6th Grade

Science Fair Project

Mrs. Villanueva Room 226

Miami Lakes Middle School
 Guidelines
1. All students are expected to take part in the Science Fair. Entries must follow
all Science Fair rules.
2. Each individual student must enter an Power Point presentation about their
experiment.
3. Work on the project will be done primarily at home. I will provide students
with a few opportunities to work on project in class/computer lab. Bring a USB
drive to class with your project saved daily.
4. Not completing a project will result in an incomplete grade.

Visit mlmsvillanueva.weebly.com, click on Science Fair page for guidelines and

power point template.

Schedule of Assignment Dates

October 10 & 11 Science Fair packet go home with students;
parents review with students and choose a topic.
October 12 & 13 Assignment #1 is due: Title and Problem Statement
October 16 &17 Assignment #2 is due: Background Information and
Bibliography
October 18 & 19 Assignment #3 is due: Hypothesis
October 23 & 24 Assignment #4 is due: Materials, Procedures, and
Variables
November 2 & 3 Assignment #5 is due: Data (charts, graphs,
pictures) and Results
November 6 & 7 Assignment #6 is due: Conclusion & Application
November 13 & 14 Assignment #7 is due: Abstract
November 19 Assignment #8 is due: all Power Points must be
submitted on _____ by this date. No exceptions.
November 20 & 21 Assignment #9 is due: Oral Presentations begin in
class.

All assignments MUST be turned in typed with proper heading on top.

Handwritten assignments will not be accepted. You are more than welcome to
use the media center at school to help you complete these assignments.
 Assignment #1 Title & Problem Statement

Choosing a Topic:
A good topic has a problem that can be answered by conducting an experiment.
Therefore, you must choose a topic where you can conduct an experiment, collect data,
and make a conclusion from that data. Research projects are not acceptable.

1. Title
A project needs a title. It lets people know what you have worked on. It is a catchy phrase
that will get the audiences attention and interested in your project. Do not use your problem
statement as your title.

Example:
Poor Title: Paper Towels (does not say enough)
Better Title: The Great Soaker!

2. Problem Statement:
The problem statement is always written in the form of a testable question. It needs to
mention what is being tested (independent variable) and the measurable outcome
(dependent variable) in metric units.

Good Example: Which brand of paper towel, Bounty, Sparkle, or Publix, will absorb the most
liquid when measured in milliliters?
(This is a good topic because it has only one independent and dependent variable, and quantitative
data can be collected.)

Poor Example: Do different brands of paper towels soak up different temperatures of water
at the same rate:
(This is a poor topic because it has only two independent and dependent variables. The topic needs
to be narrowed down to one investigation.)

Poor Example: How volcanoes erupt?

(This is a good topic because it will not allow experimentation or data collection. Making a model
that erupts is a demonstration not an experiment.)

Notes:____________________________________________________________________________________________
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 Assignment #2 Background Information and Bibliography

1. Background Information:
Researched information about your topic.
Should be one to two pages typed.
This research needs to be made before your hypothesis is written. Your hypothesis is an
educated guess. The facts you find out about your topic will help you create an
educated and appropriate hypothesis.

2. Bibliography:
Write a bulleted list of all the books, websites, and magazines that you got your background
information, pictures and research. You should have two to three sources and they cannot
all be the same type. For example, they cannot all be internet websites. You should have a
variety of books, websites, magazines, encyclopedias, etc. On the next page, you will find
the format on how to cite your resources.

HOW TO WRITE A BIBLIOGRAPHY CORRECTLY

1. BOOKS
Author.Title.City of Publication.Publisher.Copyright Date.
Example:
Madison, Arnold. Drugs and You.New York. Messner, 1990.

2. ENCYCLOPEDIA ARTICLES
Article. Encyclopedia name. Last copyright, volume number, page(s).
Example:
Drug Abuse.: World Encyclopedia. 1989, Vol. 5, pp.84-89

3. MAGAZINE AND NEWSPAPER ARTICLES

Author (if known). Article. Magazine: Volume number (date, pages).
Example:
Wisenberg, Sandi. The Chemical Society. Miami Herald: October 1991, sec. D. p. 1.

