Science Fair Reference Packet
Desert Garden Montessori
Upper Elementary
February 2015
Table of Contents
Timeline of Project .....................................................................................................................
“How Can I Help My Child with a Science Fair Experiment?” ...........................................
Student Guide on How to Do a High-Quality Project .........................................................
Science Fair Categories ...........................................................................................................
General Guidelines for the Fair .............................................................................................
Displaying Your Project ............................................................................................................
Option 1:
Guidelines for Experiments..............................................................................
Example: Research or Experiment ..................................................................
The Scientific Method Worksheet ...................................................................
Option 2:
Guidelines for Demonstration Projects ...........................................................
Demonstration Project Worksheet ..................................................................
Option 3:
Guidelines for Inventions ..................................................................................
Invention Worksheet .........................................................................................
Guide to the Bibliography .......................................................................................................
Parts of My Report Checklist ...................................................................................................
Criteria for Judging Projects (Grading Sheet) .....................................................................
Timeline of Project
(10 Weeks to Deadline)
Week 1-2:

Friday, Dec. 19
Science Fair Packet goes HOME!

Winter Break
Category of study/research selected
▪ Begin keeping your journal (required element)
Weeks 3-6:

Monday, Jan. 5

Packet Receipt with parent signature DUE
Topic Narrowed: Question/Problem submitted for approval
▪ Hypothesis written
▪ Entry Form, Safety Form, Working with Animals Form DUE
Week 7-8:

Monday, Feb. 2
Research & Experimental Phase: Conducting experiments and
record keeping; collecting background information; etc.

Wrap-up research & experiment phase; begin compiling parts of
your report

Begin preparing your display; continue putting your report together
(see page 14)
▪ Presentation date and time scheduled with students
Week 9-10:

