PLANNING YOUR SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT

Transcription

1 PLANNING YOUR SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT This infrmatin was btained frm CSRA Reginal Science & Engineering Fair, Inc. website at The Scientific Methd The scientific methd is ne way t slve prblems. Scientists use this methd because its step by step pattern and giving f facts is easy fr thers t understand. WHAT IS A SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT? A gd science fair prject is a way f finding ut abut smething yu want t knw mre abut. During yur experiments, yu write a DIARY r JOURNAL abut what is happening. This diary r jurnal is called a LOG r LOGBOOK. After yu finish the experiments, yu will write a FORMAL REPORT abut what yu have dne. Finally yu will make a DISPLAY f yur wrk. ALWAYS WRITE EVERYTHING YOU DO IN YOUR LOGBOOK THE STEPS OF THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD 1. QUESTION r PROBLEM This intrduces yur tpic in a statement that will tell thers what yu are trying t understand. Think f sme science questin yu want t answer. Or think r smething in science yu want t find mre abut. (Write the questin r prblem in yur lgbk.) 2. HYPOTHESIS Read abut yur tpic. Then make a gd guess abut what yu think will happen when yu wrk with yur prblem r questin. (Write the hypthesis in yur lgbk.) 3. EXPERIMENTAL PLAN Write dwn the steps yu will use t find ut abut yur questin r prblem. Find ways t test yur hypthesis. Include any measurements yu will be making.

2 Include the materials yu will be using. (Write the plan in yur lgbk.) 4. OBSERVATION r DATA frm yur EXPERIMENT Fllw yur experimental plan. Everything yu d with yur experiment must be written in yur lgbk. This is usually dne day by day. It may change accrding t yur plan. All measurements shuld be in metric units. (Write in yur lgbk all the data r infrmatin.) 5. RESULTS Put yur data frm the experiment in an rder that helps yu understand what has happened. Make a bar graph, line graph r pie graph t shw what has happened. (Write all yur results in yur lgbk.) 6. CONCLUSIONS Explain hw yu arrived at yur cnclusins. D the results f yur experiments supprt yur hypthesis? Explain hw the results supprt yur hypthesis. Or explain hw the results DO NOT supprt yur hypthesis. YOUR EXPERIMENT IS NOT A FAILURE JUST BECAUSE THE RESULTS DO NOT AGREE WITH YOUR HYPOTHESIS! (Write yur cnclusins in yur lgbk.) Cntinue t Page by Bb Gelinas DOING YOUR SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT Anytime yu see the wrd write, yu can either print r use cursive writing.

3 PART A: YOUR TOPIC CHOOSE YOUR TOPIC Get a lgbk. Start yur lgbk by writing yur questin in it. Make a list f things that interest yu. Think f five r six things yu like t d, read abut r watch n TV. Chse a tpic that will wrk. Ask these questins: 1. Can I find enugh infrmatin n this tpic? 2. Des the experiment need anything special? 3. D I have enugh time t d the prject? Make sure yu can experiment with the thing yu are interested in.. Dn't just make r build smething. Write the tpic in the frm f a questin r prblem statement. What d yu hpe t learn by ding this prject? Things that interest me Questins I can ask abut them (Write in yur lgbk abut everything yu are ding.)

4 PART B: GETTING READY FOR YOUR EXPERIMENTS 1. GATHER INFORMATION Visit the Media Center at yur schl. Visit the public library r even a library at a cllege. Dn't frget t use magazines, bks and ther library materials besides just encyclpedia. Ask the media specialist t help yu select materials. Write what yu find in yur lgbk. Make sure yu write dwn the name f the bk, wh wrte it, wh made the bk, and the year it was printed. Talk with experts. Ask yur parents, guardian r teacher t help yu set up an interview with smene wh knws abut yur tpic. Write fr infrmatin frm cmpanies r experts. 1. MAKE A HYPOTHESIS The hypthesis is my best guess based n what I knw and read. It will be what will happen because f changes I make. The hypthesis shuld shw that ne thing will change anther thing. This is called cause and effect. My hypthesis: I predict that because (Write yu hypthesis in yur lgbk.) 2. IDENTIFY YOUR VARIABLES Variables are all the things that can change in yur experiment. Only change ne thing at a time! Find ut what causes smething t happen. Yu dn't need t find a cause if yu are just lking at smething r cunting smething. What happens when yu change the cause and the effect. The cause is the independent r manipulated variable. The effect is the dependent r respnding variable. The nly thing yu change is the independent r manipulated variable. What happens is the dependent r respnding variable. Example:

5 Baby Crying + Bttle f Milk = Quiet, happy baby 3. QUESTION + INDEPENDENT VARIABLE = DEPENDENT VARIABLE 4. r, in ther wrds 5. PROBLEM + MANIPULATED VARIABLE = RESPONDING VARIABLE 6. What things might affect my experiments? (These are my VARIABLES) PLAN A CONTROL EXPERIMENT 8. What is a CONTROL? Hw will yu knw if what yu change is really causing the result? When yu d the CONTROL experiment, MAKE NO CHANGES. This is the CONTROL experiment: Baby Crying + NO Bttle f Milk = Baby still crying QUESTION OR PROBLEM + NO CHANGE IN ANYTHING = CONTROL If yu have a prject where yu are just lking at smething, yu dn't need a cntrl. If yu have a prject where yu are just cunting smething, yu dn't need a cntrl. 1. PLANNING AHEAD List yur materials and equipment. Include hw much, hw many and what size.

