Science Fair 2009

Science Fair 2009 Where to Start? What is of interest to you? Is it testable or measureable? Lets make it Fun. Steve Phillips Steven.J.Phillips@usa.dupont.com

The Scientific Method • The scientific method is the process all scientists use to investigate science questions. It involves identifying a problem, learning what is already known about that problem, thinking of a solution or answer (called a hypothesis), doing an experiment to test your hypothesis, and reaching a conclusion based on what you learned. • So before you even begin your project, it is important that you understand the scientific method. Using it to do your project takes some thought, but that’s what science is all about! • These steps must be repeatable in order to dependably predict any future results • The scientific method is a process for experimentation that is used to answer questions and explore observations.

Project Titles • Put the topic in the form of a question. • Many project titles follow one of these forms: • How will __________affect __________? • Variable result • The Effects of __________on __________. • Variable result • Will __________when __________? • Variable result

Table of Contents Page number State of Purpose 1 The Hypothesis 2 Background Research 3 Material List 4 Testing Procedure 5 Observation and Results 6 Variables and Controls 7 Conclusion 8 Bibliography 9 Acknowledgements 10 Make sure include page numbers when putting together your report together.

Purpose • Why did you do this project? • An introductory statement of the reason for investigating the topic of the project. • A statement of the problem or hypothesis being studied. • The purpose section is where you include information that you already know about your subject and/or you tell your project readers why you chose the project you did. What were you hoping to find out from the project?

Hypothesis • What did you think would happen? • You must state your hypothesis in a way that you can readily measure. • Once you have decided your research question, develop a hypothesis. Your hypothesis is a prediction of your experiment's results. Before making a hypothesis, be sure you have gathered all the information necessary to make an educated guess. Read available background information, look at other studies done on your topic, and discuss your project with experts. • Remember, a good hypothesis predicts how two factors relate. Be sure you consider all the variables that affect the ecosystem or area you're studying. What would happen if you could change one variable at a time? Your hypothesis should clearly state how one variable (the independent variable) will be changed and the effect it will have on a second variable (the dependent variable). For example, "Variance in plant type will enhance sand accumulation in sand dune restoration." • Your project will be designed to test this hypothesis, so it must be stated in such a way that can be tested through experimentation. In addition, predict your results in measurable terms and use words like increase and decrease, or more or less, or higher and lower to show the relationship you predict to observe between the two variables. Do not use words like better to describe your predicted outcomes, as they do not clearly define the expected results. • Finally, keep in mind that your hypothesis does not have to be right--that will be determined by the experiment. But remembering that your hypothesis will be the foundation of your project should help guide all the steps of your experiment.

Material Used During Testing • What type of equipment will you need to complete your experiment? • Make a materials list being as specific as possible, and be sure you can get everything you need before you start. • This should have been worked out and written down in your log before you started, but there may be changes as time goes on. Note these in the log, and date them, but put a note on the main materials page, giving the other page(s) where the changes are listed. This will help you later on, when you are writing up

Testing Procedure • List your procedure that you did step be step… • Make a step-by-step list of what you will do to answer your research question and test your hypothesis. Describe how you will take measurements and how you plan to collect data. Will you use plots or transects? Will you only make observational surveys or will you capture (abiding all local and state regulations) the organisms you will be studying? You should be very specific about how you are measuring your results to prove or disprove your hypothesis. • Your procedure should be very clear and repeatable. Could your family or friends read through your proposal and repeat the experiment? Try it out on a friend. • When you are conducting your experiment, you need to make sure that you are only measuring the impact of a single change.

Key Elements of the Procedure for an Experiment • Description and size of all experimental and control groups, as applicable • A step-by-step list of everything you must do to perform your experiment. Think about all the steps that you will need to go through to complete your experiment, and record exactly what will need to be done in each step. • The procedure must tell how you will change your one and only independent variable and how you will measure that change • The procedure must explain how you will measure the resulting change in the dependent variable or variables • If applicable, the procedure should explain how the controlled variables will be maintained at a constant value • The procedure should specify how many times you intend to repeat your experiment, so that you can verify that your results are reproducible. • Where will you conduct your experiment? You may need a lot of room for you experiment or you may not be able to move your experiment around from place to place. If you are working with human or animal subjects, you may need a location that is quiet. You will need to think about these limitations before you start your experiment so you can find a location in advance that will meet your needs.