Monday Feb. 18


Projects should be complete
▪ Final draft of research & report (separate report from
display is required)
▪ Display is ready
Practice Oral Presentation & review how you will be evaluated
Feb. 23-26
CONGRATULATIONS!! You made it!! On your scheduled day, you
will present your project to the class.
“How Can I Help My Child With a Science Fair Project?”
In an effort to help answer this question, we have taken excerpts from an article that appeared in one of our resource books
for planning a science fair. These are ideas to help you help your child with their projects. Hopefully, by following these
suggestions, you and your child will have a positive experience working together on the chosen scientific investigation. None
of the suggestions are difficult (in fact, some may seem quite obvious) but some will take time to employ. If you still have
questions regarding helping your child after reviewing the following list, please contact us. We thank you in advance for
committing yourself to your child’s project and hope the experience is rewarding in many ways.
TIPS TO HELPING YOUR CHILD WITH THEIR SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT
1. BE POSITIVE. When a person displays a positive feeling towards something, it encourages in others a
similarly positive feeling towards that something. If your attitude is positive towards the science fair
project, your child will develop the same attitude. Praise them when they succeed. Be available to help.
2. BE AWARE OF THE BOY-GIRL SYNDROME. The old idea that “Science is for boys and English is for girls”
is fading. Hands-on scientific investigation activities are important for both boys and girls. Try to be
aware of the sex-role stereotypes in all phases of the project.
3. BE AWARE OF THE PERFECT PARENT SYNDROME. Human beings are not perfect; we all make
mistakes. Allow your child to make mistakes, and then help them to capitalize on these mistakes and learn
from them. Jean Piaget (renowned child psychologist) once said that children learn more from their
mistakes and wrong answers than they do from correct ones. The same holds true for adults. Permit your
child to make mistakes, but be sure they profit from them.
4. BE HONEST WITH YOUR CHILD. Your child will ask many questions to which you may not know the
answers. Be open and genuine in your responses. Say that you don’t know the answer if you really don’t
know, but offer to help locate a source of information for possible answers and then follow through.
Sometimes the search for information can uncover further interesting ideas to ponder.
5. LOOK AROUND YOU. Coming up with ideas for a project can be difficult, but it won’t be if you look
around you. Do you grow plants in your home or garden? Do you have small animals? Do you travel to
recreational areas, the zoo, or museums? If so, these may be excellent areas to launch a science fair
project. Observe and discuss with your child what is happening around them in their immediate
surroundings. Parks, science centers, farms, zoos, art museums, airports, factories, pet shops, etc., are all
good resources for obtaining further ideas for a project.
6. SEEK PEOPLE OUT TO HELP YOU. Contact people who have “expertise” in science and whom you may
call on to help with ideas on how to get started, or to help while the project is in progress. High school
teachers and university professors have ideas and may be willing to help. Local businesses and industries
often have educational services divisions that are excellent sources for ideas. You may want to keep a
record of science fair ideas and materials that you obtain from each source along with names and phone
numbers for handy reference.
7. GET BOOKS FOR YOUR CHILD. Use the public library. Select and check out books on how to do science
fair projects. These books are excellent resources for starter ideas and do provide pertinent information
that can be used in the development of a project. Books are fine, because they often tell you how to do
the project, but will carry you and your child only so far. Actual materials that your children can feel, touch
and work with are much better when actually doing the project.
8. COLLECT AND SAVE MATERIALS. Collect materials from all sources. Think before you throw anything
away. Could it be used for the science fair project? Guide your children in gathering materials, and
develop ways to use and care for these materials. Such items as egg cartons, scrap pieces of lumber,
paper towel rolls, and cardboard boxes are but a few handy materials to collect. Remember to consult
your children’s teacher also!
9. WORK WITH MATERIALS. The single most important idea to remember, when working on a project, is
that your child must be free to work with actual materials. Inexpensive everyday household materials
often work the best. Your children will enjoy mixing powders, growing plants, breeding fish, or building
