that was easy tips for a

successful Science Fair

Project!
information collected from sciencebuddies.org

Your Science teacher has just announced that you have to do a Science Fair Project. Where should you
begin?
Step 1 Dont panic!
Step 2 Check out this cheat sheet. It will give you EVERYTHING you need to know and explain what to
do.

Finding an Idea for Your Science Fair Project

One of the most important considerations in picking a topic for your science fair project is to find a subject
that you consider interesting. You'll be spending a lot of time on it, so you don't want your science fair
project to be about something that is boring.
Finding a topic is the hardest part of a science fair project, and sometimes you just need a little help
focusing on what sorts of topics would be of interest to you. To help you find a science fair project idea that
can hold your interest, use www.sciencebuddies.org to find a great idea! Either of the following will be a
great help!
Topic Selection Wizard asks you a series of questions about everyday interests and activities then
recommends an area of science and science fair project ideas that are best for you.
Science Fair Project Ideas lets you browse through hundreds of science fair project ideas.
Most all of the ideas generated by sciencebuddies.org give nearly all parts of the project necessary to
complete it!

Your Science Fair Project Scientific Question

Once you find a general topic that interests you, write down the question that you want to answer.
A scientific question usually starts with: How, What, When, Who, Which, Why, or Where. For
example, if you are interested in robots, your question might be "How much current does a robot's
arm use to lift a weight?"

Is the topic interesting enough to read about, then work on for the next 10 weeks?

Can you find at least 2 sources of written information on the subject?

Can you design a fair test to answer your question? A "fair test" requires that you change only one
factor (variable) and keep all other conditions the same. If you cannot design a fair test, then you
should change your question.

Your science fair project scientific question should involve factors or traits that you can easily
measure using a number that represents a quantity such as a count, percentage, length, width,
weight, voltage, velocity, energy, time, etc.? Or, factors or traits that are easily identified, like
colors. Or, just as good, are you measuring a factor (variable) that is simply present or not present?

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For example, lights ON in one trial, then lights OFF in another trial, or USE fertilizer in one trial,
then DON'T USE fertilizer in another trial.

Is your experiment safe to perform?

Do you have all the materials and equipment you need for your science fair project, or will you be
able to obtain them quickly and at a very low cost?

Do you have enough time to do 3 trials of your experiment before the science fair project due date?

These are examples of GOOD science fair project questions:

How does water purity affect surface tension?

When is the best time to plant soy beans?

Which material is the best insulator?

How does arch curvature affect load carrying strength?

Read through the list below of Science Fair Projects to AVOID to make sure you set yourself up for success!
If your topic is close to something on the list, it is best to pick something else.
Science Project Topics to Avoid
Why?
Any topic that boils down to a simple preference Such experiments don't involve the kinds of numerical
or taste comparison. For example, "Which tastes measurements we want in a science fair project. They
better: Coke or Pepsi?"
are more of a survey than an experiment.
These projects only have scientific validity if the
Most consumer product testing of the "Which is Investigator fully understands the science behind why
best?" type. This includes comparisons of
the product works and applies that understanding to
popcorn, bubblegum, make-up, detergents,
the experiment. While many consumer products are
cleaning products, and paper towels.
easy to use, the science behind them is often at the
level of a graduate student in college.
Several people do this project at almost every science
fair. You can be more creative!
Effect of music or talking on plants
Difficult to measure.
The result is either obvious (the heart beats faster
Effect of running, music, video games, or almost
when you run) or difficult to measure with proper
anything on blood pressure
controls (the effect of music).
Effect of color on memory, emotion, mood,
Highly subjective and difficult to measure.
taste, strength, etc.
Any topic that requires measurements that will
be extremely difficult to make or repeat, given Without measurement, you can't do science.
your equipment.
Effect of colored light on plants

Any topic that requires dangerous, hard to find,

expensive, or illegal materials.
Any topic that requires drugging, pain, or injury
to a live vertebrate animal.
Any topic that creates unacceptable risk
(physical or psychological) to a human subject.
Any topic that involves collection of tissue
samples from living humans or vertebrate
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Violates the rules of virtually any science fair.

Violates the rules of virtually any science fair.
Violates the rules of virtually any science fair.
Violates the rules of virtually any science fair.

animals.

