WHAT IS A
GOOD
SCIENCE FAIR
PROJECT?
WHAT IS A GOOD
SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT?
Have you ever wondered how the
experiments for electricity were done?
Or why someone wanted to do them in
the first place.
WHAT IS A GOOD
SCIENCE FAIR
PROJECT?
You will learn:
how
to make a science fair notebook
how
to make a display board for your project
how
to critically examine (4 C’s) your project
the way science fair judges examine projects.
SCIENCE FAIR UNIT
In this unit you will not simply
read about science. You will become
actively involved in science fair
projects. You will conduct
experiments, observe
demonstrations, and judge other
student’s science fair projects. You will
also learn to create a satisfactory
project of your own.
Scientists ask . . .
WHY?
Anyone can ask why, but
it takes a true scientist
to answer WHY!
THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
The scientific method is a special way to look at and SOLVE
PROBLEMS. There are at least 4 main parts to solving the
problem.
QUESTION:
stating the problem

HYPOTHESIS:
deciding on an answer to your problem

PROCEDURE:
establishing a method of investigation or experiment

RESULTS:
collecting and analyzing data

CONCLUSION:
decide on the outcome by drawing conclusion from the
RESULTS of your investigation or experiment.

THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
Let’s look at a simple example of the SCIENTIFIC METHOD using:
QUESTION, HYPOTHESIS, PROCEDURE, RESULTS
and CONCLUSION
Step #1:
QUESTION & HYPOTHESIS: Crissy wanted to find out . . . Which
brand of bubblegum would make the biggest bubbles?
Step #2:
PROCEDURE: She bought samples of every brand of gum she could
find and divided them into equal sizes, according to weight. She
then chewed each piece of gum exactly 150 times and blew bubbles.
She repeated this procedure many times.
Step #3:
RESULTS:
Crissy had a friend measure the size of each bubble she blew.
These measurements were written down in a notebook.
Step #4:
DRAWING CONCLUSIONS: After a careful study of the data,
Crissy found out which gum was best for blowing bubbles.
THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD HYPOTHESIS
Let’s look a little closer at the 1st step of the SCIENTIFIC METHOD.
Stating the PROBLEM and forming a HYPOTHESIS:
A problem arises when you see something happen and wonder
about it. You might wonder why leaves change color, or how
strong ants are or why moss grows only on one side of a rock.
A HYPOTHESIS is your explanation or solution to a problem.
It does not have to be right, but it should be a good guess
based on what you observe. It should not be a WILD guess.
Later on you will test your HYPOTHESIS with MORE THAN
ONE experiment.
Please complete INVESTIGATION 1 with your group.
THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
HYPOTHESIS
DIRECTIONS: You are to write as many science fair problems as possible in
the next 15 minutes. You will receive one point for every 3 problems
that require experimentation and that boys and girls your age can do
with the available materials. Use your Clue Card Activity 1 to
follow the sample models:
MODEL #1
How does _____________ affect ______________?
MODEL #2
What is the effect of ___________ on __________?
MODEL #3
Which ________________ is _________________?
consumer product
strongest…lasts longest…is best, etc.
THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
PROCEDURE
Now let’s look at the 2nd step of the SCIENTIFIC METHOD.
Now that you have learned how to state a PROBLEM and
form a HYPOTHESIS for a science fair project you are ready for
the 2nd step . . . the PROCEDURE. After a HYPOTHESIS has
been formed or a PROBLEM stated, an experiment needs to be
designed to test the HYPOTHESIS or solve the PROBLEM. In a
science fair project this is called the PROCEDURE. Certain rules
MUST be followed:
1ST - Keep careful records of everything you do. You
must keep these records so carefully that another person could
read your notes and do your experiment without any trouble.
2ND - You need to consider all of the things that can
affect an experiment’s outcome. These things are called
VARIABLES.
THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
VARIABLES
Whenever you do an experiment,
you must control the VARIABLES!
Remember, the variables are the
things that can affect the outcome
of an experiment.
THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
VARIABLES
Let’s say you wanted to find which brand of plastic cement is the
strongest. You first buy two of the most popular brands - Super Stick and
Mighty Stick. Next you get four pieces of plastic. You take two of the pieces
and put a lot of Super Stick on them and squeeze them together for 5
minutes. Then you take the other two pieces of plastic and put a small dab
of Might Stick on both pieces and squeeze them together for 3 minutes.