out of scrap cardboard a maze for a pet gerbil. Encourage your child to “mess about” with these ideas
and materials instead of merely reading about scientific discoveries in a book. Put the following ancient
Chinese proverb into action: I hear and I forget; I see and I remember; I do and I understand.
10. ALLOW TIME FOR THIKING AND EXPLORING ALONE. You will want to provide ample time for your
child to be alone to ponder. During this time, your child will explore, ask questions, and think about what
is being done. It is important to be patient with your child during this period of “incubation”. Keep the
atmosphere relaxed. Be a good listener and learn right along with your child. Offer praise and help out,
but be ever so careful not to do for them many things that they can do for themselves. Remember, it’s your
child’s project, not yours.
11. STRESS “HOW-TO”- SKILLS. You will want your child to begin to develop “process skills” while working
on a science fair project. These skills should be stressed before the specific science facts. Some of these
skills include observing, classifying, comparing, sorting, describing, inferring, and using space-time
relationships. Your child will learn a great deal from observing an aquarium or an ant hill, classifying
animals, describing the experiment, making guesses about what might happen if…, and sketching
observations over time. Encourage use and extension of all possible senses when learning the process of
science. Facts, too, are important, but the processes your child uses when arriving at science facts are more
helpful because your child can use the processes to solve problems that come up in everyday life. A sense
of accomplishment is gained and a positive self-concept is developed in your child.
12. EXAMINE MORAL-RELATED ISSUES. It is healthy to help your child examine moral and values related
issues that may arise during the course of the investigation. Why are animals sometime sacrificed for
experimentation purposes? Why does water become polluted? Gather information about their “why”
questions. Then help your child explore the various reasons experiments are conducted by scientists in
various situations in an effort to improve the life of humans on earth.
13. DAILY JOURNAL OF RESEARCH ACTIVITY. You and your child will want to keep accurate records of
research activity while doing a science fair project. Information should be collected and recorded at
regular intervals. You will want to help your child keep a record of personal feelings about the project
which then can be used in writing their research paper for the science fair.
14. RESEARCH PAPER. You will want to encourage your child to use their daily journal when writing their
paper for the science fair project. The written paper should include a description of the problem studies,
some guesses on how to solve the problem, the methods used for collecting information, testing
procedures, and some findings and/or conclusions. After the written requirements are taken care of, you’ll
want to help your child plan and develop an attractive display. Then, go over some of the possible
questions that people may ask your child about their project.
15. THE FAIR. If at all possible, you will want to be sure to attend your child’s science fair. After all you have
gone through together, this is the time for celebrating success! You may want to take photos of your child’s
exhibit and other interesting exhibits for future science fair ideas. Ideas breed ideas. We learn from each
other.
16. FOLLOW-UP. After the science fair is over, urge your child to continue research on the current project, dig
deeper, or explore other topics. Stress the importance of scientific research done for the betterment of
humankind!
Student’s Guide
HOW TO DO A HIGH QUALITY SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT
Dear Student,
To help prepare you for the exciting experience of participating in the Science
Fair, here is a review of the steps you will need to plan and carry out a quality project.
PLAN AHEAD
Preparing a project schedule will help you plan your time well and meet your
deadline. Start with the dates you know and work backwards. Use a calendar and
check with your parents and/or teacher for help with your schedule
IDEAS: IDENTIFY THE NEW PROBLEM
Coming up with an idea for your research can be really hard! Do some
brainstorming with your friends, classmates, and parents (it really works!!). Check
current newspapers and magazines for lead articles that deal with scientific issues;
look in science magazines and books; even museums, parks, and historical sites may
inspire an idea!
NARROW THE TOPIC
Once you have an idea of your area of interest (for example:
energy),
you need to begin narrowing your topic. Don’t try to do too much!! This is the beginning
- start simple!! In order to narrow a topic, such as “energy”, down, you must continue to
break it into smaller parts. Energy could break down to sources, uses, and the physical
