Science Fair Package
2012/2013
Elementary
Mrs. Walker
Name:________________________
Class:________________________
This package contains important information and
examples. It will also be the rough draft of your
final project write-up.
Do NOT LOSE THIS PACKAGE!!!
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Science Fair Deadlines:
1. Introduction to Science Fair
January
2. Choose Topic
Jan 31st
3. Experiment Outline
Feb 8th
Experiment Completed
Feb 22nd (FAIR)
Graphs and Charts
Good Copy Write Up
FEB 18th
4. Display Board Complete
FEB 20th
5. Oral Presentation of Project
FEB 22nd
SCIENCE FAIR DAY
FEB 22nd
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1. Introduction to Science Fair
A. What is a Science Fair Project?
A science fair project is many things:
1.
It is deciding to make the commitment to see your project
through from start to finish.
2.
It is choosing a topic that seems interesting to you and finding
something that you would like to know more about.
3.
It is visiting libraries, museums, businesses, hospitals,
industries, colleges… wherever you can find useful information.
4.
It is formulating a purpose for your project and making guesses,
or hypotheses, about the outcome of your experimentation.
5.
It is experimenting to test your hypotheses, making
observations, recording your data, and then, repeating your
experimentation to verify your results.
6.
It is analyzing your finding and drawing conclusions.
7.
It is preparing your scientific research paper, your exhibit, and
your presentation.
8.
It is presenting your project to an audience of judges, your
teacher and public, and your classmates.
9.
And finally, completing one of the biggest assignments you will
encounter in school successfully.
(From: Nuts and Bolts: A Matter of Fact Guide to Science Fair
Projects p.4)
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This is a project that will be worked on in science class. You are
required to do many things to make your project complete. Hard
work and good scientific method makes you eligible for a spot in the
Regional Science Fair in Fairview in March 2012.
B. What your project will include:
For Science Fair, you must have the following completed:
Science Class:
 Choosing a topic
 Forming a working question to base your project on
(Hypothesis)
 Experiment write up
 Conclusions and Results Interpreted and Presented
 Board (including sample apparatus from experiments)
 Journal: a duotang of ALL rough drafts and final copies of ALL
work done on project
 List of websites used
 Glossary of terms – key definitions of terms that you needed to
learn in the study of your project
You will keep a running folder or binder of everything you are
doing with science fair. That way you will not lose anything.
Science Fair is set to be held on Friday, Feb 22nd . The science
fair will be held in the school gym and is open to the public. You
are required to display your project in front of the public and also
before a panel of judges who will ask you questions about all the
different aspects of your project.
C. How your project will be evaluated
You will receive evaluation from peers, your teachers, and the
judges at the science fair. All of these evaluations will be taken
into account by your teacher to give you your final grade on your
project. If you are working with a partner, you will receive
individual grades NOT a group mark for your project. Your
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individual grade will also reflect how successfully you worked
collaboratively with your partner on your project.
Rubrics will be used to determine grades for your presentation to
your classmates and for the judges to use at the science fair .
These will be given to you in science class.
Grades will be assigned for each portion of your project at
specified deadlines. The science fair is part of your grade.
2. How to Choose your Topic
This is often the hardest part of the whole project especially as you try to
come up with something that others have not already done many times over.
 Start with things you are interested in.
 Make up a list:
 Examples: People, animals, plants, diseases, television,
computer programming, robotics, music, weather, pollution,
nutrition, electromagnets, and so on.
 Then decide what you are really curious about with some
general questions like:
 Examples:
a) How can plants best be projected from insect pests?
b) What do the different colours in rocks mean?
c) Why and how does the weather change?
d) How can pollution be controlled in my town?
 Now you are getting closer to finding the one question that will
be the start of your project. Pick out a specific aspect of a topic
and develop an experiment to find the answer.
 Examples:
a) Can companion planting protect roses from
aphids?
b) What are the sources of pollution in the river and
how can they be cleaned up?
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If you cannot decide on a definite topic, begin by looking through
books and magazines for ideas. Your teacher or friend may have a
suggestion for you. Since you are going to work on this project for
some time, you owe it to yourself to choose a topic in which you are
genuinely interested. It might be a topic that you know something
about but would like to know more.
