STEM Fair
Oliver Beach Elementary
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Scientific Method
Step 1: Summary and Approval Form
Step 2: BACKGROUND INFORMATION
(Research Report)
The next step in your project is to
collect as much factual information
as you can about your topic. This is
not about your experiments and
should not include any predictions.
Your research report should be at
least 2 paragraphs. Each paragraph
should be about 4 – 6 sentences.
You need to include a bibliography.
Sources of Background Information
Books
Magazines
Interview
Newspapers
Internet
Bibliography
All resources that you use in your project must be
listed with your research report. Make sure you list
each one alphabetically and in proper format. You
should have at least 3 references. The more
references you have, the better your project will be.
Author’s last name, First name, Title of the book, where
published: publisher, year published, pages used
Sample:
Hemphill, Gene, Lima Beans and You, New York, NY:
Hyde Publishing Corporation,2004, pp.34-43
Log Book
Inside the log book: brainstorm project
topics, take notes for your research
report. Record your: question,
hypothesis, materials, procedure,
variables, chart, drawings and diagrams,
graph, written results and conclusion.
Step 3: PROBLEM Statement
(Question)
The first step in the scientific
method is to identify your problem.
It should be written in the form of
a question. You can use your
problem as the title of your science
fair project.
Testable Questions
• What is a Testable Question?
• Testable questions are those that can be answered through hands-
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on investigation by the student. The key difference between a
general interest science question and a testable question is that
testable questions are always about changing one thing to see what
the effect is on another thing.
A good question must lead to an investigation (experiment) not a
report, a demonstration or model. The question may ask about the
effect of one thing upon another.
should be one from which you can collect data (ideally
measurements or direct observation) rather than opinions.
should be specific rather than really broad.
is one which the materials needed to experiment with are easy to
find.
Examples of “testable” questions:
• How does temperature affect the bounce of a
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basketball?
How does changing the height of a ramp affect
how far a car will travel?
What affect does the color or type of light
have on plant growth?
What affect does the type of soil have on the
growth of a tomato plant?
What affect does the surface have on the
distance a car or skate board will travel?
How does temperature affect the strength of
a magnet?
Examples of poor questions:
• Question: How do volcanoes erupt?
• Reason: This project would be a model not an
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experiment, is too vague (broad), and will not involve
data collection.
Question: What are optical illusions and how do people
see them?
Reason: This question is not an experiment and asks
for opinions not data.
Question: What effect does caffeine have on the
bloodstream?
Reason: This project is one for which students would
not have the materials necessary to test it OR would
involve the ingestion of caffeine to observe reactions in
a vertebrate animal (including humans) and would be
disqualified.
Step 4: Form a HYPOTHESIS
Now that you understand your project a little better
you have to predict what your experiment’s results
will be. This is your hypothesis. A hypothesis is no
ordinary guess. It is an “educated” guess, because you
will use your background research to help you
predict the results of your experiment before you
actually perform it.
Write your hypothesis as an “If/Then/because”
statement.
If I water the
plants, then they will
grow, because most
plants need water in
order to survive.
Step 5: MATERIALS
Materials: List all the materials
you plan to use in your experiment.
Make sure you list the amounts and
units. (how many? How much?) If
possible use the metric system.
Make sure you have enough to
complete 3 trials. (especially
plants)
Step 6: PROCEDURE
• Procedure: List all the steps of
your experiment in the exact order
you will perform them. (numbered
steps) Be clear, but keep it simple.
Other people should be able to
replicate your experiment by
following your procedure.
Step 7: Identify VARIABLES
Controlled: In every experiment, there are
factors that remain the same. These are
the controlled variables
Independent: The one factor in your
experiment that is intentionally changed in
your investigation is the independent
variable. (You can have only one independent
variable.)
Dependent: The factor that is being
observed and measured. This is the
dependent variable.
Step 8: Perform your EXPERIMENT
After recording steps 3 – 7 in your log book,
show them to your teacher. If your teacher
approves them, you are now ready to begin
experimenting!
It’s a good idea to have
an adult present when
experimenting!
Repeat the experiment
After you have finished your experiment
run it at least two more times. You must
complete at least three trials. The more
the test are repeated, the more accurate
your results will be. Find the
mean/average of these three trials.
Steps 9 and 10: Results and Written Results
Observe, record, and analyze your data.
Remember to keep a record (log book) of all
the data you have gathered in your experiment.
Use data chart or table, graph (line or bar),
diagrams and photographs to help show your
data. Using your data and observations, tell
your findings. Give only the facts to back up
your results.
Step 11: State your CONCLUSIONS
You should begin your conclusion by saying if your
hypothesis was supported by your data or not
supported by your data. You should answer your
original question. You should include inferences that
can be made from the results of the experiment. Tell
about any problems that happened during your
experiment that may have affected the results.
Include any questions the could be investigated in the
future, related to your original investigation. At the
end of your conclusion, tell how your project could
contribute to real life situations. This is known as
your application.
Step 12: Construct your
Backboard
Experimental Projects …
• What is an experimental project?
A good experimental project involves the student
in a journey of discovery, driven by curiosity. It
must be based on a testable question or problem.
It includes a problem or question; hypothesis;
independent, dependent, and controlled variables;
data display in the form of a graph or chart
showing the results of the manipulation of the
independent variable; a conclusion including a
restatement of the problem or question, a
statement of support or non-support of the
hypothesis, an explanation and analysis of the
results, and a description of further research.
Experimental Projects (cont.)
• Acceptable examples:
include any question that is answered by doing an
experiment or investigation and includes the control of
independent, dependent, and controlled variables.
• Unacceptable examples:
 The growth of bacteria from our environment such as
washed/unwashed hands, cutting boards, kitchen sponges
 The use of vertebrate animals (including humans) as test
subjects
 The use of controlled substances such as drugs, alcohol, or
dangerous chemicals
 Models or demonstrations such as volcanoes
Observational Projects …
• What is an observational project?
Projects based on a question formed from prior
observations and includes a hypothesis, data
collected by scientists, observation, or surveys of
people , animals, or the environment displayed in
the form of a chart or graph, an explanation of the
data identifying patterns and trends, and a
conclusion that answers the question.
Observational Projects (cont.)
• Acceptable examples:
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Weather questions involving the use of data collected by
scientists in the field
 Astronomy questions involving data from satellites, probes, space
missions, or telescopes
 Physical science questions involving mathematical concepts
 Environmental questions involving movement or behavior of
animals
• Unacceptable examples:
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Any project that involves the giving of food, water, exercise, or
learning to any vertebrate animal (including humans)
 Reports based on a collection of facts not centered on a question
http://www.bcps.org/offices/science/STEM/
Link to BCPS website to help
students and inform parents
Our Students at work!
Our Displays
Our Displays
Websites
• http://school.discoveryeducation.com/scie
ncefaircentral/Getting-Started.html
• http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/de
fault.aspx
• http://www.sciencebuddies.org/
• http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/projects.html
In an experiment, the variable that is being tested is the
Independent variable
Control variable
Dependent variable
A hypothesis is most closely related to which of the following?
A law
A wild guess
A theory
An educated prediction
After you record your data from an experiment you should
Publish your results and share them with your peers
Pack up and go home.
Form a hypothesis.
Summarize your findings in a conclusion and state whether your findings support your hypothesis or
ot.
What is the first step of the scientific method?
Publish your results
Research background information
Make an observation
Form a hypothesis