In the morning you try to pull the pieces of plastic apart. First you
pull on the pieces that were joined together by Super Stick. You cannot pull
them apart. Then you pull on the pieces held together by Might Stick and
the two pieces easily come apart. Super Stick held the plastic together, but
you do not know if it held longer because the glue was better or because you
used more glue than the other brand. Maybe Might stick would have held
just as well if you used the same amount of glue as you did with Super Stick.
You also held the pieces of plastic glued with Super Stick together longer
than you did the pieces held together with Mighty Stick. Perhaps this is why
Super Stick held better. AND HERE’S THE POINT . . .
THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
VARIABLES
You can’t be sure which brand of
glue is better unless you have
controlled all of the VARIABLES.
THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
VARIABLES
Remember, the VARIABLES are the things that can
affect the outcome of an experiment. In order to control the
VARIABLES you must use the same amount of glue as well as
the same size and shape of plastic; you must hold the pieces
together for the same amount of time; and you must pull
with equal force when you try to separate the pieces. All of
these things that you try to keep the same are called
VARIABLES. The only variable that is not the same is the
brand of plastic cement you are testing. If one holds better
than another, you can say it is a stronger brand of plastic
cement . . . because you CONTROLLED all the VARIABLES.
THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
VARIABLES
Remember, the VARIABLES are the things that can
affect the outcome of an experiment. In order to control the
VARIABLES you must use the same amount of glue as well as
the same size and shape of plastic; you must hold the pieces
together for the same amount of time; and you must pull with
equal force when you try to separate the pieces. All of these
things that you try to keep the same are called VARIABLES.
The only variable that is not the same is the brand of plastic
cement you are testing. If one holds better than another, you
can say it is a stronger brand of plastic cement . . . because you
CONTROLLED all the VARIABLES.
Whenever you conduct an experiment, you must control
as many of the VARIABLES as you can. If you are aware of
VARIABLES that cannot be controlled, then you must put this
fact in your notes.
THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
VARIABLES
Now you are going to look at
some projects from the Brightsville
School Science Fair. Your team can
collect 1 point by following the
directions and completing the
SCIENCE FAIR PROJECTS
worksheet.
THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
RESULTS = COLLECTING DATA
Throughout your experiments you will have many observations to
make. These observations usually fall into 3 categories.
MEASUREMENT: Here you would measure things like temperature, height,
weight, distance, speed, and time.
COUNTING: You might count the number of worms found in certain kinds of
soil, or the number of animals living in a small pond.
OBSERVATION is one where you use your senses. You would record things
you SEE, HEAR, FEEL, SMELL, and, TASTE as they relate to your experiment.
Brenda wrote in her notebook that the beans growing in the sand were a
pale green and yellow. While Crissy was experimenting with gum, she
observed a change in color and taste. She also noticed the gum became
stickier the more she chewed it. During an experiment you may use all
three kinds of observations or only one.While making your observations, you
need to keep careful records in some kind of notebook.
If you look at DATA SHEET - page 1 you will notice how carefully
recorded the results of Jared’s experiment were.
THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
RESULTS
COLLECTING DATA
Another way to record information is with a data sheet.
There are many ways to make a data sheet. One example is
Tim’s data sheet on DATA SHEET - page 2. Notice how he
carefully recorded the results of his experiment.
Here is the important thing to remember:
KEEP ACCURATE RECORDS AND NOTE
THE OBSERVATIONS YOU MAKE DURING
THE EXPERIMENT.
THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
RESULTS
COLLECTING DATA
In order to practice collecting data lets come up with a
problem.
Let’s go COLLECTING DATA.
Be sure to look for ways to:
MEASURE
COUNT and
OBSERVE
Using CLUE CARD ACTIVITY 3 fill in the Counting Data Sheet.
THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
RESULTS
COLLECTING DATA
The date from our next problem involves measurement.
We will be measuring time, so a regular data sheet will be
used to record time.
What are your RESULTS?
WHAT IS A
GOOD
SCIENCE FAIR
PROJECT?