Science Fair Project 2013

1. Science Fair Project2013

2. Ask a question? • What do you want to investigate or figure out in the this lesson? • What will be the main question that will guide your learning?

3. Question Examples: • Not so great: • Which brand of battery is the best? • Are mice smart? • How do plants grow? • Great: • Can you estimate how high a tree is by measuring it’s shadow? • Which brand of battery last longer? • Does a ball roll faster on grass or dirt?

4. Research Search for answers Ask someone Think of past experiences Look in text books

5. Research Summarize your research here in three to five bullet points: • 1st bullet point • 2nd bullet point • 3rd bullet point • 4th bullet point • 5th bullet point

6. Hypothesis Based on the research you have done, you will be writing an answer or solution – your best educated guess – to your question. This is what you think will solve the problem Restate the problem in a declarative sentence that would answer your question/problem

7. Hypothesis • Do not begin with I think or I predict • "If _____[I do this] _____, then _____[this]_____ will happen." (Fill in the blanks with the appropriate information for your own experiment.) • 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." • "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]."

8. Variables • Controlled variables: These are the things that are kept the same throughout your experiments. • Independent variable: The one variable that you purposely change and test. • Dependent variable: The measure of change observed because of the independent variable. It is important to decide how you are going to measure the change.

9. Hypothesis Check List

10. Materials • Type a detailed list of the items you needed to complete your experiments. • Be specific about the amounts used. • List in a column • Include quantity and size

11. Materials Check List

12. Procedure • List all of the steps used in completing your experiment. • Remember to number your steps.

13. Procedures Check List

14. Test (an organized process used to test the hypothesis) • Test the hypothesis • Follow the procedures step by step • Collect data • Conduct experiment at least three times for accuracy

15. Test Check List

16. Variables • Controlled variables: These are the things that are kept the same throughout your experiments. • Independent variable: The one variable that you purposely change and test. • Dependent variable: The measure of change observed because of the independent variable. It is important to decide how you are going to measure the change.

17. Variables Check List

18. Data/Observations • It is easier to understand the data if it is put into a table or graph. • Make sure all data is clearly labeled. • Add photos of your experiments.

19. BAR GRAPH – This is the most common type for science fair projects. You may select a bar graph when your independent variable is qualitative (categories) or quantitative (numbers).

20. Line graphs are great for showing changes in the dependent variable over time or distance along a certain period.

21. PIE CHART – Pie charts are good for projects that have qualitative independent variables and have generated data that can be expressed as percentages of the total.

22. Graph Check List

23. Conclusion Brief summary of what you discovered based on the results of your experiments. You need to indicate whether or not the data supports the hypothesis and explain why or why not. Include what would you do if you retested. Begin with “The results show that the hypothesis is supported or not supported.”

24. Conclusion Check List

25. Works Cited Be sure to include sources and put them in alphabetical order.

26. Project Overview Type a brief overview or summary of your project here.