types of energy. Sources could include natural gas, oil, nuclear, coal, solar and wind.
Projects on wind might focus on its availability, environmental aspects, or engineering
concerns. Engineering concerns could break down further to “How does blade design
affect the performance of a windmill?”
FORM YOUR HYPOTHESIS
Make and intelligent guess about what you think will happen or will not happen.
An hypothesis is saying what you think will happen in your experiment before
conducting the experiment. For example: With a study of wind, you might say that the
more blades or vanes on a windmill, the faster it will turn. An hypothesis should say
exactly what will be tested. Your hypothesis will help you design your experiment so
you will know what you need to measure and what data you will need to collect.
LOCATE INFORMATION
Once you have set up a schedule, chosen your idea, narrowed your topic,
written your problem and hypothesis, you need to make a THOROUGH search for
information to help you learn as much as you can about your topic. Check out your
local library. Use the computer card catalog to search your topic. Ask the people at
the reference desk for assistance and suggestions for searching for information on
your topic.
COLLECT, RECORD, AND ORGANIZE YOUR DATA
This is a very important step in your science fair project. Be sure to give yourself
enough time!! Put a lot of thought into how you will collect and record data BEFORE
you begin. You can make your own journal or purchase one. Look for the example
journal page in your packet. Include as much information as you can. In the end, it is
best to have too much information than not enough. Record the date and time of all
your entries. You might even want to use a tape recorder, a camera, or a word
processor to help with your recording.
LOCATE YOUR NEEDED MATERIALS
BEFORE you begin your experiment, you will need to list all the equipment and
materials you will need. Record this in your journal. Don’t forget that you may be able
to borrow or get materials from school!
ANALYZE AND INTERPRET YOUR RESULTS
You need to be as accurate as possible in summarizing your results. Use tables,
graphs, and the power of the computer to help you analyze your findings. Ask yourself
if you gathered enough data; did you contaminate your samples; was your
experiment the best way to test your hypothesis; will the same results happen if you
repeated your experiment?
WRITE REPORT
Your project is not complete without a written report of what you did. Check the
rubric in this packet for the required parts of your report. We’ve also included a
handy checklist of report parts that you may use. (See page 25). Make sure you edit
for both mechanics and content!!
DISPLAY
You are required to display your project. Remember, what you display needs to
be accurate. See the example display sheet included this packet (see Page 14)
ORAL PRESENTATION
You are asked to summarize your research in an oral report. You may use note
cards to help you remember the important parts of your project. Please look up the
oral presentation information in your packet. You should use the script as your
guideline. Oral presentations should last about 5 minutes, so make sure you practice!!
We hope your experience will be fun and that you’ll look back on your project
with a sense of accomplishment.
Use of the Scientific Method
RESEARCH PROJECTS SHOULD CONTAIN THE FOLLOWING 7 STEPS:
1. PROBLEM OR QUESTION
What are you trying to do? What are you trying to show? What are you trying to prove? Select
a problem you are interested in.
2 HYPOTHESIS
Tell what you think will happen. You must be able to test your hypothesis to prove it true or false.
(REMEMBER: It’s okay if your hypothesis is false - many times proving an hypothesis false opens
the door to further inquiry!!)
3. MATERIALS
List all materials you use in your project.
4. PROCEDURE
What steps did you take while doing your experiment? Tell what things you did first, second,
third, etc. Determine your controls and variables. State them. An experiment should be
performed three times or more to be considered valid.
5. OBSERVATIONS
Tell what you see happening or changing as you work on your project. Keep accurate records of
what you do each time and of the results you obtain. Graphs and/or charts are excellent for
showing results. Taking photographs is good also.
6. RESULTS
What happened in the end? Is it the same thing you thought would happen in your
hypothesis?
7. CONCLUSIONS
Tell why things happened the way they did. What did you learn? What did you prove
disprove? Remember, you don’t have to prove that your hypothesis was right.
or
Science Fair Categories
The area of science has many categories and sub-categories. It is important that you identify
the correct category (or area of science) for your project. Listed here are
common science fair
categories with brief descriptions of each. Some topics may fit into more than one category; for
