EARNING A $50,000
COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP
OR….
TEACH YOUR STUDENTS
SUCCESS THROUGH
SCIENCE FAIR
EXPERIEMENTAL DESIGN
DIAGRAM
Teach your students through hands on
activities how to identify the basic
concepts and use the experimental
design diagram.






Hypothesis
Independent Variable (IV); Manipulated; Range
Dependent Variable (DV); Responding; Domain
Constants
Control Group
Repeated Trials
“An effective method for
teaching students to design
experiments begins with
concrete investigations of
phenomena that enable
students to quickly
manipulate materials and see
the results.”
Students and Research; Practical Strategies for Science
Classrooms and Competitions, Cothron,Giese, Rezbz
EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN DIAGRAM
TITLE: THE EFFECT OF THE IV ON THE DV
HYPOTHESIS: IF THE IV (describe change)
then the DV (describe change or action)
IV:the variable that is purposefully changed
Level of IV
Level of IV
Level of IV
(control)the standard
(experimental
group A)
(experimental
group B)
# of trials
# of trials
for comparing
experimental effects
# of trials
DV:
C:
the variable that responds to the change
constants; all factors that remain the same and
have a fixed value
Scenario
Luanda’s African violet plants never seemed to bloom. While visiting her
friend Samantha, she noticed that Samantha’s African violet plants had the
most beautiful flowers. After much coaxing, Samantha shared her secret
with Luanda, once a week she water the plants with a few drops of liquid
fertilizer mixed into the water.
Luanda stopped at the store and bought the liquid fertilizer. She
wondered, if Samantha only gave the plants the fertilizer once a week, what
would happen if she increased the number of times she administered the
fertilizer to the plants.
She grouped her 20 African violet plants into 4 groups. One group would
get the recommended amount of fertilizer, which was once/week. Another
group would be given fertilizer every day. The third group was treated with
the fertilizer solution every other day. And the last group was given fertilizer
every three days (treatment-->then wait 2 days-->treatment). All other
conditions for the African violets were the same. They were the same
species, age, given the same amount of sunlight, and care.
Every day for 21 days Samantha would examine the plants
and record the number of blooms.
START with the SCIENTIFIC
METHOD
An engaging place to start is at BRAIN POP
Review the Scientific Method
A step by step tutorial
http://www.panpipes.net/edit6200/index.html
How about a little
background on... data
Learn about graphing data by... putting data on a table
choosing the proper graph type:
http://www.nceas.ucsb.edu/nceas-web/kids/main_pages/experiments/data/data.html
The Most Difficult Part
of Any Science Fair
Project
CHOOSING A
TOPIC;
A PROBLEM TO
INVESTIGATE
A Great Place to Start
http://www.twingroves.district96.k12.il.us/ScienceInternet/ScienceFair.html
WAYS TO FIND A SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT IDEA
Look at lists of science categories
Pick one that you are interested in and narrow it
down…i.e. psychology
 Do boys remember football pictures better than
girls?
Use your own experiences and turn it into
a project
Have you ever wondered is there a difference
between SPF 15 and SPF 30?
Think about current events…
Flooding and sandbags; Drought and plants
As kids think about a Science Fair Project they sometime
wonder if their idea is a good one. Here are some
pointers, make sure:
1. You Are Interested In The Topic
 Why do mosquitoes always ‘bite’ me and not
my father or brother? HMMMMMMMMMMM
 You are able to turn your idea into an
experiment
2. You Can Do A Test To Find An Answer
To A Question.
 Don’t do a demonstration or just build
a model.
3. You Can Do It With Only A Little Help
From Parents, Teachers, And Friends.
4. It Doesn’t Hurt Or Scare People Or
Animals, Including You!
 Be careful, all vertebrate and microbiology
work needs lots of special forms!
5. It’s A Project That, Even When You Are
Done With It, Makes You Think of New
Things You Want to Know.
 Did doing the project, or reading or
seeing what happened make you think
of other questions you are curious
about?
Another Good Starting Point
The Internet Public Library
IPL: Science Fair Project Resource Guide
Are you looking for some help with a science fair project? If so,
then you have come to the right place. The IPL will guide you to
a variety of web site resources, leading you through the
necessary steps to successfully complete a science experiment.
If you have never done a science fair project before, it has been
a while, or you just want to be sure you do a really great job be
sure and look at the following websites for tips on what
makes a good project before doing anything else. This way
you will know ahead of time what will be expected of you.
Understanding the Scientific Method. It is important to
understand the scientific method before beginning a project.
Choosing a topic is the next step. Here you will find a variety of
websites some of which ask questions to give you ideas for your
project. Others describe the projects step by step.
http://www.ipl.org/youth/projectguide/
WHAT IS A SCIENCE PROJECT
Each section of the project journal contains a description
or definition, an example from a mythical project on plant
growth, and a section with sentence starters and spaces
for students to write.
http://www.selah.wednet.edu/JHS/Brown/SciProjComponets.html
WHAT DOES A STUDENT HAVE TO
DO TO COMPLETE A PROJECT
WHAT DOES A STUDENT HAVE TO
DO TO COMPLETE A PROJECT
A List of Topics and Ideas
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/kids/fair/moreideas.htm#it
Intermediate Projects (Grades 7 - 9)
PHYSICS
 Fire and Burning- what factors affect burning?
 Fuels and their efficiency in producing energy.