Whatever topic you choose, it must be one that you can experiment
with yourself. A good way to start is to ask a question that can be
answered only by experimenting.
Here are examples of topics chosen by other students and why they
can or cannot be selected as good topic:
POOR TOPIC:
 “Motors” The topic is too general. If the student just
describes how motors work, they are merely doing a
demonstration and not experimentation.
 “How Volcanoes Erupt” This topic will not allow
experimentation without visiting real volcanoes. If students
make a model that erupts, then they are doing a
demonstration and not experimentation.
GOOD TOPIC:
 “The effect of Chemical Fertilizers on the Bean Plants” or “How
do Pill Bugs react to Various Surfaces?” This could be a good
topic because it suggests experimentation. Students would use
the scientific method to complete the project.
These are just examples of topics. You will have to choose the topic
and narrow it to a specific question or problem that allows
experimentation.
Two Major Types of Projects
1.
2.
Experiment: an investigation undertaken to test a
specific hypothesis.
Innovation / Invention: the development and
evaluation of innovative devices, models,
techniques or approaches in technology,
engineering, or computers.
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Project Categories
The Computational and Mathematical Sciences project deals with
computer hardware or software innovation, or both.
The Engineering Sciences project involves the design and/ or
physical construction of some device, appliance, machine or process
that has an application.
The Life Sciences project involves biology, zoology, botany or
aspects of pure or applied medicine.
The Physical Sciences project is related to physics or chemistry. Its
primary projective is a consideration of the cause and effect of some
abiotic process or activity.
The Earth and Environmental Sciences project has as its focus
either a topic related to the planetary processes or the relationships
of organisms to those processes, or between or among organisms.
Projects in this category would include the fields of geology,
mineralogy, physiology, oceanography, limnology, climatology,
seismology, geography or ecology.
The Biotechnology project demonstrates the application of
knowledge of biological systems to solve a problem, create a product
or provide a service in one of three subject fields: crop development,
animal science or microbials.
D. Choosing your Topic
Top 10 Things that I am interested in studying:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
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8.
9.
10.
Top 5 Things I want to study:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Top 2 Things I want to study:
1.
2.
3. Developing a Formal Question
A good question is based on your topic, and includes a specific
manipulated (what you are changing) and responding variable
(what is measured).
POOR Question:
 “How do Motors Work?” The question is too general. If the
student just describes how motors work, they are merely
doing a demonstration and not experimentation.
 “How will Volcanoes Erupt?” This question will not allow
experimentation without visiting real volcanoes. If students
make a model that erupts, then they are doing a
demonstration and not experimentation.
GOOD Question:
 “The effect of varying concentrations of the fertilizer miracle
grow on the height of bean plants after ten days?
 “How do the eating habits of Pill Bugs change when they are
given different sources of food? This could be a good
question because it suggests experimentation. Students
would use the scientific method to complete the project.
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For each of your “Top 2 Things to Study” develop 3 questions in
the space provided below that you could turn into an experiment
or innovation.
For Topic 1. I could ask the following investigation questions
1.
2.
3.
For Topic 2. I could ask the following investigation questions
1.
2.
3.
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4.
Signature Page for Permission to Proceed with Chosen
Project
Student Name:_______________________Class:_______
The topic that I will be focusing on for Science Fair is:
Topic (chose one from last page) ______________________
Research Question (choose the best one from last page):
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Teacher Signature for approval:
______________________
The Materials that I will need are:
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Important Questions about your project (circle yes or no):
Does your project involve testing people?
How?________________________________
Y
N
Does your project involve testing animals?
How?________________________________
Y
N
Does your project involve using chemicals?
Which ones?__________________________
Y
N
Does your project involve hazardous equipment? Y
What equipment?______________________
N
Does your project involve living things?
What?________________________________
Y
N
Does your project involve electricity?
Y
N
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How?________________________________
I am able to obtain or buy all the materials and equipment for my
science fair project:
Student Signature:
Parent Signature:
_______________________
_______________________
My partner’s name is:_________________________.