Background Information

Background information is necessary so that you know how to design and understand your experiment.
You will need to include at least 2 sources of information in your final project. Keep track of these as you
will need them to complete your Works next in your project.
Make a background information plan - a roadmap of the questions you need to answer - follow these
steps:

Identify the keywords in the question for your science fair project. Brainstorm additional keywords
and concepts.

Use a table with the "question words" (why, how, who, what, when, where) to generate research
questions from your keywords. For example:
What is the difference between a series and parallel circuit?
stronger?
When does a plant grow the most, during the day or night?
Which cleaning products kill the most bacteria?
How does a microwave work?

Does a truss make a bridge

Why are moths attracted to light?

Where is the focal point of a lens?

Add to your background information plan a list of mathematical formulas or equations (if any) that
you will need to describe the results of your experiment.

You should also plan to do background information on the history of similar experiments or
inventions.

Network with other people with more experience than yourself: your mentors, parents, and
teachers. Ask them: "What science concepts should I study to better understand my science fair
project?" and "What area of science covers my project?" Better yet, ask even more specific
questions.

Works Cited

From your Background Information you conducted in the beginning of your project find your list of
sources. You should have 2 at least three written sources of information.

From this information make sure you have the following:

Information from Printed Resources

Information from Web Sites

author's name
title of the publication (and the title
author and editor names (if
of the article if it's a magazine or
available)
encyclopedia)
title of the page (if available)
date of publication
the company or organization who
the place of publication of a book
posted the webpage
the publishing company of a book
the Web address for the page (called
a URL)
the volume number of a magazine or
the last date you looked at the page
printed encyclopedia
the page number(s)
The necessary information for different types of resources are located in different places, so you
may need to do some detective work to get all of the information for your Works Cited page.

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Try looking in these places:

the
the
the
the
the
the

header (at the top) or footer (at the bottom) of a Web site
About or the Contact page of a Web site
title page of a book, encyclopedia or dictionary
heading of an article
front, second, or editorial page of the newspaper
contents page of a journal or magazine

When it is time to turn in your project, you will need to have a Works Cited page posted on the back
of your project board. You will need to type all of your sources into a list. Below are standard
formats and examples for basic Works Cited information.

Format Examples
Website or Webpage
Format: Note: If you cannot find some of this information, cite what is available.
Author's last name, first name (if available). "Title of work within a project or database." Title of site,
project, or database. Editor (if available). Electronic publication information (Date of publication or of the
latest update, and name of any sponsoring institution or organization). Date of access and <full URL>.
Examples:
Devitt, Terry. "Lightning injures four at music festival." The Why? Files. 2 Aug. 2001. 23 Jan. 2002
<http://whyfiles.org/137lightning/index.html>.

Dove, Rita. "Lady Freedom among Us." The Electronic Text Center. Ed. David Seaman. 1998. Alderman
Lib., U of Virginia. 19 June 1998 <http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/subjects/afam.html>.
Lancashire, Ian. Homepage. 28 Mar. 2002. 15 May 2002 <http://www.chass.utoronto.ca:8080/~ian/>.

Levy, Steven. "Great Minds, Great Ideas." Newsweek 27 May 2002. 10 June 2002
<http://www.msnbc.com/news/754336.asp>.

Encyclopedia & Dictionary

Format:
Author's last name, first name. "Title of Article." Title of Encyclopedia. Date.
Note: If the dictionary or encyclopedia arranges articles alphabetically, you may omit volume and page
numbers.
Examples:
"Azimuthal Equidistant Projection." Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. 10th ed. 1993.
Pettingill, Olin Sewall, Jr. "Falcon and Falconry." World Book Encyclopedia. 1980.
Tobias, Richard. "Thurber, James." Encyclopedia Americana. 1991 ed.

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Books
Format:
Author's last name, first name. Book title. Additional information. City of publication: Publishing company,
publication date.
Examples:
Allen, Thomas B. Vanishing Wildlife of North America. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society,
1974.
Boorstin, Daniel J. The Creators: A History of the Heroes of the Imagination. New York: Random, 1992.
Hall, Donald, ed. The Oxford Book of American Literacy Anecdotes. New York: Oxford UP, 1981.
Searles, Baird, and Martin Last. A Reader's Guide to Science Fiction. New York: Facts on File, Inc., 1979.
Toomer, Jean. Cane. Ed. Darwin T. Turner. New York: Norton, 1988.