Make a chart • Before beginning, prepare a data table to help you collect your data. A data table will ensure that you are consistent in recording your data and will make it easier to analyze your results once you have finished your experiment.

Observations and Results • At this stage, you want to be organizing and analyzing the data that you have collected during the course of your experiment in order to summarize what your experiment has shown you. • Data Analysis & Graphs take some time to carefully review all of the data you have collected from your experiment. Use charts and graphs to help you organize the data and patterns. Did you get the results you had expected? What did you find out from your experiment? Really think about what you have discovered and use your data to help you explain why you think certain things happened. • A spreadsheet program such as Microsoft Excel may be a good way to perform such calculations, and then later the spreadsheet can be used to display the results. Be sure to label the rows and columns--don't forget to include the units of measurement (grams, centimeters, liters, etc.). • You should have performed multiple trials of your experiment. Think about the best way to summarize your data. Do you want to calculate the average for each group of trials, or summarize the results in some other way? Or, is it better to display your data as individual data points?

Observations and Results • In science fair projects as in life, "a picture is worth a thousand words." Plan to take pictures of the materials you used and of the experiment as it is being carried out

Variables and Controls • The independent variable is the factor that will influence the predicted outcome. The dependent variable is the factor that is being observed, such as area biodiversity. The controlled variables are factors that are not changed. Remember that your experiment can only test one independent variable at a time, and you must have a control group set up to compare the data obtained. • In simple terms when you put together your test - change only one thing at a time.. • Scientists use an experiment to search for cause and effect relationships in nature. In other words, they design an experiment so that changes to one item cause something else to vary in a predictable way. These changing quantities are called variables. Variables are a key element of the scientific method.

Variables and Controls • Scientists use an experiment to search for cause and effect relationships in nature. In other words, they design an experiment so that changes to one item cause something else to vary in a predictable way. • These changing quantities are called variables, and an experiment usually has three kinds: independent, dependent, and controlled. • Theindependent variable is the one that is changed by the scientist. In an experiment there is only one independent variable. • As the scientist changes the independent variable, he or she observes what happens. • The dependent variable changes in response to the change the scientist makes to the independent variable. The new value of the dependent variable is caused by and depends on the value of the independent variable. For example, if you open a faucet (the independent variable), the quantity of water flowing (dependent variable) changes in response--the water flow increases. The number of dependent variables in an experiment varies, but there is often more than one. • Experiments also have controlled variables. Controlled variables are quantities that a scientist wants to remain constant, and he must observe them as carefully as the dependent variables. 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. That's because both the water pressure and the opening of a faucet have an impact on how much water flows. If we change both of them at the same time, we can't be sure how much of the change in water flow is because of the faucet opening and how much because of the water pressure. Most experiments have more than one controlled variable. Some people refer to controlled variables as "constant variables."

Conclusion • Your conclusion should summarize the results of your experiment and show how these results relate to your hypothesis. Does the experiment answer your research question? If your results were different from your hypothesis, provide some possible reasons. Critically evaluate your results and compare them to other studies or to your research of existing literature. What would you change in your research? Was there variability? How could you further test your hypothesis? Is there a new question that now should be addressed? Could this knowledge be shared with the community to enhance their knowledge?

Conclusion Review • Your conclusions summarize how your results support or contradict your original hypothesis: • Summarize your results in a few sentences and use this summary to support your conclusion. Include key facts from your background research to help explain your results as needed. • State whether you proved or disproved your hypothesis. (Engineering & programming projects should state whether they met their design criteria.) • If appropriate, state the relationship between the independent and dependent variable. • Summarize and evaluate your experimental procedure, making comments about its success and effectiveness. • Suggest changes in the procedure (or design) and/or possibilities for further study. • If the results of your 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. If you think you need additional experimentation, describe what you think should happen next. 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.