I will work with (partner’s name) ________________for the entire
science fair project no matter what happens personally between
us.
Student signature:__________________________
Teacher and Parent Approval for Partner:
Teacher Signature:
____________________
Parent Signature:
____________________
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5. Experiment Outline
Experiment Write Up
Topic:_______________________________Name:_____________
A. Investigation Question (copy from your final approved question):
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B. Hypothesis: Must contain manipulated and responding variable, is
prediction of experiment, answer to the question.
Examples:


Poor: The volcano will explode.
Good: As the concentration of “Miracle Grow”
fertilizer is increased, the height of the bean plants
will increase.
Your Hypothesis:________________________________________
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C. Manipulated variable: (what is the one thing you change?):
Bean experiment example (concentration of
fertilizer)
Your Manipulated Variable:
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D. Responding variable: (is the one thing you measure?) Bean
experiment example (height of bean plants)
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Your Responding Variable:
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E. Controlled Variables: (what do you always keep the same):
Bean experiment example (type of bean plant,
volume of fertilizer, type of fertilizer, type of
container, amount of water, amount of light,
amount of soil, time between measurements,
type of measuring device)
Your Controlled Variables:
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F. Materials: (useable supplies) and Apparatus (Lab equipment)
Examples:
Poor: bean plant, water, fertilizer
Good:
1) 12 green bean plants (Allen Co.)
2) 25 mL x 50 water
3) 500 g “Miracle Gro” fertilizer
5) 1000 g potting soil
6) 1 x 1 L watering container
7) 12 0.5 L plant pots
8) Masking tape
9) Sharpie marker
Your Materials:
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G. Procedure: (instructions to precisely carry out experiment)
Instructions need to be very concise and clear. Think
about how a grade 5 student could follow your
instructions. Any person reading your procedure should
be able to follow your instructions and carry out your
experiment exactly like you did by reading your
instructions. All procedures should be numbered,
detailed, one part per step and in the appropriate order.
Remember the peanut butter sandwich.
Remember to have repeated trials: the number of times an
experiment is repeated; the more trials, the more reliable your results. You
must have at least 3 trials (for example the good example below has 3 trials
of each type of fertilizer).
Procedure Examples:
Poor.
1) Put plant in container, Grow plant.
2) Add fertilizer and water
3) See how tall the plant gets
Good
1) Put 50 g soil each in 12 pots
2) Plant 1 bean seed 2 cm below the surface of the soil, using your
finger tip to make the hole, in each pot
3) Cover the holes with dirt
4) Label 4 sets of 3 pots with the following information on masking
tape;
a. 10 g fertilizer
b. 15 g fertilizer
c. 20 g fertilizer
d. 0 g fertilizer
5) Dissolve10 g of fertilizer into 25 mL of water and put into 3 of the
pots
6) Dissolve 15g of fertilizer into 25 mL of water and put into 3 of the
pots
7) Dissolve 20g of fertilizer into 25 mL of water and put into 3 of the
pots
8) Put 25 mL of water into last 3 pots
9) Put plants in sunlight
10) Etc etc.
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Your procedure:
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H. Observations/Data: Observations/data are where charts, tables,
graphs, journal descriptions, and summative
reports are used. This is the section where you
record the data from the experiment you ran.
Tables, Charts, and Graphs
DATA TABLE
1. On a sheet of paper, draw a table.
2. Give your table a title that identifies your variables.
3. Label the column on the left as the manipulated variable.
Underneath, list each item you used for the manipulated variable.
4. Label the columns to the right as the responding variable. Draw
boxes under these columns in which you can record the results of
the trials. Include a column for averages.
BAR GRAPH
1. On graph paper, draw a set of axes (x and y)
2. Give your bar graph a title.
3. Label the horizontal (x) axis with your manipulated variable.
4. Label the vertical (y) axis with your responding variable. Place a
scale that marks the values of your responding variable along the
y-axis.
5. For each manipulated variable, draw a solid bar to the height of the
corresponding value of the responding variable. Leave equal space
between bars so your graph is easy to read.