Magazine & Newspaper Articles

Format:
Author's last name, first name. "Article title." Periodical title Volume # Date: inclusive pages.
Examples:
Hall, Trish. "IQ Scores Are Up, and Psychologists Wonder Why." New York Times 24 Feb. 1998, late ed.:
F1+.
Kalette, Denise. "California Town Counts Down to Big Quake." USA Today 9 21 July 1986: sec. A: 1.
Kanfer, Stefan. "Heard Any Good Books Lately?" Time 113 21 July 1986: 71-72.
Trillin, Calvin. "Culture Shopping." New Yorker 15 Feb. 1993: 48-51.

Variables

A VARIABLE is any factor, trait, or condition that can exist in differing amounts or types. An experiment
usually has 3 kinds of variables: independent, dependent, and constants.
The INDEPENDENT VARIABLE is the one that is changed by the scientist. To insure a fair test, a good
experiment has only one independent variable. As the scientist changes the independent variable, he or
she observes what happens as results and this is the dependent variable.
The scientist focuses his or her observations and collection of results on the DEPENDENT VARIABLE to
see how it responds to the change made to the independent variable. The easiest way to look at this is to
view the dependent variable as your results, your data. For example, if you open a faucet (the independent
variable), the quantity of water flowing (dependent variable) changes in response--you observe that the
water flow increases.
Experiments also have CONSTANTS. Constants are quantities that a scientist wants to remain just that,
constant. For example, if we want to measure how much water flow increases when we open a faucet, it is
important to make sure that the water pressure (the controlled variable) is held constant. Always make
sure that all aspects of your experiment are done in same matter.
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Question

Independent
Variable
(What I change)

Dependent Variables
(What I measure)

Constants
(What I keep the same)

Does heating a cup Temperature of the water Amount of sugar that

of water allow it to measured in degrees
dissolves completely
dissolve more
Centigrade
measured in grams
sugar?

Stirring

Type of sugar

Does fertilizer
Amount of fertilizer
make a plant grow measured in grams
bigger?

Same type of fertilizer

Same size pot for each

plant

Same type of plant in each

pot

Same type and amount of

soil in each pot

Same amount of water and

light

Make measurements of
growth for each plant at
the same time

Same motor for every test

The motor should be doing

the same work for each
test (turning the same
wheel, propeller or
whatever)

Use same type of candle

for every test

Wind--make sure there is

none

Same classroom

Same students

Same time of day

Growth of the plant

measured by its
height
Growth of the plant
measured by the
number of leaves
See Measuring Plant
Growth for more
ways to measure
plant growth

Does an electric
Voltage of the electricity Speed of rotation
motor turn faster if measured in volts
measured in revolutions
you increase the
per minute (RPMs)
voltage?

How fast does a

candle burn?

Time measured in
minutes

Height of candle measured

in centimeters at regular
intervals of time (for
example, every five
minutes)

Is a classroom
Teacher location: The
Loudness measured in
noisier when the
teacher is either in the
decibels
teacher leaves the room or not in the room.
room?

Who listens to
The groups receiving the The amount of time that
Ask the question in exactly the
music the most:
survey: teenagers or
each person listens to
same way to each individual
teenagers or their parents
music per day measured in
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parents?

hours

Hypothesis
Once you have chosen your variables you can move on to writing your hypothesis! A HYPOTHESIS is an
educated guess about how things work.
The hypothesis must be worded so that it can be tested in your experiment. Do this by expressing the
hypothesis using your independent variable (the variable you change during your experiment) and your
dependent variable (the variable you measure in the experiment). In fact, many hypotheses are stated
exactly like this: "If a particular independent variable is changed, then there is also a change in a certain
dependent variable."
To make this easy, use the formula
"If _____[I do this] _____, then _____[this]_____ (will happen)." You can then fill in the blanks with the
appropriate information from your own experiment.
Furthermore, your hypothesis should be something that you can actually test, what's called a testable
hypothesis. In other words, you need to be able to measure both "what you do" and "what will happen."
Example Hypotheses

"If I open the faucet [faucet opening size is the independent variable], then it will increase the flow
of water [flow of water is the dependent variable].

"Raising the temperature of a cup of water [temperature is the independent variable] will increase
the amount of sugar that dissolves [the amount of sugar is the dependent variable]."

"If a plant receives fertilizer [having fertilizer is the independent variable], then it will grow to be
bigger than a plant that does not receive fertilizer [plant size is the dependent variable]."