4. INTERNET SITE
Web documents share many of the same elements found in a print document (e.g.,
authors, titles, dates). Therefore, the citation for a Web document often follows a format
similar to that for print.
Author or Organization (Date). Title of Article. Retrieval date and Internet address.
Example:
EvergladesNational Park. (1999). Habitats: EvergladesNational Park. Retrieved from the
Internet on March 20, 2000. http://www.nps.gov/ever/deco/habitats.htm

Notes:____________________________________________________________________________________________
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 Assignment #3 Hypothesis and Variables

1. Hypothesis:
An educated guess that includes what you are testing, what you think will happen, and why
you think it will happen. Should be written in third person and follow the IF, THEN, BECAUSE
format

Format: If you (pull from your problem statement to explain what you will be testing including
exact brands, quantities, and measurements in metric units), then it is hypothesized that
(explain what you think will happen) because (give a reason to support why you think the
experiment will have that result.)

Example: If you test Bounty, Sparkle, and Publix brand paper towels to see which will absorb
the most liquid in milliliters, then it is hypothesized that Bounty will absorb the most liquid
because it has a thicker and stronger texture and is advertised to have great absorbency.

2. Variables:
In order to make an experiment fair, certain things need to be kept the same or controlled. If
we do not keep measurements, quantities, temperatures, etc. the same then the
experiments results will be invalid. Therefore, an experiment can only have one independent
variable.

Independent Variable: Bulleted list of the one part that has been changed (It is what you are
trying to test; what you will change in your experiment set up.)

Dependent Variable: Bulleted list of the part of your experiment that you will observe (It is
what you are trying to find out or the outcome of your experiment.)

Controlled Variables: Bulleted list of all the parts of your experiment that you have kept the
same.

Example:
Independent Variable: Controlled Variables:
Different brands of paper towels Size of paper towel
Bounty, Sparkle, and Publix) Amount of liquid
Temperature of liquid
Dependent Variable: Time given to absorb liquid
Amount of liquid absorbed in mL Tools used to measure

Notes:____________________________________________________________________________________________
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 Assignment #4 Materials and Procedures

1. Materials:
Written as a bulleted list that includes everything you will use to conduct your experiment.
You must include quantity of each item, size, and brand. It is detailed and must be in metric
units.

Example:
Three 15cm x 15cm square of each paper towel brand (Bounty, Sparkle, and
Publix)
250 ml graduated cylinder
750 ml of water at room temperature (20 degrees Celsius)
One 20cm x20cm square cake pan
Celsius thermometer
Stopwatch

2. Procedures:
Written as a numbered list and includes step by step recipe of how the experiment is
conducted. Each procedure must begin with VERB and include the brand, size, quantity,
time, or temperature (in metric units). Every experiment must be conducted three times
(three trials) for accuracy.

The first step is always to gather all materials. The final two steps are always to record data
and repeat the experiment two more times for accuracy.

Example:
1. Gather all materials.
2. Cut 3 15cm x 15cm square of each brand of paper towel (Bounty, Sparkle, and
Publix)
3. Label each cut piece with the name of the brand.
4. Pour 50ml of 20 degree Celsius water into a 20cm x 20cm square pan.
5. Place one square of paper towel into the water for exactly 30 seconds.
6. Remove the paper towel.
7. Measure remaining water in the pan with a graduated cylinder.
8. Dry the cake pan.
9. Record the data.
10. Repeat steps 2-9 for each brand of paper towel.
11. Repeat entire process two more times for accuracy.

Notes:____________________________________________________________________________________________
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 Assignment #5 Data & Results
Data:
You will need a chart to record your data. Afterwards you will create a graph using the data
collected. Pictures are optional; however, you may only display photographs of the
experiment. Pictures of students, parents, etc. are not permitted.

