Science Fair
Secrets
Working on a science project can be an exciting
adventure! You will get to explore new ideas, new
equipment, new techniques, and learn about the
principles of science.
But, like all adventures, to be
successful takes time, planning,
research, preparation, and
some hard work.
How do I get
started?
Choosing a Topic and Title
Choosing a Topic and Title
• Be sure that the project
chosen is an experiment and
NOT a demonstration.
• An experiment is
a problem that is
explored through
the scientific method:
– Formulating a question
– Determining and following a
procedure
– Collecting and analyzing data
– Forming a conclusion
Choosing a Topic and Title
– Choosing a model or
demonstration:
Models and demonstrations are
• Examples:
NOT scientific experiments!
– Volcanoes
– Solar Systems
– How a Light Bulb Works…
Also avoid choosing
CONSUMER PROJECTS!
Example:
A Coke vs. Pepsi Project
Surveying 20 people to see if
they prefer Coke or Pepsi
would NOT be a good
science fair project because
it has no scientific
importance.
How to make a consumer project
scientifically relevant
• A way to make the Coke vs. Pepsi
idea into a good project might be to
determine if the caffeine found in
Coke or Pepsi has a greater effect
on the blood pressure of a sample
of 20 people.
• This project would have scientific
(medical) importance!
Choosing a Topic and Title
Pick a topic that:
• Will be interesting.
• You will be able to complete in the required time.
How should I frame my question?
Choose a title that reflects your topic and
is in the form a question
Example:
• How does caffeine affect the growth of a plant?
• How much methane do different types of food
scraps produce?
• How does the roughness of a surface affect a snail’s
average speed?
• Does salt or sugar affect water evaporation?
• Does a magnetic field affect the germination
process?
Explaining the Purpose
Use 1-3 sentences to describe what you
want to find out.
• Begin with:
– The purpose of this project is…
– The purpose of this study is…
– The purpose of this experiment is to
determine the effect of ____ on _____.
For example:
• The purpose of this study is to
determine which soda, Coke or
Pepsi, has the greatest effect
on a person’s blood pressure.
• The purpose of this project is
to find out if a pea plant will
grow taller when given caffeine
rather than water.
Background & Research
Research should be designed to get
background information about your topic,
before you begin your experiment.
• Try to use various sources for your research.
• Suggested sources:
–
–
–
–
Books
Magazines
Newspapers
Internet
Formulating a Hypothesis
• A hypothesis is a prediction, or scientific
guess, stating what you think will be the
answer to your problem/question.
• It may be written as an “If, then” statement.
“ If I __________ then I think _____”
“if” represents the independent variable, while
“then” represents the dependent variable.
For example:
• If blood pressure is measured after
Coke and Pepsi are consumed, then
those subjects who drink Coke would
have a higher blood pressure than
those who drink Pepsi.
• If I pour 100ml of coffee on four pea
plants and pour 100ml of water on
another four pea plants, then I think
the plants with coffee will grow taller
because caffeine will stimulate the
plants.
Designing an Experiment
• Independent variable
– The variable you are changing
• Dependent variable
– The variable you observe for
changes
• Controlled variables (aka
Constants)
– Things that remain the same
throughout the experiment
Designing an Experiment
You must design an experiment that only tests
one independent variable.
All other variables must be controlled.
Example: If you are testing plants:
Use the same seeds.
Plant all of them with the same soil.
Put them all in the same amount of light for
the same amount of time.
The only thing that should be different
about the plants is that one received coffee
and the other water.
Procedure
Provide a detailed list of instructions so that others can repeat
your experiment. These instructions should be numbered.
1.
Get 8 pea plants ( 100 cm tall).
2.
Place 4 pea plants on each tray.
3.
Label one set of plants “Caffeine”.
4.
Label the second set “Water”.
5.
Pour 100ml of coffee( with caffeine ) onto the soil of each
plant twice a week.
6.
Pour 100ml of water onto the soil of each plant twice a
week.
7.
Measure each plant with a metric ruler
8.
Record data in record book.
Materials
Next, you need to list all materials that will be
used to conduct the experiment.
 Make a complete list of everything you will use in your
experiment.
 Tell how many and how much of each object used.
 Use metric measures only.
Do your experiment.
Collecting & Displaying Data
• Data should be collected as
you perform the
experiment
• Data should be displayed
on your board in the form
of tables, graphs, and/or
charts
• All tables, graphs, and
charts should be clearly
labeled and include a title
• Photos should also be
included, if available.
Include photographs of your experiment
Results
• Using your data write a few sentences how your
experiment turned out.
• There is no interpretation or analysis.
• For example:
• The people in my study who drank Pepsi had a higher
blood pressure than those who drank Coke.
• From reading my charts and graphs, I know that Plant
Group #1 grew an average of 40cm with 100mL of
coffee. Plant Group #2 grew an average of 20cm with
100mL of water. The Plant Group that was given
coffee grew 20cm more on the average than the Plant
Group that was given water.
Drawing Conclusions
Here is where you answer your research
question.
– Did the data you collected support your
hypothesis?
– Explain why the data did or did not
support your hypothesis.
– How could you modify your experiment to
get more useful data and get more
conclusive results?
Conclusion
My hypothesis was
supported. The plants
that were watered with
coffee ( caffeine ) grew
taller than those that
were given water.
Therefore, caffeine has a
positive effect on the
growth of pea plants.
This may be due the fact
that caffeine is a
stimulant. The caffeine
could have stimulated
the plant to grow.
Make your Board
Use the entire board! Be creative with your
display!
Good
Not so good
Helpful Resources
Science Fair Web Pages
http://www.sciencebuddies.org/index_A.htm
Best site for help through out project!
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/fair.html
This is a good site explaining the parts of a science fair
project.
http://sciencefair.math.iit.edu/
A web site for children to use in setting up their science
fair project
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/sciencefaircentral/
?pID=fair
A great site! It has info for parents, teachers, and
students. It has project ideas, research tools, and tip
sheets for all kinds of projects.
Bringing It Together
Keys for success:
†Make a time-line and stick to it.
†Parental support
†Organization