Bibliography • You should have a minimum of three written sources of information about your topic from books, encyclopedias, and periodicals. You may have additional information from the Web if appropriate. • Examples • There are standards for documenting sources of information in research papers. Following are standard formats and examples for basic bibliographic information. • Books • Format:Author. Title: Subtitle. Place of publication: Publisher, Date. • Examples:Allen, Thomas B. Vanishing Wildlife of North America. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 1974. • Searles, Baird and Martin Last. A Reader's guide to Science Fiction. New York: Facts on File, Inc., 1979. • Magazine & Newspaper Articles • Format:Author. "Title of Article." Title of Periodical Volume # (Date): Pages. • Examples:Kanfer, Stefan. "Heard Any Good Books Lately?" Time 113 (21 July 1986): 71-72. • Kalette, Denise. "California Town counts Down to Big Quake." USA Today 9 (21 July 1986): sec. A:1.

Bibliography • Website or Webpage • Format:Author (if available). "Title of page." Editor (if available). Date (if available). Institution. [cited Access Date]. URL.(simply omit any information that you do not have) • Examples:Devitt, Terry. "Lightning injures four at music festival." August 2, 2001. The Why? Files. [cited 23 January 2002]. http://whyfiles.org/137lightning/index.html. • Article from an Encyclopedia • Format:Author. "Title of Article." Title of Encyclopedia. Date. • Examples:Pettingill, Olin Sewall, Jr. "Falcon and Falconry." World Book Encyclopedia. 1980.

Acknowledgements • Make sure you Thank all that helped you along the way. • If people helped you, say so. List them by name, and state briefly what they did to help. It is normal to list them by alphabetical order of surname. For email contacts, list the email addresses as well. As a rule, keep this section brief.

Abstract • An abstract is a brief, one-page summary of your science project. (ISEF guidelines state that an abstract should be no more than 250 words.) Your abstract should present the essence of your project, including: • a brief description of your experiment's purpose; • an overview of your procedure; • a short description of the data; and • and a brief explanation of your conclusions. • For help writing an abstract and to see a sample abstract, go to

4 Elements of an Abstract • Purpose of the Experiment • An introductory statement of the reason for investigating the topic of the project. • A statement of the problem or hypothesis being studied. • Procedures Used • A summarization of the key points and an overview of how the investigation was conducted. • An abstract does not give details about the materials used unless it greatly influenced the procedure or had to be developed to do the investigation. • An abstract should only include procedures done by the student. Work done by a mentor (such as surgical procedures) or work done prior to student involvement must not be included. • Observation/Data/Results • This section should provide key results that lead directly to the conclusions you have drawn. • It should not give too many details about the results nor include tables or graphs. • Conclusions • Conclusions from the investigation should be described briefly. • The summary paragraph should reflect on the process and possibly state some applications and extensions of the investigation.

3 Requirements for the Competition • The Project Journal: All the data gathered in your project journal needs to be included as part of your final presentation. Accurate and detailed notes on your data demonstrate the thoroughness of your investigation. See the next slide for more information. • The Abstract - See the other Chart on how to put together an abstract • The Report - See the Table of contents for the basic items in a report

Journal • Throughout the process of doing your project, you should keep a journal containing all of your important ideas and information. This journal is called a laboratory notebook. • You should always keep a project journal handy to record the progress of your report. • Each day you spend in the field, record a journal entry with detailed and accurate notes about your observations. Every entry should include the following: • Date and time • Exact location where data is being collected (perhaps with a map of the area and coordinates of each site) • Description of location, including biotic and abiotic factors • Weather conditions (temperature, wind, cloud cover, precipitation) • Species observed (Include a list with estimates of the number of individuals encountered. If you collect any specimens, be sure to catalog them with detailed measurements and location descriptions.) • Other observations and questions (Use your senses and record what you see, hear, smell, and touch.) • Your journal may also include photographs to help explain and demonstrate your experimental results and to provide visual information for your final project presentation. Be very precise in describing where your photographs are taken and label them accurately.

