Science Fair Project Proposal

Instructions: Save this document to your My Documents folder (NOT the desktop!). Replace
Names with the first initial and last name of each student that is a part of the team. This way
when you turn in your document to the Hand-In folder at the end of class it should play nicely.
For example, if John Doe and Mary Jane are in a team together their file name should read:
SF Project J.Doe_M.Jane
Team Members. The max number of students per team is three. Include first and last name.
1. Dedrea curtis
Topic. What do you want to do for your science fair project? This doesnt have to be detailed (it
can be a list) but it should give an idea of what direction youre headed in.
Reaction time
Category. What categories interest you? Which will your project likely fall under? Leave behind
only the categories(s) you feel your project will fall under based on your topic. You can always
come back to this section, or ask for help.

Behavioral & Social Sciences

Problem. Remember, this should be formatted as a question.

How does talking on a cell phone influence reaction time?
How does texting affect reaction time
Hypothesis. What do you think is going to happen during the course of your experiment? You
can always come back and revise this as you flesh out your experiment.

If [IV] then [DV]. If you are occupied on your cell phone then it will slow down your
reaction time by at least 10%

Independent Variable. What one variable are you changing in your experiment?
What you are doing on your cell phone
Dependent Variable. What are you measuring during your experiment? It is sometimes possible
to have more than one dependent variable!

Reaction time

Constants. All the variables you need to keep the same for your experiment to ensure that you
are running a controlled experiment and that your data is valid.
Same meter stick
Also will be typing the same text message
Experimental Group(s). Also known as your levels of IV.
The first time I will test the reaction time alone with no distractions
The second time I will test the reaction time while they are talking on the cell phine with
someone else
The third and final time I will test the reaction time while they are texting.
Control Group. You should only have one control group. This is the basis of comparison for
your experimental group(s).
The reaction time with no distractions
Number of Repeated Trials. Your experiment should plan for at least three repeated trials.
However, you are encouraged to do more if possible.
3 times for each
-----Materials. What are you going to need to complete your experiment? BE SPECIFIC. For
instance, how much and how many of each item?
10 people ( 5 guys and 5 girls)
1 meter stick
10 cell phones
1 calculator
1 notebook
Procedures. What are you going to do to complete your experiment? List the steps be specific.
1. Going to gather 10 people total
2. One by one I will test there initial reaction time with no distractions 3 times and record
the time
3. Next I will test them again 3 more times but they will be talking on the phone with a
friend
4. Record the data
5. Then finally I will test them 3 more times but this time they will be sending a text saying
the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog..
6. Record the results
7. Take the average of each category for each person
------

Data. Create a table to collect your data for your experiment. Make sure it to note your IV, DV,
and control.

-----Data Analysis. Should include the following information based on your data: mean/average and
standard deviation. If applicable, mode, median, and p-value can also be determined.
Graph. Should you be constructing a bar graph, a line graph, a pie chart, or a scatterplot? Make
sure to select the best type of graph to represent your data. Generally, your graph should show
averages, not raw data. Create your graph in Microsoft Excel.

Discussion. Summarize your data in a written format.

Conclusion. Make sure to include the following:

Restate hypothesis.
Based on your data, was your hypothesis supported or not supported? Why or why not?
Were there any sources of error (there probably are!)? If so, identify them and explain
how this may have impacted your experiment/data.
What are your suggestions for future experiments? Do you have any suggestions for
improvements or new areas to experiment/study?