LINE GRAPH
1. On graph paper, draw a set of axes (x and y).
2. Give your graph a title.
3. Label the x-axis with your manipulated variable. Place a scale with
the values on the x-axis.
4. Label the y-axis with your responding variable. Place a scale that
includes all the values of the responding variable on the y-axis.
5. Plot a point on the graph for each piece of data.
6. When you’ve plotted the points for your data, connect the points,
or draw a ‘line of best fit’.
PIE Graph
1. Draw a circle using a compass.
2. Give your pie chart a tile.
3. Mark the center with a point; this is the spot where each wedge or
‘pie slice’ will start.
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4. Measure a wedge for each item of the manipulated variable. To
figure out how big to make each wedge, convert your data from
percentages to angle degrees.
5. Label the wedge, including its percentage.
6. Measure your next wedge from the edge of the first. When you’re
finished, the entire circle should be filled. The sum of all the
angles must add up to 360o.
Examples
Poor: The beans grew 10 cm, 8 cm and not at all.
Good:
Table #1 Growth of Bean plants with 10 g/25 ml Water over 10 days
Plant
Growth (cm)
1
8
2
10
3
11
Plant Growth in Trial #1
15
Growth10
(cm)
5
0
Growth (cm)
Bean Plant
Your Observations:
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Your Observation’s Continued:
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I. Analysis: This is the toughest part of your entire project. In your
analysis, you are explaining WHY you got the
observations/data that you got. You are summarizing
what you learned from looking at your charts and
graphs. What big concepts are apparent? Your
analysis should be at least 2 paragraphs long, in
complete sentences and with references to research and
to your graphs, charts and tables.
Examples:
Poor: The bean plants grew more, the more fertilizer was put on them.
Except the 20g/25mL pots, cause all the plants died in those
pots.
Good: Four different concentrations of fertilizers were used on 12
bean plants. In the first trial (10g/25 mL of water) the bean
plants grew an average of 10 cm each in the 10 days of growing
time. We did not use the third pot in making our average, as the
bean seed did not germinate. In the second trial (15g/25 mL of
water) the bean plants grew an average of 15 cm each in the 10
days of growing time. In the third trial (20g/25mL of water) all
the plants germinated, but died 2 days after germination. In the
fourth trial, which were our control plants with only water and
no fertilizer added, all the plants germinated, and grew an
average of 7 cm in the 10 days of growing time.
The height of the bean plants in our experiment did increase
(Charts #1-2), as we increased the concentration of fertilizers
when comparing the 10g and 15g trials. However, the 25g of
fertilizer trial resulted in three dead plants (Chart #3). Through
our research we discovered that similar experiments also found
that their plants died at high concentrations of fertilizer. In an
experiment by R. Mount and C. Whalen done in 2001, potato
plants grew more until the concentration of Miracle Gro fertilizer
was changed to 20g/25 mL. The plants died because the high
concentration of fertilizer can actually cause chemical burns
and dehydration and this was supported by a website by Heyde
and Fines ( 2006).
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Your Analysis:
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J. Conclusion: The conclusion that you write must completely answer
the question from the beginning part of the lab – your
question and hypothesis. The conclusion will either
support (prove) or not support (disprove) your
hypothesis. Is is short, and just a few complete
sentences. It must contain your manipulated and
responding variables.
Poor: Some of the plants died. Some of them grew.
Good: In conclusion, the height of the bean plants increased, as the
concentration of fertilizer increased, until the concentration
reached 20g/25 mL of water, at which point, the bean plants died
shortly after germinating.
Your Conclusion:
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K. Sources of Error
What may have effected your results in ways that were not controlled?
Did you change things in your experiment once you started your
experiment?
Poor: Aliens ate one of the bean plants.
Good: (bean experiment) we got the water from different taps, this may
have affected the rate of growth of the plants. We also measured the
water in different graduated cylinders, which may have affected the
growth of the plants in the trials.
Your Sources of Error
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All final parts of write-up must be typed. A copy of all rough and
final documents needs to be included in your journal.
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6. Display Board:
Backboards are an essential element of science fair
Your project should attract and inform, be easy to assess the study and
results, and make the most use of space with clear and concise
displays. It is a communication tool.
