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STEPS TO PREPARE A SCIENCE FAIR
PROJECT
- Select a Topic
Remember a Science Fair Project is a test you do to find an answer
to a question, not just showing what you know about something.
Not all questions can be dealt with by the experimental scientific method.
You must choose a question or problem
that can be formulated in terms of hypothesis that can be tested.
- State your Purpose
What are you trying to find out?
Select a variable (something you will change/vary) that will help
you find your answer. Try this exercise for a
little help in forming your question.
- Gather Background Information
Find out about what you want to investigate. Read books, magazines or ask
professionals who might know in order to learn what is already known
about your topic. Keep track of where you got your information from.
- State Your Hypothesis
A hypothesis is a question which has been reworded into a form that can
be tested by an experiment. Here is a little
- Come Up With a Detailed Procedure
Select only one thing to change in each experiment. Things
that can be changed are called variables. Change something that will help you
answer your questions. The procedure must tell how you will change this one
thing. The procedure must explain how you will measure the amount
of change. Each experiment should have a "control" for comparison so
that you can see what the change actually did.
- Do the Experiment and Record Data
As you do experiments, record all numerical measurements made. Data
can be amounts of chemicals used, how long something is, the time
something took,etc. If you are not making any measurements, you probably
are not doing an experimental science project.
- Produce Graphs and Charts
Studying tables and graphs, we can see trends that tell us how different
variables cause our observations. Based on these trends,
we can draw conclusions about the system under study. These
conclusions help us confirm or deny our original hypothesis.
- Draw a Conclusion
Using the trends in your experimental data and your experimental
observations, try to answer your original questions. Is your hypothesis
correct? Now is the time to pull together what happened, and assess the
experiments you did.
- Write an Abstract
Tell the story of your project - tell what you did and exactly how
you did it.
- Construct the Backboard
It has to be neat, typed and designed to meet county guidelines.
Make it fun, but be sure people can understand what you did.
Show that you used the Scientific Method.
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