Here are the basic elements of a science research folder: • Title Page • Table of Contents • Abstract: The Abstract is a short summary of the project and includes the key highlights of your experiment: purpose, procedure, and conclusions. Following are some tips on writing your abstract from the California State Science Fair : • Objectives: State the purpose or hypothesis upon which the project is based. • Materials and Procedures: Indicate the materials and procedures used in your project. Briefly describe your experiment or engineering methods. • Results: Summarize the results of your experiment and indicate how they pertain to your purpose or hypothesis. • Conclusions/Discussion: Indicate if your results supported your hypothesis or enabled you to attain your objective. Discuss briefly how information from this project expands our knowledge about the category subject. If you did an engineering or programming project, state whether you met your design criteria. • Question and Hypothesis: The question that you are trying to answer with your experiment. Be sure to clearly state your hypothesis at the end. • Review of Literature: Background information that reflects the knowledge you have acquired, through your research, on the topic your of your experiment. You should be providing the reader with useful background information for your project. • Materials and Procedure (Research Plan): This is essentially your research plan. You should be certain to include a list of all materials that were used in your experiment and how they were used. It is best to present your procedure in steps and to include as much detail as possible about measurements and techniques in each step. • Results: A precise recap of what you found out in your experiment, focusing on your observations and data, leaving all interpretation for the Conclusion section. • Conclusion: A summary of your interpretation of the data and results of the experiment. You should restate the hypothesis and whether you found the hypothesis to be true or false. You should also comment on how the results of the experiment satisfied your original purpose. • Acknowledgments: This is your opportunity to thank anyone who helped you with your project, from a single individual to a company or government agency. • Reference List / Bibliography • Table and Figures: Include tables, charts, and photographs that further help explain your experiment and results.

Display Board

Display Board basics • Choose a catchy, attention-grabbing title that accurately summarizes your research. The title should be big and easily read from across the room. • 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 project: Question and/or purpose, hypothesis, variables, background research, and so on. • Check the rules for your fair. Many fairs don't want you to put your name on your board, others do. Some let you display physical objects like equipment, some don't. • If your fair allows it, take advantage of the space on the table in front of your board to help describe your project. You can display your experimental apparatus or models and perhaps your project notebook.

Judges • For some fairs you will actually have a chance to meet and speak with the judges. If you prepare for these interviews, they're a great opportunity to create a positive impression of your work. • Preparing for Judging—Practice Makes Perfect! • If you can communicate your project well, you maximize your chances of winning. • Write up a short "speech" (about 2–5 minutes long) summarizing your project. You will give this speech when you first meet the judges. (Remember to talk about the theory behind your project—why your project turns out the way it does.) • Organize a list of questions you think the judges will ask you and prepare/practice answers for them. Practice explaining your project to others and pretend they are judges. • Practice explaining your project in simple terms so anyone can understand it. • Presenting Yourself During the Judging Period—Be Professional! • Always dress nicely for the judging period—NO JEANS! • Make good use of your board. Point to diagrams and graphs when you are discussing them. • Always be positive and enthusiastic! • Be confident with your answers; do not mumble. • If you have no idea what the judge is asking, or do not know the answer to their question, it is okay to say "I do not know." • Treat each person who visits you like a judge, even nonscientists. • After the fair, always ask for feedback from the judges to improve your project.

Web Sites • http://www.all-science-fair-projects.com/ • http://www.sciencefair-projects.org/ • http://www.super-science-fair-projects.com/ • http://www.terimore.com/

Biology • Are organic or inorganic fertilizers more effective? • Compare rate of plant growth using two different growth hormones • Do plants grow at different rates when given different plant foods? • Do Plants Grow Better in Water or Soil? • Do plants grow faster when grown hydroponically instead of in soil? • Does a pineapple grow best in sand, soil or water? • Does classical music help plants grow? • Does gravity affect the direction in which plants grow? • Camouflage in Animals Human Anatomy • Can you determine the sex of a person by just looking at his/her feet? • Do boys and girls have different resting pulse rates? • Do different types of sunblock have different protection strengths? • Do groups of people have different blood pressure readings? • Do people from different backgrounds have different lung capacities? • Does caffeine raise a person's blood pressure? • Does the body become cooler more quickly with the help of a fan? If so, why?