"If I put fenders on a bicycle [having fenders is the independent variable], then they will keep the
rider dry when riding through puddles [the dependent variable is how much water splashes on the
rider]."

Note: When you write your own hypothesis you can leave out the part in the above examples that is in
brackets [ ].
Not every question can be answered by the scientific method. The hypothesis is the key. If you can state
your question as a testable hypothesis, then you can use the scientific method to obtain an answer.
Hypothesis Checklist

What Makes a Good Hypothesis?

Is the hypothesis based on information contained in the Research
Paper?
Does the hypothesis include the independent and dependent
variables?
Have you worded the hypothesis so that it can be tested in the
experiment?
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For a Good Hypothesis, You

Should Answer "Yes" to Every
Question
Yes / No
Yes / No
Yes / No

If you are doing an engineering or programming project, have you

established your design criteria?

Yes / No

Materials
What type of supplies and equipment will you need to complete your science fair project? By making a
complete list ahead of time, you can make sure that you have everything on hand when you need it. Some
items may take time to obtain, so making a materials list in advance represents good planning! Make the
materials list as specific as possible, and be sure you can get everything you need before you start your
science fair project.

Procedure

Write the experimental procedure like a step-by-step recipe for your science experiment. A good
procedure is so detailed and complete that it lets someone else duplicate your experiment exactly!

Repeating a science experiment is an important step to verify that your results are consistent
and not just an accident.
For a typical experiment, you should plan to repeat it at least three times (more is better).
If you are doing something like growing plants, then you should do the experiment on at
least three plants in separate pots (that's the same as doing the experiment three times).
If you are doing an experiment that involves testing or surveying different groups, you won't
need to repeat the experiment three times, but you will need to test or survey a sufficient
number of participants to insure that your results are reliable. You will almost always need
many more than three participants!

Conducting Your Experiment

If you haven't already, obtain a notebook to record all of your observations during your experiment.

Before starting your experiment, prepare a data table so you can quickly write down your
measurements as you observe them. (see attached papers to help guide you!)

Follow your experimental procedure exactly. If you need to make changes in the procedure (which
often happens), write down the changes exactly as you made them.

Be consistent, careful, and accurate when you take your measurements. Numerical measurements
are best!

Take pictures of your experiment for use on your display board if you can. This will make your
project more interesting when others view it!

Results Data Tables and Graphs

Review your data. Try to look at the results of your experiment with a critical eye. Ask yourself
these questions:
Is it complete, or did you forget something?

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 Do you need to collect more data?

Did you make any mistakes?

Calculate an average for the different trials of your experiment, if appropriate.

Make sure to clearly label all tables and graphs (independent and dependent variables). And,
include the units of measurement (volts, inches, grams, etc.).

Place your independent variable on the x-axis of your graph and the dependent variable on
the y-axis.

See the How to Make a packet for help in creating your Data Tables and Graphs.

Conclusion Analysis of Results

Overview
Your conclusions will summarize whether or not your science fair project results support or contradict your
original hypothesis. Summarize your science fair project results in a few sentences and use this summary
to support your conclusion. You may want to include key facts from your background research to help
explain your results. Do your results suggest a relationship between the independent and dependent
variable?
If Your Results Show that Your Hypothesis is False
If the results of your science experiment did not support your hypothesis, don't change or manipulate your
results to fit your original hypothesis, simply explain why things did not go as expected. Professional
scientists commonly find that results do not support their hypothesis, and they use those unexpected
results as the first step in constructing a new hypothesis. Summarize and evaluate your experimental
procedure, making comments about its success and effectiveness. Suggest changes in the experimental
procedure (or design) and/or possibilities for further study.
Scientific research is an ongoing process, and by discovering that your hypothesis is not true, you have
already made huge advances in your learning that will lead you to ask more questions that lead to new
experiments. Science fair judges do not care about whether you prove or disprove your hypothesis; they
care how much you learned.

