Suggestions for Your Science Fair Project

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Suggestions for YourScience Fair Project

• Steps to create a great science project and board.

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Village Science Fair

• We follow the Austin Energy Science Festival
  guidelines.
• Village Fair will be Friday, Jan. 25, 2013
• To enhance your science board, you may bring
  your experiment or project to the Village Fair.

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Choose a Type of Project
Collection items that are organized into
groups according to their similarities and
differences. They must be labeled. Collections
are good projects for grades K3. Demonstration-sh
ows how or why something works the way it does.
This information can be found in a book the
facts are known. Experiment- Decide on a problem
and solve it using the scientific method. (an
experiment is a 5th grade requirement)
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Think About What Interests You!

• Decide on a problem to solve.
• What interest you? This might help you decide.
• Research the internet for science fair ideas.
• www.sciencebuddies.org
• Make sure you can test your problem with
  scientific evidence.
• How long will your experiment take and do you
  have enough time?

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Scientific Journal

• A
• A science journal is useful to keep notes for the
  project.
• You may use a spiral notebook, composition book
  or staple pages together for the journal.
• (reduce, reuse, recycle- save money)

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Journals

• You will use this notebook to write down
  everything you do during the project. Use your
  journal for ideas, brainstorming and note taking.
  Write the date every time you use the journal and
  what you did during the experiment. Sometimes,
  drawing pictures helps you better understand your
  experiment.

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Your Journal

• Journals are for your records
• Keep a journal to record dates, data,
  observations.
• Add illustrations and research from books,
  internet or discussions with specialist.
• Include vocabulary you learned during research.

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A Few Guidelines for the Fair

• Do not do a project that involves mold or
  bacteria, firearms or any other dangerous
  substance.
• Grades 35 are eligible to participate in the
  Austin Energy Regional Science Festival if they
  are selected at the Village Fair.
• Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd are encouraged to enter
  the Village Science Fair.

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Criteria for Judging Demonstration, Model or
Collection

• Title Student states project title
• Research Report Student provides background
  information about the topic.
• Conclusions Explain what was learned
• References and Acknowledgements Student
  credits all sources including who took the
  photos for the project.

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Doing an Experiment?

• Use the scientific method to answer your question
  
• Remember A demonstration shows how something
  works- your project needs to answer a question.
• Demonstration How does a rainbow form?
  Experiment Can you form a rainbow by using a
  liquid other than water? (Austin Energy Regional
  Festival)

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Scientific Method for Experiments

• .
• If doing an experiment, your board must have
• Title
• Problem
• Definitions
• Hypothesis
• Background Information
• Materials
• Procedures-list steps of the experiment and
  include pictures if possible
• Results- charts, graphs, photos and all
  observations
• Conclusion
• References and Acknowledgements

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Problem

• To test your problem, you will need equipment.
• Do you have the equipment
• and
• can you test it ????

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HypothesisYour Prediction

• A hypothesis is, "What do you think will happen
  during the experiment? Make a prediction based
  on what you know about your problem. This is a
  great time to do more research on your topic.
• Research your problem and decide what might be a
  possible outcome.

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Science Journal

• Begin a scientific journal for all data and
  observations. This journal is a written record
  of what you are doing. Keep it accurate and
  organized. Record dates and times for accurate
  records.
• Enter your official hypothesis in the journal.

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Science Journal

• Keep all notes of what occurs during your
  experiment.
• Add information, descriptions of experiment,
  explaining what worked and did not work during
  experiment.
• Draw diagrams of experiment.
• Be accurate with all data.
• Use metrics for all measurement .
• Research information that may help you better
  understand your problem add research to journal

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Background Information

• What does all the research say about your
  problem.
• This will be added to your science board.

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Definitions

• Add definitions to your journal that will help
  you better understand your problem.
• Explain the meaning and add to the science board
  and journal.

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Materials

• List all materials you will need to make this
  experiment successful.
• Include your location if you need a specific area
  to work on your experiment.
• Add all material to science journal.

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Procedures

• Keep your journal near by to add daily
  information
• Keep all your variables controlled except for the
  one variable you are testing.
• Allow plenty of time for experiment to be
  completed.
• Begin your experiment.
• Have fun learning about the problem.

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Variables

• Controlled Variables- things done in the
  experiment that stay the same- do not change
  during the experiment
• Manipulated Variables- things you change
• What you are testing during the experiment.
• Example Will rain water or tap water make a
  plant grow taller?
• Everything will stay the same- same plants,
  amount of water, sunlight, location. The only
  variable changed is the rain water.

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Procedures

• Repeat the experiment many times for more
  accurate results.
• Include all trials and outcomes in the science
  journal.
• Photos and drawings are a big part of record
  keeping.

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DATA RESULTS

• Collect as much information as possible and add
  to the science journal.
• Interpret all your data to answer your problem.
• Distinguish between your controlled and
  manipulated variables.
• Add charts, tables or graph to display your
  outcome. This will help the judge better
  understand your results.
• Photos can demonstrate the before, during and
  after of the experiment.

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Conclusion

• Explain the outcome to your problem.
• Was your hypothesis correct.
• What did you learn from this experiment.
• Explain how you could do the experiment
  differently.

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References and Acknowledgements

• Give credit to all people who helped you with the
  science experiment
• List all references used during research.
• List all people who took photos of the experiment.

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Science Board Keep It Organized
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Photos and Charts are an Important Part of the
Data
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Neatness Counts
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Good Luck

• May Science
• always
• be with
• YOU!