1. Science Fair Research paper General Requirements – 3 pages long. The 4 th page should be the biography. – Times Roman 11 or 12 font. 1.5 spacing – Do NOT use I, you, my your, ……. Formal writing What should it look like? – Title page – Introduction Paragraph – Body – 5 paragraphs or maybe more. – Conclusion paragraph – Bibliography

2. Sample Science Fair Project Writing your Background Research Report Project: Which brand off popcorn yields the least amount of un-popped kernels?

3. Introduction Paragraph To do a good introduction, assume that your audience knows a little science but is not familiar with your topic or subject at all. In this paragraph, this is where you define key terms and provide some background history. Popcorn is a type of maize which, unlike other types of corn, pops when heated in oil or dry. It was first found and used to pop by Native Americans thousands of years ago. The kind of popcorn most people pop in their microwaves is the species Zea mays L subsp mays. Popcorn was introduced to the West by Christopher Columbus in the late 15th century. As with other corns, popcorn has a certain amount of moisture inside itself. But, unlike other corns, popcorn has a stronger outer hull that doesn’t let moisture escape as fast as other corn when heated.

4. The Body This is where you answer 1 or 2 questions you developed using your background research plan Research Question: How does popcorn pop? As the kernel is heated to the boiling point, water inside the kernel starts to turn into steam, causing pressure inside the kernel to about 9 times the pressure of air. Inside other types of corn - as well as damaged popcorn kernels - the steam escapes the kernel as fast as it is formed. The difference with popcorn is that the outer hull is strong enough to hold the steam in, until it ruptures in a small explosion and turns it inside out, to become the white fluffy stuff, better known as popcorn!

5. The Body You should have at least 4 other paragraphs in your Research Report. They should answer the questions that you have developed in the worksheet that I gave you. Other research questions that could be answered in your report. – What are the other species of corn that could be used for popping corn? Which species of corn is the best for popping and why? – What species of corn do different manufacturers use? Why do some manufacturers claim their popcorn is better than others? – If you use a microwave, do you need a certain species of corn/maize? If so, why? – Why is oil used in popping popcorn? What type of oil is best for popping corn and why? Is there a certain temperature you have to heat the oil to? If so what is that temperature?

6. Conclusion Paragraph In this paragraph, you specifically discuss the part of the topic that you are experimenting with. Include a discussion about which type of variables that may effect your experiment. There are two explanations to why some kernels do not pop. One is that the popcorn kernel just doesn’t have enough moisture to turn to steam. The other explanation is the outer hull is leaky, and causes the steam to escape before it can become super pressurized and explode the outer hull. This could be caused by mishandling of the kernels at the factory, or maltreatment of the kernels during shipment. The question is which brand of popcorn handles the kernels the best at the factory and during shipping and uses only the best corn?

7. Now you can develop your hypothesis and plan your experiment Hypothesis A lot of people have differing opinions on which popcorn has the least amount of un-popped kernels. Some think Orville Redenbacher, the expensive, gourmet popcorn to be the best popped kernel producer. Others may say the under-dog, the low priced, no- name brand (like Aldi Food Company’s Corntown brand) is the best. My hypothesis is that Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn will be the best in terms of un-popped kernels, because ___________________________.

8. Bibliography Follow format that I gave you.

9. My Experiment Based on my research I am going to test….. Brands…..(5 minimum….) – Orville Redenbacher – Aldi Food Company’s Corntown brand – _________________ – __________________ Oil – Use __________ oil because _________________ Repeat the experiment using a Microwave – Use the same brands

10. Introduction Body Answer 1 or 2 research questions Body Answer 1 or 2 research questions Body Answer 1 or 2 research questions Body Answer 1 or 2 research questions Body Answer 1 or 2 research questions Conclusion