 2 + energy A. 10 grams +10 grams glucose B. 10 grams +8 grams maltose C. 5 grams +10 grams fructose

11. Where do I get materials & supplies?  Your home, school, grocery or hardware store  Acorn Naturalists (Tustin)  Online sources:  American Science & Surplus  Flinn Scientific  Science Kit  Carolina Biological Supply  Fisher Science Education

12. What is the most difficult part?  Planning ahead and managing your time!

13. What is the finished product?

14. Questions?