Human psychology • Are poems with lots of rhythm, rhyme, and different sound devices easier to learn than those written in free verse? • Does eating your breakfast help you perform better in school? • Examine the stroop effect (the effect of color on visual selective attention) and does it affect men or women differently? • How much do students know about deforestation? • How well can a person remember things that he or she sees on television? • Is colored or black & white text more easily remembered? • Is there such thing as a superior teaching method? • Will doing more homework help students perform better in exams? • Are children better motivated by rewards or punishment? • Do boys react faster than girls? • Does our sense of smell and sight affect how food tastes? • Does music affect a child's ability to nap restfully? • How good are children at estimating measurements?

Zoology • Are ants picky over their food? Do they have any preference? • Do ants react differently in the dark? • Do changes in the environment such as temperature and light affect shrimp in their choice of habitats? • Do cockroaches have a sense of direction? ChemistryEnvironmental • Are carbon filters less effective when the water contains more chlorine? • Are waters in urban areas more polluted than in rural areas? • Do detergents affect plant growth? • Examine how much Carbon Dioxide is produced by different gas sources? This helps us understand the impact of these gas sources on global warming. • How can plants be used to measure the level of air pollution? • How do oil spills affect marine life? • How much pollution can water take before it becomes unsafe? Does this differ between different water sources?

ChemistryFood Science • Do different brands of orange juice contain different levels of vitamin C? • Do different brands of popcorn leave different amounts of unpopped kernels? • Do different methods of cooking potatoes produce a different taste? • Do peanuts contain enough energy for heating water? How do you measure this energy? • Does the PH level of the acid in our stomachs affect the digestion of proteins? ChemistryMiscellaneous • Can water be split into oxygen and hydrogen? • Do white candles burn faster than colored candles? • How do differences in surfaces affect the adhesion of tape? • How does the PH level of rainwater differ from one place to another? • Is the burning of trash a viable alternative to land-fills? • What are the different methods of purifying water? • Which brand of cooking spray works best?

PhysicsAstronomy • Explain how the tilt of the earth works • How to build a homemade magnetometer to study how the earth's magnetic fields are affected by solar storms • How to make your own sundial • How to measure the diameter of the sun • What is parallax and how can it be used to measure the distance of objects? PhysicsElectricity • Demonstrate and explain magnetic field shielding • Does the angle at which the Sun's rays fall on a solar cell affect the power that's produced? • Does the number of turns of wire in an electromagnet affect its strength? • High-Ampere Magnetism! • How do magnetic field lines look like? • How does a change in temperature affect the current, voltage and power generated by a solar cell? • How does a hydroelectric plant produce electricity using water? • How to build a lightning storm detector (Franklin's Bells) • How to build a simple electric generator • How to build a wind turbine generator • What the factors that affect the strength of an electromagnet?

PhysicsForces and Motion • Can quarters and feathers fall at the same speed? • Compare how different types of balls bounce and determine what are the factors that contribute to this difference • Demonstrate the use of a lever and the impact of lever length • Determine which type of laminated beam is the strongest • Experiments with buoyant forces • How does the shape and mass of an object affect its velocity when sinking through water? • How does the type of surface of an inclined plane affect how far and fast an object rolls? • What is the best way to configure shock absorbers? • What is the most efficient angle for windmill blades? • What is the relationship between Potential and Kinetic energy? • What makes a parachute work? • Which Bridge Design is Stronger? • Which household items are best for lubricating metal?

PhysicsThermodynamics • Analyze the different heat retention capabilities of straw, sand, paper and cloth • Do different brands of sunscreen have different strengths? • Do different colors absorb heat differently? • Do different gases expand differently when heated? • Does black or white color absorb light better? • Does the color of your hair affect its ability to keep your head warm? • Does wind increase the rate of evaporation? • How does rubber respond to heat? • Which materials are the best insulators? What factors affect insulation? PhysicsMiscellaneous • Does the viscosity of liquids affect the shape of droplets? • What color can be seen most clearly through a fog?

