How to Make a
Science Board
Key Information
• For your science project, you need to
prepare a display board to communicate
your work to others.
• You will use a standard, three-panel
display board that unfolds to be 36" tall
by 48" wide.
Board Layout
• Organize your information like a
newspaper so that your audience can
quickly follow the thread of your
experiment by reading from top to
bottom, then left to right.
• Include each step of your science project:
Abstract, question, hypothesis, variables,
background research, and so on.
Board Layout
Board Layout
Board Layout
Display Board
• Use a font size of at least 16 points for the
text on your display board, so that it is easy
to read from a few feet away. It's OK to use
slightly smaller fonts for captions on picture
and tables.
•
The title should be big and easily read
from across the room. Choose one that
accurately describes your work, but also
grabs peoples' attention.
Display Board
• A picture speaks a thousand words!
• Use photos or draw diagrams to present
non-numerical data, to propose models
that explain your results, or just to show
your experimental setup.
• Don't put text on top of photographs or
images. It can be very difficult to read.
Display Board
Here is a list of items that need to be included on your
science board:
• Your name on the display board
• Pictures of yourself
• Captions that include the source for every picture or image
• Acknowledgements of people who helped you
• Equipment such as your laboratory apparatus or your
invention
Materials and
Construction Techniques
• Print out or write your information on
white paper that you will attach to your
display board. Be sure to proofread each
sheet before you attach it.
• Glue sticks (use plenty) work well for
attaching sheets of paper to your display
board. Use double-sided tape for items
like photographs that may not stick to
glue.
Materials and
Construction Techniques
• Instead of regular paper, use cover stock or
card stock. These heavier papers will wrinkle
less when you attach it to your display board,
especially if you use a glue stick. Matte paper
is preferable to glossy because it won't show
as much glare— glare makes your display
board difficult to read.
• Use color construction paper to add accents
to your display board. A common technique is
to put sheets of construction paper behind
the white paper containing your text.
Student’s Final
Checklist
• Did you remember to..• • • •
• Include every required category
(Hypothesis, Procedure, Materials, etc.)?
• Label every chart, graph and illustration?
• Provide a caption for every photograph?
• Proofread every word on your display
board? Twice??
Student’s Final
Checklist
• Ask yourself...
• Is the type large enough to read from afar? Stand 3
feet away to check.
• Are lines straight? Are text blocks and graphics
properly aligned? (You can re-do a section by covering
mistakes with matching colored paper and pasting new
text and graphics over that. This time use a ruler!)
• Does the display look overly crowded with
information? If so, consider removing some less
important items and displaying them creatively on the
table instead.
Student’s Final
Checklist
• Ask yourself...
• Are there any empty spaces on the
board? If your layout looks uneven,
consider adding some items to balance it
out.
What is required?
Title
• The title of your project. Your name.
Data and Graphics
• Present any significant data, graphs, and
pictures in this section.
• Visual representations of your results, if
done effectively, are worth thousands of
words.
Problem/ Purpose
• State the problem that you were
originally concerned with and explain why
you selected the topic you did?
Hypothesis
• State your hypothesis.
• DO NOT write a prediction statement.
• Your hypothesis should NOT be in an
If…then format.
Procedures
• State the procedures you followed.
• What experiments did you perform and
why?
Results
• What did you find out from your data?
• Explain the results here.
Conclusions
• Was your hypothesis right or wrong?
• Can you make a new statement that you
know to be true based on your research?
Recommendations
• From everything you learned would you
make any recommendations for further
research?
• Write your ideas for research in this
section
• What other hypotheses could you conduct
an experiment on based on your current
experiment?
Abstract
• An abstract is a brief overview of your
project work.
• It should include the title, your name, and
brief summaries of the problem,
hypothesis, procedures, data and
conclusions.
• It should be no more than one typed page
with 1 or 2 paragraphs.