6 (Write yur list f materials in yur lgbk.) List the steps in yur experiment. Number the steps. Keep the steps in the crrect rder. (Write yur steps in yur lgbk.) PART C: DO THE EXPERIMENT D the experiment at least THREE times. Fllw the steps yu made. Write dwn everything yu d each time. Write dwn everything yu see each time. Write dwn everything that happens, n matter hw silly. If yu measure things, use metric system units such as centimeters, grams, r liters. Cllect yur data every day. Write dwn the time and date in yur lgbk. Yu can include drawings and phts f what is happening. Dn't wrry abut a lgbk that is nt neat! Dn't ever erase mistakes in yur lgbk! Yu may put a single line thrugh yur mistakes. (Write everything yu d in yur lgbk.) PART D: PUT THE RESULTS IN ORDER Put what yu fund frm yur experiments in a chart. If yu can, make graphs frm what happened in yur experiments. DO YOU SEE A PATTERN? (Write any pattern dwn in yur lgbk.) It is OK if what happens is nt the same as what yu expected.

7 PART E: FINISHING Figuring it all ut Think abut everything that happened. Did the things that happened g alng with what yu expected? Were there any surprised in what happened? It is imprtant that yu try t find the reasns. Scientists call this the CONCLUSION. CONCLUSION: My results agree with my hypthesis because... r CONCLUSION: My results d nt agree with my hypthesis because... (Write yur cnclusin in yur lgbk.) Cntinue t Page by Bb Gelinas Last Revisin - 8/23/98 PART F: WRITE A FORMAL REPORT The frmal reprt is hw peple can read abut what yu have dne. The infrmatin fr yur frmal reprt cmes frm yur lgbk. Use these parts fr yur reprt:

8 Title Page: Make a gd title fr yur prject. Abstract: Write what yu wanted t d, what yu did, and what yu fund ut. D this using nly three r fur sentences. Purpse: Write why yu did the prject. Use n mre than three sentences. Hypthesis: Write the hypthesis yu used. Library infrmatin: Write what yu fund ut abut yur tpic when yu went t the Media Center, Library, r talked with peple. Materials and Experiment: List the materials yu used fr yur prject. Write hw yu did yur experiment. Results: Write tw r three sentences abut everything that happened when yu did yur experiment. Cnclusins: Write tw sentences abut everything yu fund ut abut yur questin r prblem. List f bks: List at least three bks r magazines yu used t d yur prject. Wh Helped Me: Write the names f all the peple wh helped yu with yur prject and tell what they did fr yu. THE FORMAL REPORT FOR YOUNGER STUDENTS IN GRADES K-3 Students in grades Kindergarten thrugh third grade may want t d a shrter reprt. Check with yur teacher. The parts fr the shrter reprt are these: Title Page: Make a gd title fr yur prject: Purpse: Write why yu did the prject. Use ne sentence. I did my prject because Hypthesis: Write the hypthesis yu used. My hypthesis is Library infrmatin:

9 Write sme things yu fund ut in the Media Center r Library. Use ne r tw sentences. In the library I fund ut Materials and Experiment: Use ne r tw sentences. Write sme things yu used fr yur experiment. I used Write hw yu experimented. I Results: Use ne r tw sentences. Write what happened when yu experimented. When I experimented this happened: Write what yu fund ut I fund ut this: List f bks: Write the title and authr f at least ne bk yu used fr yur prject. Wh Helped Me: List the names f all the peple wh helped yu d yur prject. These peple helped me: Yu may want t draw sme pictures abut yur prject. Dn't use these -- draw yur wn.

10 PART G: MAKING YOUR BACKBOARD Yu can buy cardbard backbards r make yur wn frm cardbard bxes. Sme peple make backbard frm wd. Fllw the pictures belw fr a cuple f ways t make yur backbard. The materials can g in a different rder r place if yu want. Dn't use the wrd "TITLE", just write the title! This is ne way t d yur backbard. Click n the picture t make it bigger.

11 This is anther way t d yur backbard. Click n the picture t make it bigger. The maximum size limits are: 76 cm (30 in) frnt t back 122 cm (48 in) side t side 274 cm (108 in) abve the flr. (The tables are abut 76 cm [30 inches] high). HOW MY TEACHER MAY HELP! Depending n the student's ability, it is recmmended that the teacher read and explain the handbk and guide the student in the prject. Demnstrate the scientific methd numerus times. Intrduce and explain the vcabulary. Suggest reference materials and surces frm libraries, magazines, trade jurnals, lcal hspital r medical places, lcal businesses, the agriculture department, etc. Suggest references fr a tpic early in the year, by asking me questins abut things I am interested in. Act as the Adult Spnsr, if assigning and/r prviding guidance fr the prject. Check my prgress alng the way by... reviewing the science fair rules befre starting the prject. making sure necessary frms are cmpleted. applying prper safety measures. demnstrating crrect use f metric system. Prvide access t cmputers and prgrams t assist with the prject. Allw 12 weeks fr the develpment and cmpletin f the prject. Check fr spelling errrs n the display. HOW MY PARENTS MAY HELP! Parents may give guidance and supprt by... shwing interest and giving encuragement. prviding technical assistance when requested. checking grammar and mechanics. prviding space at hme t wrk - assuming respnsibility fr safety. suggesting resurces. acquiring materials. transprting child t the library acting as a sunding bard fr the student's ideas. Parents may als help by realizing that... the student must d the prject him/herself. the prject shuld be age apprpriate.

12 the prject need nt be expensive. the primary purpse f the prject is that the students learns, understands and enjys the experience. the secndary purpse is winning by Bb Gelinas Last Revisin - 8/23/98