example, the structure of plants could be in botany or anatomy. Remember, there are many resource
books in the classroom that can help with identifying a topic of research and narrow your
category of study!!
I.
II.
ASTRONOMY: The study of stars, planets, and other objects in our universe.
BIOLOGY: The study of living things.
1. anatomy: the study of the structure of plants and animals
2. behaviorism: the study of actions that alter the relationship between an
organism, such as a plant or animal, and its environment.
3. botany: The study of plants and plant life, including their structure and growth
4. ecology: the study of relationships of living things to other living things and
to their environment
5. genetics: the study of the methods of transmission of qualities from parents to
their offspring; the principles of heredity in living things.
6. microbiology: the study of microscopic organisms, such as fungi, bacteria,
and protista.
7. physiology: the study of life processes, such as respiration, circulation, the
nervous system, metabolism, and reproduction.
8. zoology: the study of animals, including their structure and growth.
III.
EARTH SCIENCE: The study of the earth.
1. geology: the study of the earth, including the composition of its layers, its
crust and its history. Subtopics may include:
a) fossils: remnants or traces of prehistoric life-forms preserved in the
earth’s crust
b) mineralogy: the study of the composition and formation of minerals.
c) rocks: solids made up of one or more minerals.
d) seismology: the study of earthquakes
e) volcanology: the study of volcanoes.
2. meteorology: the study of weather, climate, and the earth’s atmosphere.
3. oceanography: the study of oceans and marine life.
4 paleontology: the study of prehistoric life-forms.
IV.
V.
ENGINEERING: The application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes
PHYSICAL SCIENCE: The study of matter and energy
1. chemistry: the study of the materials that substances are made of and how
they change and combine.
2. physics: the study of forms of energy and the laws of motion.
Subtopics include:
a) electricity: the form of energy associated with the presence and
movement of electric charges.
b) energy: the capacity to do work.
c) gravity: the force that pulls celestial bodies, such as planets and moons,
toward each other; the force that pulls things on or near a celestial body
toward its center.
d) machines: devices that make work easier.
e) magnetism: the force of attraction or repulsion between magnetic poles,
and the attraction that magnets have for magnetic materials.
VI.
MATHEMATICS: The use of numbers and symbols to study amounts and forms.
1. geometry: the branch of mathematics that deals with points, lines, planes,
and their relationship to each other.
General Guidelines for the Science Fair
1. Your project must be in a three-sided backboard/ poster board t to stay propped on the display
table.
2. Anything hazardous to the public will not be allowed. This includes poisonous animals, dangerous
chemicals, open flames, and highly flammable materials.
3. Live pets will not be allowed unless written permission is obtained from your teacher.
4. Students should select a project which involves a minimum of adult help.
5. Names should be on projects.
6. The dates of the science fair are February 22-26. All projects must be brought to school between
7:30 am and 8:00 am on student’s scheduled date (more info later). Other classes will be viewing the
displays on the 26th.
7. Projects may be entered in one of the following categories :
(a) Research Project (Scientific Experiment); (b) Demonstration; or (c) Invention.
8. Collections alone are not an appropriate entry.
9. The written portion of the project should be contained in a cover with the title of the project and
the student’s name on the front.
Displaying Your Project
MATERIALS: Cardboard, wood, paneling, etc. It should be sturdy enough to stand
on its own on the display tables.
SHAPE:
Three-sided display
SUGGESTIONS:
Keep it simple, neat, inexpensive, and interesting. The more creative you are
in the use of materials, the more interesting your display will be. Try to limit
yourself to three colors. Be sure your lettering is attractive and easy to read.
Be sure to clearly label the 7 steps of the research project. Watch out for big
areas of white space on your display.
TITLE OF PROJECT
Observations:
(Charts, Graphs, photographs)
Platform for experiments or models
Question:
Materials:
Hypothesis:
Procedure
Results:
Conclusions:
Reports, Logs, Bibliography
OPTION 1: Guidelines for EXPERIMENTS
1.
PROBLEM OR QUESTION:
Do plants grow better when watered with lemon juice?
2.
HYPOTHESIS:
I predict that if I give one plant plain water and another plant lemon juice, the plant with plain water will grow
more rapidly.
3.
MATERIALS:
 2 plants of the same size and type planted in the same size containers with the same soil
 Metric ruler
 Water
 Eyedropper