 Musical instruments- the scientific principles behind them
 Music vs Noise- difference
 Air Pressure- Water Pressure
 Gears- compare efficiencies, effect of different lubricants
 Solar Furnace
 Lenses- effects of curvature, materials on light beams
 Can eggs withstand a greater force from one direction than from others?
 How strong are nylon fishing lines?
CHEMISTRY
 Effects of temperature on viscosity of oil, chemical reactions, Brownian
movement, burning of different materials.
 Testing of consumer products- glues, stain removers, antiseptics,
mouthwash, detergents, paper towels, making salt water potable, removal of
pollutants
 Effects of sunlight on rubber, ink, paper
 Effects of increased concentrations on the rate of chemical reactions
 Compare the pH levels in mouths of various animals and humans at different
times in the day
 Compare the surface tension of various liquids
 Dealing with chemical spills from industry
 Analyzing snow and rain for pollutants; samples from different locations
http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/sciencefairs/intermed.html
Authentic Scientific Research for
High School Students
Copyright © 2003 Environmental Inquiry, Cornell University and Penn State University
http://ei.cornell.edu
Protocol Planning Form
Name _________________________________
Date __________________________________
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What is the name of the protocol you will be using?
What is the purpose of this protocol?
Dose/response experiment
Bioassay on environmental samples
Solution purification using ion exchange and/or activated
charcoal
Other:_______________________________________________
______
5. What question are you hoping to answer using this protocol?
6. What type of samples will you be testing?
Chemical name
_____________________________________________
Environmental samples from
___________________________________
7. Describe the treatments you plan, such as the range of
concentrations that you plan to test.
8. Describe your replicates of each treatment.
9. What will you be using for a control group?
10.What factors will you hold constant?
Are you getting enough sleep?: Abstract
Project Title
Are you getting enough sleep?
Project Summary
This project was designed to allow adolescents keep track of their
sleep patterns. Data taken during a one week period (including one
weekend) will provide information about not only how much they
sleep but when they sleep the most.
http://mathforum.org/workshops/sum96/data.collections/datalibrary/
ScienzFair’s Topics/links
one of personal favorites
Project Categories
Just pick your favorite science to see ideas and sample
projects:
Animals (Zoology)
Anthropology
Anatomy
Behavioral
Chemistry
Science
Competitions Computer Science
Consumer Science
Earth Science
Economics
Education & Learning
Electricity &
Engineering
Environmental Sci.
Mag.
Health &
Food Science
Mathematics
Medicine
Microbiology
Plants (Botany)
Physics
http://members.aol.com/ScienzFair/ideas.htm
Astronomy
ScienzFair’s Link May Be Take you
to Useful Tools *links change so be careful
Economics Project: Currency
Exchange Rates
Botany Project: Determining Sugar
Content of Different Apples
ScienzFair’s Link May Take you to
Subtopics
Behavior
ScienzFair’s Link May Be to an Article
Concerning One of the Subtopics
ScienzFair’s Link May Be to
an Abstract
ScienzFair’s Link May Be to an
Experimental Design
Remember that these project ideas and outlines are meant to help you
complete your own science fair project. But it is DISHONEST and
UNETHICAL to copy someone else's project work samples and submit them
as if they were your own. That's called plagiarism and it's a fast way to get
a failing grade.
ScienzFair’s Has Links for Other
Types of Competitions Also
Making Your Science Fair
Project a Winner!
1. Pick Something You're Interested In
Don't pick a project just because you think it
looks easy, or because you have a friend that did
the same project last year.
You don't have to do a highly sophisticated
project in order to have a good one. A
simple project can be a winner just as easily
as a complex one.
 What’s important is your ability to demonstrate that
you understand your project and that you have
researched the issues and are knowledgeable of the
scientific and technical facts that relate to your
project.
2. Don't wait until the last minute to start your project.
 To have a winning project you have to spend quite a
bit of time thinking about how it should work and
planning out how to do it.
Winning projects are NOT ones
you throw together at the last
minute.
3. Do the Work Yourself.
 When the judges are standing there, quizzing you,
YOU have to know those answers, and the best way
to learn them is to have done the work yourself.
4. Don't Get Upset If Your Hypothesis Is Incorrect.
 It's more important to understand what
DID happen in your experiment that to
have had a hypothesis supported.
Alexander Fleming serendipitous discovery of penicillin
5. Keep Accurate Records From Beginning to End .
 After your project is completed is NOT the time
to go back, relying on memory and trying to
construct a project data book.
6. Prepare An Attractive, Informative Display.
 Keep your display organized. It should be easy
enough to read that that judges and visitors can
quickly locate your title, hypothesis,
experimental procedures, results and conclusions.
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/fair.html
http://www.isd77.k12.mn.us/resources/cf/steps.html
http://www.scifair.org/
http://sciencepage.org/scifair.htm
http://mathscience.dadeschools.net/scifair02/default.htm
One Difference Between a Superior
Project and a State Fair Project
STATISTICS
Takehome Message: Graphs and averages are
both statistics. Use them.
http://science.northern.edu/scifair/projectfeedback/statistics.html
A GREAT PLACE TO START
http://davidmlane.com/hyperstat/
Free STUFF to Help People
Learn Statistics
http://www.businessbookmall.com/free-stuff-statistics.htm
Free Statistical Tools
http://www.webstatsoftware.com/
Understanding the POWER
of Statistics
Find a Local Statistician to HELP
http://stat.fsu.edu/flasa/index.html
Remember
it’s not if
you win or
lose