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The Science Fair Project
What Can I Do to Have a Top-Notch Science Fair Project?
Starting Dates of My Overall Plan of Action
Required Forms
The Scientific Method

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Parts of the Science Fair Project

1. Topic Selection
2. Project Planning
3. Experimentation and Data Collection

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1. Organization of Results and Conclusions
2. Preparing a Formal Report
3. Preparing a Display

How My Teacher May Help
How My Parents May Help

THE SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT

This section provides a more detailed science fair project guide for the older students, involving more helpful hints, ideas, and close attention to details/rules for each phase of the project.

A top-notch science project includes four major elements:

1. Project Logbook - A project logbook is your most treasured piece of work. All of your information, dates, ideas, experiment data, or anything that has to do with your project is to be included in the logbook. Accurate and detailed notes make a logical and winning project. Good notes show consistency and thoroughness to the judges, and will help you when writing the formal report. The logbook is to be part of your science fair project display.
2. Abstract - After finishing research and experimentation, you are to write a 250-word (maximum) abstract. An abstract is a brief overview of your project that can be easily read and understood by others interested in what you did. It typically includes the purpose, your hypothesis, a brief summary of your procedure, and your conclusion. It may also include any possible research applications.
3. Formal Report - A formal report is written to present a neat and organized summary of your project to accurately give detailed facts, descriptions, and results. The formal report is to be part of your science fair project display.
4. Visual Display Exhibit - You will want your science project display to attract and inform. You need to make it easy for interested spectators and judges to assess your study and your results. You should make the most of the limited available space using clear and concise displays. You need to make your headings stand out and to draw graphs and diagrams clearly. You need to pay careful attention to label them correctly.

WHAT CAN I DO TO HAVE A TOP-NOTCH SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT?

• Follow the scientific method.
• A good project requires good planning and cannot be done at the last minute!
• Set up an area at home or school for my project and set a time to start and finish my project.
• Select a topic that interests me and select a topic that is narrow in scope.
• Make sure my sample size is large enough and/or I repeat my experiment several times.
• Compare my conclusions to my hypothesis. The conclusions may agree or disagree with my hypothesis. Either is OK!
• My display should be neat, accurate, and to the point
• I may plan to make drawings or take photographs during the project.
• It is strongly recommended that the project be one that can be expanded year after year.
  

STARTING DATES OF MY OVERALL PLAN OF ACTION

• Start a logbook to record all dates, events, and all original information regarding the project. Always write in pen and draw a single line through errors. Keep all entries, dates, and information regarding the investigation. Entries do not have to be neat. A spiral or bound notebook is recommended. The original copy is required for the display. Do not recopy this logbook.
• Write down the question I would like to ask: (date) __________
• Visit the library/do research: (date) __________
• Write down the hypothesis; what I think the results of my experiment will be: (date) __________
• Fill out any forms necessary for approval: (date) __________
• Design an experiment to test the hypothesis: (date) __________
• Conduct the investigation: (date) ___________
• Analyze results; draw conclusion: (date) __________
• Write the formal report: (date) ___________
• Design/construct my display: (date) __________
• Local Science Fair: (no later than February 28) __________
• CSRA Regional Science Fair: (date) __________
  

REQUIRED FORMS

In order to ensure the safety and well being of students, reviews and approvals of the proposed projects need to be performed. All projects require a completed Research Plan Form (1A) and Approval Form (1B) that reviews each project for hazards and undesirable actions. Certain types of projects require additional forms and approval. For projects involving nonhuman vertebrate animals, human subjects, pathogenic agents, controlled substances, recombinant DNA, or human/animal tissue, there are several forms that are to be approved before beginning the experiment (see Flow Chart for needed forms. If work was conducted at an institution or industrial setting anytime during the project year, Form 1C must be completed.

Before any work is started on human subjects, approval is required from an Institutional Review Board. Before any work is started on nonhuman vertebrate animals, pathogenic agents, controlled substances, recombinant DNA, or human/animal tissue, approval must be given by the Scientific Review and Safety Committee. Gather all forms and approvals necessary for the investigation (see Rules section).

THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
is a logical approach to solve a problem.

1. QUESTION or PROBLEM
   Be curious, identify, or define/originate a question or problem. The question is one I want to answer (Your question should show a cause and effect). The cause is something that can be changed or manipulated. It is also called the independent variable (manipulated variable). I will change this variable in the experiment. The effect is the result of the causes. It is called the dependent variable (responding variable). Find out any published materials related to your question or problem.
   
   (Write in the logbook the question which asks what I want to find out.)
2. HYPOTHESIS
   What I predict will happen ... based upon my prior knowledge. Evaluate possible solutions and make your educated guess.
   
   (Write this in the logbook before I conduct my investigation.)
3. EXPERIMENTAL PLAN
   What I will do to test the hypothesis ... I should challenge and test my hypothesis through experimentation and analysis.
   
   (Write in the logbook a general plan, a step-by-step procedure and list all materials I will use to conduct the investigation.)
4. OBSERVATIONS or DATA
   I need to gather ...
   
   (Write in the logbook all measurements (metric) as I observe my investigation.
5. RESULTS
   What I learned from the investigation. (Organize and analyze my data. Evaluate the results of my experiment.
   
   (Write in the logbook a clear explanation of my charts, graphs or tables.)
6. CONCLUSIONS
   I draw conclusions from my investigation which either support or do not support my hypothesis. My conclusion(s) are based on my data and results.
   
   (Write in the logbook my conclusions.
   

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