Helpful Reminder:
To Measure Tool Metric Unit
millimeters (mm)
centimeters (cm),
Length, width, height, distance ruler, metric tape
meters (m)
kilometers (km)
Mass balance grams
milliliters (ml)
Volume Graduated cylinder liters (l)
kiloliters (kl)

Chart:Must have a title, three trials, average, and be recorded in metric units.
Example:
Paper Towel Absorbency
Amount of water absorbed
Brand
Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Average
Bounty 49 ml 47 ml 49 ml 48.3 ml
Sparkle 42 ml 45 ml 40 ml 42.3 ml
Publix 38 ml 39 ml 35 ml 37.3ml

Graph:
Use a bar graph for measurement observed/collected. Line graph is for data
observed/collected over a period of time.
All graphs must include:
1. Title
2. Labels on vertical and horizontal axis
3. Even spacing between bars
4. Appropriate scale (number increments on vertical axis)

Paper Towel Absorbency

Amount of water absorbed in

60
50
40
30 Bounty
ml

20 Sparkle
10
Publix
0
Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Average
Brand
 (Continued) Assignment #5 Data & Results

Results:
A written paragraph explaining your data table/chart. It should only state the FACTS
recorded during your experiment and not include opinions or conclusions. You must include
details of what was observed and data collected using metric units.
Sentence 1: One sentence summarizing what you were testing.
Sentence 2: Briefly explain what the data was for the first trial.
Sentence 3:Briefly explain what the data was for the second trial.
Sentence 4:Briefly explain what the data was for the third trial.
Sentence 5:Briefly explain the average of the data collected. Here is where you would make
a statement comparing the data, identifying the most and least quantities observed.

Example:
During this experiment, 50 ml of water were place in a pan to test which 15 cmx 15cm
square of paper towel, Bounty, Sparkle, and Publix brand, would absorb the most amount of
water. On the first trialBounty absorbed 49 ml, Sparkle absorbed 42 ml, and Publix absorbed
38 ml of water. During the second trial, Bounty absorbed 47 ml, Sparkle absorbed 45 ml, and
Publix absorbed 39 ml of water. On the third trial, Bounty absorbed 49 ml, Sparkle absorbed
40 ml, and Publix absorbed 35 ml of water. On average, Bounty absorbed 48.3 ml, Sparkle
absorbed 42.3 ml, and Publix absorbed 37.3 ml of water. This indicates that Bounty absorbed
the mostwater while Publix absorbed the least amount of water.

Notes:____________________________________________________________________________________________
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 Assignment #6 Conclusion & Application

Conclusion:
Written paragraph(s) that answers the following questions:
What was investigated? (Describe your problem statement.)
Was your hypothesis supported by the data? (Restate your hypothesis and tell if it was
or was not supported. Please remember that your hypothesis does not have to be
correct for your experiment to be valid. Your hypothesis is just an educated guess.
What were the major findings? ( Look at everything that may have affected your
results. What possible explanation can you offer for your findings?)

Example:
When investigating which brand of paper towel, Bounty, Sparkle, or Publix, will absorb
the most liquid when measured in milliliters I found my hypothesis to be supported by my
data. On all three trials, Bounty had the best absorbency with an average of 48.3 ml. Sparkle
is the next most absorbent brand of paper towel tested with an average of 42.3 ml of water
absorbed. Last, with the least absorbency was the Publix brand paper towel which only
absorbed an average of 37.3ml out of 50 ml of water. After conducting this experiment and
analyzing my data I noticed that Bounty had a thicker texture and a different pattern of
quilts on the paper than the other two brands. I believe that it is because of these features
that Bounty was the most absorbent paper towel.

Application:
Written paragraph that answers the following questions:
What recommendations do you have for further study and for improving the
experiment?
Explain what you learned from your experiment and how it could be applied to real
life.
List any new questions that your experiment leads you to ask that could be tested in a
new investigation.

Example:
This experiment and the data collected would be useful to all typed of people in
several different ways. For example, parents, kids, and chefs would know that Bounty absorbs
more liquid and would be able to pick up spills better with this brand of paper towel. This
information would also benefit custodians, mechanics, and basically anyone that needs to
clean up after spilling a liquid. If I were to conduct this experiment again, I would take into
consideration the ply of paper, for example if it is one two or three ply because I think that this
would make a difference in the amount of water the paper towel could absorb. Another
interesting question to investigate is if the price of the paper towel makes a difference in the
quality, or if testing different types of liquids would affect the amount of liquid that a paper
towel could absorb.
 Assignment #7 Abstract

Abstract:
A summary of the entire project. It is written in three different paragraphs.