Sample Conclusion Analysis of Results (for comparison)

Results
According to my experiments, the Energizer maintained its voltage (dependent variable) for
approximately a 3% longer period of time (independent variable) than Duracell in a low current
drain device. For a medium drain device, the Energizer maintained its voltage for approximately
10% longer than Duracell. For a high drain device, the Energizer maintained its voltage for
approximately 29% longer than Duracell. Basically, the Energizer performs with increasing
superiority, the higher the current drain of the device.
The heavy-duty non-alkaline batteries do not maintain their voltage as long as either alkaline
battery at any level of current drain.
Conclusion Analysis of Results
My hypothesis was that Energizer would last the longest in all of the devices tested. My results do
support my hypothesis.
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I think the tests I did went smoothly and I had no problems, except for the fact that the batteries
recover some of their voltage if they are not running in something. Therefore, I had to take the
measurements quickly.
An interesting future study might involve testing the batteries at different temperatures to simulate
actual usage in very cold or very hot conditions.

Display Board
For almost every science fair project, you need to prepare a display board to communicate your work to
others. In most cases you will use a standard, three-panel foam display board that unfolds to be 36" tall by
48" wide. Display boards can be found at Walmart, Michaels, and Staples as well as our school book store
for about $5.00. Of course, you can also make your own for free from a large cardboard box.
Materials and Construction Techniques

Organize your information like a newspaper so that your audience can quickly follow the
thread of your experiment by reading from top to bottom, then left to right. Include each step of
your science fair project: Research question, hypothesis, variables, background research, and so on.
Print out or write your information on white paper that you will attach to your display board. Be sure
to proofread each sheet before you attach it.

Use color construction paper to add accents to your display board. A common technique is to
put sheets of construction paper behind the white paper containing your text.

Use a font size of at least 16 points for the text on your display board, so that it is easy to read
from a few feet away. It's OK to use slightly smaller fonts for captions on picture and tables

The title should be big and easily read from across the room. Choose one that accurately
describes your work, but also grabs peoples' attention.

A picture speaks a thousand words! Use photos or draw diagrams to present non-numerical
data, to propose models that explain your results, or just to show your experimental setup. But,
don't put text on top of photographs or images. It can be very difficult to read.

Life Science 7

Objective To develop a hypothesis and test it with an experiment utilizing the steps of the Scientific
Method.

Procedure Students will research and choose a topic. A question will be proposed and a hypothesis will be
stated
including the necessary variables. A subsequent experiment will be performed and
results collected.
A conclusion will be made to summarize the project.

Display

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Requirements

MUST USE A TRI-FOLD PROJECT BOARD.

All written portions MUST BE TYPED and large enough to read from about 1 meter distance. (16 font
works well)
Be sure to label each section. Be creative! Use color!
Must include all parts shown above Title
Procedure
Scientific Question
You may list the actual steps and observations
State question you want to solve.
made during the experiment. Also, list the
Hypothesis
constants and/or control.
Must use Ifthen format including
Results
the independent variable and
dependent variable.
Keep track of your results in a data table or chart.
Background Information
Next, use a graph to show the results.
Give some information that you found
Conclusion
during your background research that
A written summary, stating whether or not the
helps make your project interesting/
results of your experiment agree with your
informative to someone viewing it.
hypothesis. Be sure to include what was learned by
Materials Used
conducting your experiment.
Just list them!
Works Cited - Must be listed on the back of the project.
To include at least 3 references from various
resources
websites,
Be sure to write your Name and Block # on the BACK
of your
project. encyclopedias, books, articles.
(You will be learning how to do this in English class.)

LATE PROJECTS WILL

BE ASSESSED -10
Tuesday, 3/14 Blocks 4,6
POINTS
When you have neared the end of your completed project,
use the checklist below to
make sure you
are ready to turn
it all
in!
Wednesday,
3/15
Blocks
3,7
PER DAY LATE!
DUE

Science Fair Project Display Board Checklist

What Makes for a Good Science Fair Project Display
Board?

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For a Good Science Fair

Project Display Board, You
Should Answer "Yes" to
Every Question

Does your display board include:

Title

Research Question

Background research

Hypothesis

Materials list

Experimental procedure

Data analysis and discussion including data chart(s) &

graph(s)

Conclusions (including ideas for future research)

Bibliography (on back)

Yes / No

Are the sections on your display board organized like a

newspaper so that they are easy to follow?

Yes / No

Is the text font large enough to be read easily (at least 16 pt)?

Yes / No

Does the title catch people's attention, and is the title font large
enough to be read from across the room?

Yes / No

Did you use pictures and diagrams to effectively convey

information about your science fair project?

Yes / No

Have you constructed your display board as neatly as possible?

Yes / No

Did you proofread your display board?

Yes / No

And last but not least

HAVE FUN!

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