Microbiology Bacteriology • Compare the effect of various commercially antibacterial soaps on bacteria • Comparing the effectiveness of different disinfectants against bacteria • Do spices in cooking kill microorganisms? • Does bacteria become more resistant to an antibiotic when exposed repeatedly to it? • Does dog saliva kill bacteria effectively? • How do electric fields affect E.coli bacteria? • How much bacteria do our hands contain? • What is the effect of Chlorox on bacteria • What is the effect of ultra violet light on bacteria? • What types of acne medication are most effective against acne caused by bacteria? Microbiology • How do different temperatures affect the growth of fungi? • What are fungi? • How to grow your own yeast fungus • What is the Effect of Different Carbohydrates on Yeast Fermentation? • What is the effect of ultraviolet light on yeast fermentation? • What is the rate of fermentation of different fruit juices?

Biochemistry • Do cell sizes differ, depending on the size of the organism? • What is the Effect of Anhydrous Ammonia on the Dehydration Rate of Plant and Animal Cells? • Do different colors of light affect plants differently? • Prove increased starch increases the process of photosynthesis in the green plant. • The effect of Different Light Wavelengths on Photosynthesis • What side of a plant's leaf takes in atmospheric gases? • Does one bad apple spoil the whole bunch? • How does the plant hormone Rootone affect plant growth?

Medicine and Heath • Which brand of furnace filter strains air particles best? • Compare the effectiveness of different body lotions. • Determine the effectiveness of a sunscreen product by measuring the extinction coefficient of its active ingredients. • Effectiveness of Sunscreens Against Ultra Violet Light Experiment • The Effect of Shampoos on the Tensile Strength of Hair • The Effect of Mouthwash on Alpha Streptococcus • What types of mouthwash will be the most effective against bacteria? • What types of soda have the worst effect on our teeth? • Comparing Resting and Exercising Blood Pressure of 7th Grade Students • Comparing the Performance of Human Body Fat Measurement Devices • Comparing Two Types of Music on the Naptime Resting Behavior of Sleeping Childcare Children • Does Antibacterial Hand Soap Kill More Bacteria Than Non-Antibacterial Hand Soap? • How does body mass index affect the cardiovascular system? • Is there a correlation between a person's looks and friendliness? • What are the most effective cleaning agents for our teeth? • Which Pain Reliever Has a Faster Dissolution Time: Brand or Generic? • Can people tell the difference in the taste between regular and low fat foods? • The Effect of Gatorade Vs. Water on 7th Graders' Pulse Rates while Exercising

Environmental Science • Does the level of air pollution vary during the week? • How to identify biodegradable materials • Absorption of Pollutants in Different Soil Types. • Do Deicers Affect Radish Survival? • Does Organic Material Affect The Absorbency Of Water In Soil? • Effect of Chlorine Concentration on the Germination of Soybeans • Examine the Effect of Past use of Land on Arsenic Levels in The Soil Today • The Effect of Different Detergents on Pea Growth • The Effect of Propylene Glycol on the Growth of Radishes • Understanding the role of cycling in preventing soil pollution • What environmental problems do diapers cause in landfills? • How to effectively keep our water supplies clean through filtration. • Which method is the most effective for treating water for chemicals, heavy metals and bacteria?

Mathematics • Optimization of Cell Phone Service • Playing music with mathematical formulae • Weight and Number of Raisins per Ounce in a Box of Cereal • Determining whether buying or renting a house is a better financial decision • How accurate is the bell curve at predicting probability? • Predicting earthquakes based on past statistics • Predicting hurricanes based on past statistics • Will a more aggressive artificial intelligence program stand a higher change of winning? Engineering • Compare the strengths of different types of bridges • Do sound barriers reduce noise? If so, what types of barrier is most effective? • Does the particle size of sand used to make bricks matter?

Earth Science • Compare the porosity of different types of soil • Demonstrate how erosion happens in different ways • What causes landslides? • What causes a tsunami? Demonstrate this with a model • Describe how fog forms • Does the amount of moisture in the atmosphere vary from place to place? • What is soil erosion? Demonstrate how it happens

Science Fair 2009