 Lemon juice
 Cardboard
 Construction paper
 Masking tape
4.
PROCEDURE:
a. Every morning put 10 milliliters of water in plant #1 and 10 milliliters of lemon juice in plant #2
b. Each day measure and record plant growth to see which plant grows more.
c. Include observation notes of condition of parts of plants (i.e., leaves, stem, etc.)
5.
OBSERVATIONS:
6.
RESULTS:
My hypothesis was proven correct. The plant with the plain water grew taller than the plant with lemon juice.
7.
CONCLUSIONS:
I think the plant with the lemon juice did not grow as well as the one with plain water because lemon juice
contains citric acid which appears to be harmful to plants as a watering agent. I was surprised to see the plant
with the lemon juice even shrink in size!
DATE
WATER
HEIGHT
LEMON JUICE
HEIGHT
4/16
10 ml
7 cm
10 ml
7cm
4/17
10 ml
7 cm
10 ml
7cm
4/18
10 ml
7.5 cm
10 ml
6.9 cm
4/19
10 ml
7.6 cm
10 ml
6.6 cm
4/20
10 ml
7.8 cm
10 ml
6.5 cm
4/21
10 ml
8 cm
10 ml
6.3 cm
4/22
10 ml
8.2 cm
10 ml
6.0 cm
Scientific Method Worksheet for RESEARCH/EXPERIMENT
Use the space provided to record information about your science fair project. If you need
more room use another piece of paper.
TOPIC AREA / TITLE OF PROJECT:_______________________________________________
PURPOSE: Identify the problem: What do you want to find out about your topic?
I want to find out…_________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
HYPOTHESIS: Make an intelligent guess: What do you think will or will not happen?
I think …_________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
MATERIALS: Gather materials: What materials do you need to use?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
PROCEDURES: Things done to solve the problem: What will you do to find the solution to
your problem? ____________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Variable: Things that change: __________________________________________
Control: Things that are kept the same: __________________________________
COLLECT DATA FROM TRIALS AND TESTS: Method of recording data: What things can
you count and measure? ___________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
RESULTS: Observe what happened: What happened when you did your experiment?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
CONCLUSIONS: Answer to the Question: What did you learn from your experiment?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
How can the results of this experiment be applied to your activities in everyday
life?_____________________________________________________________________
OPTION 2: Guidelines for DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS
1. A DEMONSTRATION PROJECT is a display about a topic which is well known. The
student gathers information, learns about the topic, and displays the information in
a clear and meaningful manner.
2 Examples of DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS might include:
 How does the hear work?
 How does hot air rise?
 What is air pressure?
 How do objects float?
 How are moths and butterflies different?
3. DEMONSTRATIONS might include an experiment or model which demonstrates
the principle being researched.
4. Include a bibliography of materials read to help you learn about the topic.
5. A written report about the topic should be included.
6. Steps to DEMONSTRATIONS:
 Choose a principle or a topic
 Research the principle or a topic
 Research specific topic
 Write your report
 Choose an experiment to demonstrate the principle or build a model to
demonstrate the principle.
 Display your project.
DEMONSTRATION PROJECT Worksheet
PRINCIPLE OR TOPIC:
_____________________________________________________________
LIST SOURCES OF INFORMATION ABOUT TOPIC:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIMENT OR MODEL:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
MATERIALS:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
NOTES FOR REPORT:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
OPTION 3: Guidelines for INVENTIONS
1. An INVENTION can be a new product or a new way of doing something.
2 INVENTIONS usually solve a problem. For example, a 15 year old inventor got tired of cold
ears in the winter and invented ear muffs.
3. INVENTIONS can be simple -- coat hangers, paper clips, staples, and bobby pins -- or more
complex like telephones, cars, or CD players.
4. A good INVENTION for the science fair should be:
 New
 Unique and Original
 Useful
 A solution to a problem
 Clearly described and neatly written
 As simple as possible
 Safe to use and safe to make
5. Steps to INVENTING:
 Keep a log or journal describing all your ideas, tests, and results.
 Make sketches of your ideas whenever possible - include in your log.
 List costs and descriptions of all materials used.
 Make a model of your invention.
 Test and redesign your invention and label all the parts. Explain what each part does.
 Write a written report about your invention. INCLUDE:

Name of your invention

What it does

Why it is new and original

What is the need or problem solved

How does it work

How is it made

Background research
OPTION 3: INVENTION Worksheet
IDEA:
_____________________________________________________________
PROBLEM SOLVED BY INVENTION:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
MATERIALS (Remember to keep track of all costs):
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
SKETCH OF INVENTION:
EXPLANATION OF HOW INVENTION WORKS:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
TESTS OF INVENTION:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
NAME OF INVENTION:
_____________________________________________________________
GUIDE to the Bibliography
Primary research is information you collect on your own. This includes information from
exploratory experiments you perform, surveys you take, interviews, and responses to any
letters you may write.
Secondary research is information and/or data that someone else has collected. You find
this type of information in written sources (books, magazines, and newspapers) and in
electronic sources (CD-ROM encyclopedias, software packages, or on-line services, such as
the Internet). When you use a secondary source, you must note where you got the
information for future reference and for the bibliography portion of your report. The
following information will help you organize your bibliography:
BOOK: Author’s name, title of book, place of publication, publisher, copyright date, and
pages read or quoted.
MAGAZINE OR PERIODICAL: Author’s name, “title of article”, title of magazine, volume
number and date of publication, and page numbers of article.
NEWSPAPER: Author’s name, title of article, name of newspaper, date of
publication and section and page numbers.
ENCYCLOPEDIA: Title of article, name of encyclopedia, volume number, place of
publication, publisher, year of publication, and pages numbers of article.
CD-ROM ENCYCLOPEDIA OR SOFTWARE PACKAGE: Name of program, version or
release number, name of supplier, and place where supplier is located.
DOCUMENTS FROM ON-LINE SERVICES: Author of document (if known), title of document,
name of organization that posted document, place where organization is located, date
given on document, on-line address or mailing address where document is available.
Parts of My Report Checklist
____ TITLE PAGE: My title page includes my name, teacher’s name,
title of my research project.
grade, and
____ BACKGROUND RESEARCH: I included background research and
information on my topic.
____ STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: I stated the problem or question I was
attempting to answer. “The problem of this research study is…”
____ HYPOTHESIS: I stated what I expected to happen or what I expected to be
proven by my work.
____ PROCEDURES AND METHODS: I explained how the project was done. I
included all the steps I followed when I did my experiment.
____ MATERIALS: I included a list of materials and equipment I used for
experiment. Be sure to include a computer if you used one.
my
____ VARIABLES AND CONTROLS: I described the things that I changed (variables)
and those I tried to control. I described my control and
experimental
groups.
____ RESULTS: I included all the data that I collected using charts, graphs, models,
diagram, tables, etc.
____ CONCLUSION: I wrote about what I found out by doing my experiment. I told
how research information either supported my hypothesis or
denied my
hypothesis. I also included my thoughts on the practical value of my research
findings. I told about new questions that came
up as a result of my
experiment.
____ BIBLIOGRAPHY: I have included a complete list of all my resources.
____ I AM TOTALLY AWESOME BECAUSE I HAVE COMPLETED ALL THE PARTS OF
MY REPORT!!
Criteria for Judging Science Fair Projects
Project Type: [ ] Experiment
[ ] Demonstration [ ] Invention
Name of Student: ________________________________________________
Project Title: ___________________________________________________
CRITERIA
POINTS
A. SCIENTIFIC THOUGHT: Use of the Scientific Method
1. Student performed experiment in which data were collected and
analyzed by using the Scientific Method.
MY POINTS
1
2
3
4
2. Student set up experiment carefully and kept accurate records in a
journal.
1
2
3
4
3. Student’s conclusion is logical and justifiable.
1
2
3
4
4. Experiment is a unique idea and creatively done.
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
2. Summary shows title, question, hypothesis, materials, procedures, results,
and conclusions.
1
2
3
4
3. Background information shows student has conducted research on the
topic.
1
2
3
4
4. Report is displayed and written with correct use of mechanics (i.e.
headings, paragraphs, spelling, grammar, etc.)
1
2
3
4
5. Bibliography is included.
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
2. Display tells story of the project accurately.
1
2
3
4
3. Display is appealing and is neatly done with correct spelling.
1
2
3
4
4. Display shows components of science fair project (samples,
report, pictures or drawings, journal, etc.)
1
2
3
4
D. ORAL PRESENTATION (Student required to present to
classmates prior to “public” exhibit)
1. Student gives a clear explanation about the research conducted.
1
2
3
4
2. Oral presentation is easily understood and well organized.
1
2
3
4
3. Oral presentation had visual aids to add interest.
1
2
3
4
4. Student answers questions accurately and honestly.
1
2
3
4
5. Oral presentation made in time allotted with all phases discussed.
1
2
3
4
B. RESEARCH REPORT
1. Includes: title page, write-up of procedures, summary, background
information, and bibliography.
C. PHYSICAL DISPLAY
1. Student has a well-constructed backdrop to display the project.
TOTAL POINTS
72 POINTS
Levels of Performance
63-72 Points = Distinguished
44-62 Points = Apprentice
28-43 Points = Proficient
18-27 Points = Novice
Less than 18 Points = Unacceptable
JUDGE’S COMMENTS:
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Project Type:[ ] Experiment
[ ] Demonstration [ ] Invention
Name of Student: ________________________________________________
Project Title: ___________________________________________________
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