STEPS TO A GOOD SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT
1. Decide if you are going to do it alone or with a partner
2. Find a good topic
* Make sure your topic is an experiment and not a research paper. Research papers will not be accepted! A research paper is
when you go online and find information about a topic, this is NOT a science fair project.
*The topic must follow the scientific method, it cannot be a demonstration of one chemical reaction for example, a volcano.
4. Stay after school and get help from a teacher!!
5. Put your information on your display board SO IT LOOKS VISUALLY APPEALING!!
6. Write your lab report in the following format.
A. Background: In this section you give information about your idea. Set the reader up with some details about why you chose your project or something interesting about its theme. Introduce the reader so they are interested in what you did.
B. Hypothesis: Write your hypothesis. It should be an if/then hypothesis where you say IF...and then state your guess as to what will occur, and THEN you write what will expect to see. For example with our bread mold experiment my if/then hypothesis will be: IF the bread mold grows where there is water and dust, THEN I will see large amounts of molds with different colors.
C. Material: Make a list of what you used in bullet points.
D. Procedure: Record exactly what you did. Make sure you record the amounts of materials you used and any and all times as well.
E. Results: Put your lab data in visual form by creating appropriate tables, graphs, and other figures. Here is where you show off your data to your audience.
F. Discussion/Conclusion:
1. Write a sentence or two stating whether or not the results from the lab support your hypothesis
2. In a paragraph or two, explain why the results did or did not support your hypothesis.
3. Discuss any problems that occurred that may account for any unexpected results
4. Write a paragraph summarizing what you have learned about the scientific concepts
of the lab. Back up your statement with details from your lab experience.
5. Determine what your independent and dependent variables are.