The display should include: headings that stand out, posters
containing written materials and charts, clearly drawn and correctly
labeled graphs and diagrams, and some of the apparatus used so that
key aspects of the project can be demonstrated.
Photographs of the experiment and process at different stages are very
much recommended.
7. Oral Presentation of Project/Judging Preparation
How Should I Present My Project to the Judges?
This is an important part of your project so take the time to plan and practice the
presentation you will take to the judges. Plan in advance what you want to say.
Write key phrases or ideas on index cards and use them as you reference but do
not depend heavily on them.
Here is an approach you may wish to use for your oral presentation:
1. Greet the judges and introduce yourselves
2. Give the title of your project
3. Tell how you became interested in this topic
4. Give some background information about the topic
5. State the purpose of your investigation
6. Discuss your review of literature
7. Describe, in a step-by-step fashion, the procedure you follow for conducting
your investigation. Point to sections of your display and refer to charts, graphs,
and photographs. If you have equipment on display, allow the judges to examine
it.
8. Explain the results of your experiment and be sure to discuss controls and
variables. Remember to keep all measurements in metric units.
9. Identify the conclusions that you could logically draw from the experiment.
10. Discuss any future plans you may have to continue research or
experimentation related to your topic. Include a few statements about any
changes you made in your scientific approach during your early investigation.
11. Ask the judges if they have any questions. Remember, if you do not know an
answer say so and indicate you will look into it. If judges insist on asking
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questions in unrelated areas, redirect the conversation back into your specific
topic.
12. Thank the judges for their time and any suggestions they may have offered to
improve your project.
Good manners, nice clothes, and enthusiasm for what you are doing
will help to impress the judges. Here are some tips:
1. Dress nicely.
2. Be polite and practice good manners.
3. Make good eye contact with your judges and be sure to give each judge your
attention. Do not just look at one.
4. Stand up straight and to the side of your exhibit. (DO NOT SIT WHILE TALKING
TO JUDGES)
5. Do not do anything to distract the judges (i.e. Shifting from side to side)
6. Relax, smile, and have FUN!
How Will My Science Project Be Judged?
Part of the fun of a science fair is talking to qualified judges about the research
work done in the project. The judging process can be a good learning experience
and judges are asked to be positive and supportive at all times. Many students
have found their first summer job or decided on a certain career through the
contact with a judge and you can also learn a lot about how to improve or develop
your project. Judges are looking for several things like:
 Originality: is the idea and the approach you have taken original?
 Accuracy: in the collection of information and your use of the scientific
method.
 Completeness: in carrying out the experiments and understanding what you
have done.
 Results: in ending up with knowledge that is important to you.
**Rubrics will be given to students in class
8. Parent Involvement in Project
How Can I Help my Son/Daughter in Doing a Science Project?
We hope the following suggestions will be helpful for this year’s
science project:
 Please remember that the most important ingredients in any project are
the amount of work that the student accomplishes, how much knowledge
he or she acquires, and how much initiative is displayed. Many abilities
are developed: researching, organizing, outlining, measuring, calculating,
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reporting, and presenting. These involve the reading, writing, arithmetic,
and social skills so much a part of successful daily living.
 Although the project is to be the result of the student’s effort, there is no
substitute for a parent’s support
 Do not worry about the project’s performance at a science fair. If
strengthened thinking skills and increased knowledge have occurred,
then a prize has truly been won.
 Areas in which parent’s assistance will be necessary include:
o Safety: Be sure that poisons, dangerous chemicals and open fires
are avoided. Learn and practice electrical safety if electricity is
used in the project. If any aspect of the project appears to be
dangerous, it is not be included.
o Transportation: Help will be needed for transportation of materials
to the science fair, although it is better if the student can set up
and take down the exhibit with a minimum of assistance.
 Areas in which a parent’s assistance may be welcome include:
o Suggesting project ideas (these may be connected with your
work)
o Transportation to libraries, businesses, museums, nature centers,
universities, or any source of project information
o Technical work such as construction and photography
o Help with project expenses
o Being an interested listener.
o Being a motivator for achieving the deadlines on page 2
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