Paragraph 1:The purpose of this experiment is to (State the purpose of the

experiment. Basically, a quick summary of your problem statement and
hypothesis.)
Paragraph 2: Summarizes how the experiment was executed. It is simply a retelling of
the procedures.
Paragraph 3:The results showed that (Summarize the results and conclusion.)

Example:
The purpose of this experiment is to determine which brand of paper towel,
Bounty, Sparkle, or Publix, had the best absorbency. It is hypothesized that Bounty will
be the most absorbent brand because of its thicker texture and popular advertising.
Three different brands of paper towel were purchased Bounty, Sparkle, or Publix
and cut into 15cm x 15 cm squares and labeled. Fifty ml of water at room
temperature (20 degrees Celsius) was poured into a 20cm x 20cm square pan. One
sheet of paper towel was place in the pan and left to absorb the water for thirty
seconds. Then the paper was removed and the remaining amount of water was
recorded. This was repeated for each brand of paper towel and the entire
experiment was conducted a total of three times for accuracy.
The results showed that on average, Bounty absorbed 48.3 ml, Sparkle absorbed
42.3 ml, and Publix absorbed 37.3 ml of water. This indicates that Bounty absorbed the
most water while Publix absorbed the least amount of water. The hypothesis was
supported. To improve this study, I would investigate is if the price of the paper towel
makes a difference in the quality, or if testing different types of liquids would affect
the amount of liquid that a paper towel could absorb.

Notes:____________________________________________________________________________________________
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 Assignment #8 Power Point Presentation

Upload power point presentation.

1. Go to mlmsvillanueva.weebly.com
2. Click on Science Fair Tab
3. Scroll down to the section titled Submit Final Power Point Presentation and follow directions.

Notes:____________________________________________________________________________________________
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 Assignment #9 Oral Presentation

1. Introduce yourself.
2. Give the title of your project and its purpose
3. Briefly explain why you became interested in this project.
4. Explain your procedures (summarize), discuss your data table and
graph.
5. Explain your conclusions (what you have proven).
6. If there were errors or problems explain how this may have affected the
experiements outcome.
7. Tell what you might do differently next time
8. Explain how your project can help others.

Suggestions:
Smile and be polite.
Stand straight and still.
Keep eye contact with your audience
Project your voce so that everyone can hear you.
Show enthusiasm.
Do not read straight from the power point. You are TEACHING and
EXPLAINING to the class what you did and discovered.

Notes:____________________________________________________________________________________________
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 Science Fair Project Ideas

1. In which liquid will a gummy worm grow the largest, soda, water, or vinegar?

2. Which life saver candy dissolves faster, mint or cherry?

3. How does the width of a paper helicopters wings affect the amount of time it takes
to fall?

4. Does the size of a parachute affect the rate at which it falls?

5. Does the shape of a kite affect its flight?

6. Which material will protect an egg best when dropped from 1 meter above the
ground?

7. Does the shape of a light bulb affect the amount of heat it produces?

8. Does the temperature of a magnet affect it attraction force?

9. Which type of chocolate will melt faster, dark, milk, or white chocolate?

10. Does the shape of an ice cube affect its melting rate?

11. Does color affect the rate at which a candle melts?

12. Does the size of a nail affect the strength of an electromagnet?

13. Does the amount of coils wrapped around a nail affect the strength of an
electromagnet?

14. Which type of soda will have a longer reaction with Mentos, diet or regular coke?

15. Which type of Mentos will cause a longer reaction with soda, mint or fruit?

16. Does the amount of baking soda in a baking soda and vinegar mixture, affect its
reaction?

17. Does the color of vinegar affect the length of reaction with baking soda?

18. Does grass prevent land erosion?

19. Does the color of light affect plant germination?

20. Do different types of soil hold different amounts of water?

21. Does the direction in which you plant a seed affect its growth rate?