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Preparing the Science Fair ProjectWhat's the point? Doing a project for presentation at a science fair has some obvious benefits. Students learn about subjects of special interest. They have the opportunity to be part of an event that puts their work on display and they can meet other students with similar interests. The completion of a successful research project helps students: communicate information clearly and effectively. see how science plays a part in every aspect of their lives. use their creativity in answering questions or solving problems. explore different ways of learning. gain confidence about their abilities to gather and present information. become familiar with scientific procedures and terms. Getting an idea Often the most difficult part of a science project is the first: the idea. There are many sources to use to come up with ideas. Use as many ways as possible to come up with ideas. Think about:
Magazines - Check the table of contents in magazines, especially science magazines to see what leading researchers are doing. Internet - What are people on-line discussing in the realm of
science? What web sites deal with topics of interest to science and
provide useful information? Are there links to a specific area of
interest? See the site cinsam.nku.edu for links to some interesting sites. Television Programs & Videotapes - Do they cover an area of interest that applies locally or feature the work of scientists in a certain discipline? Community - What is happening locally that uses or might benefit
from scientific inquiry? Family - Talk to family members, neighbors, and friends about their work and how science plays a part in their lives or could influence their lives.
Events - Visit public events such as fairs, expos, and lectures to learn about recent scientific developments and their impact on society. Museums, Parks, Historical Sites - Visits to these places may suggest an idea for a project. Discussion - Talk with friends and classmates to generate ideas. Books - Science Fair project books are available in many libraries and in NKU's Learning Resource Center in business/Education/Psychology 268. Narrowing the question BIOLOGY REQUIREMENTS "DOES PHILODENDRON GROW BETTER IN NATURAL SOIL OR IN ARTIFICIAL SOIL?"
Developing the hypothesis A hypothesis often is called an educated, scientific guess. It is a statement of what is expected in an experiment. A popular sentence stem for building a simple hypothesis is : "As the (name the treatment) (increases, decreases), the (response) of the subject will (increase, decrease, stay the same)." The hypothesis also will help in the design of the experiment and will enable the student to know what data will be needed or what needs to be measured. What's the problem? After narrowing the topic and developing the hypothesis, list the problem to be solved or the question to be answered by the project. Planning A carefully planned, well-researched, and clearly presented science project can be the key to a successful experience. An important first step is setting a schedule. This helps students budget their time and meet necessary deadlines. It is best to start at the date a project or report is due and work backwards. Students will want to keep a calendar and consult with their teacher to make sure their plan is on target. Investigating the hypothesis After the idea chosen, the topic limited, the problem identified, the hypothesis stated, and the schedule has been established, it is time to search for information. This will help the student learn as much as possible about the topic and the right approach to take for the proposed experiment. Many resources are available, including school libraries, public libraries, the internet, businesses and industry, governmental agencies, colleges and universities, museums, and nature centers. For most students, the first stop will be the library, which will have a catalog listing its own books and publications related to the project topic. Reference books will also be available for an overview of the subject, although good research projects require many other sources of information. Nearly every library has The Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature, which lists publications with articles on particular subjects. Technical and research journals will have the latest findings of researchers in many fields of science. Reference librarians often can help locate these research articles. Most libraries have computer terminals to check the catalogs of other libraries and can arrange for interlibrary loans. Advanced research may be done at the technical libraries at universities, and these libraries often will have abstract publications on chemistry, biology, mathematics, physics, social sciences, energy, and the environment that may not be readily available in public libraries. Experiment design Most successful science fair experiments are controlled experiments where two groups of subjects are used. The experimental group receives the experimental treatment and the controlled group is treated the same way, except it does not receive the treatment. Comparing the heights of two plants, one given a specific fertilizer and the other given no fertilizer would be a controlled experiment. Another popular type of experiment is the counter-balanced experiment. In this situation, only one group of subjects is tested, but they are tested using both the experimental and controlled treatments. Comparing the effectiveness of several household cleaners in cleaning pencil marks would be a counter-balanced experiment. Case study and survey experiments also are found at science fairs, but are often not as competitive. A case study is the detailed observation or study of an individual or event, such as: does a pet cat prefer "Brand A" or "Brand B" cat food? A survey is the systematic sampling of opinions or a collection of data from a specific group (people, plants, animals, minerals, etc.), such as measuring the average brightness of a specific brand of light bulb. Conducting the experiment The experimenter then conducts the experiment according to the design. Results and other observations should be regularly recorded in an organized project notebook. From these notes, the experimenter can analyze and draw conclusions. The experimenter should log observations, including date and time as well as accurate and complete entries. Include all information; often an occurrence that at the time seemed unimportant may later explain some unexpected results. Some experiments may benefit from the use of a tape recorder, camera, or video camera. Before beginning an experiment, list and locate all needed equipment. Analyzing data and drawing conclusions An experiment's results should be accurately summarized. This may be accomplished through the use of tables, graphs, or charts.
Presenting the result through the Science Fair display The science project report is well written, well organized and an essential part of a science project. It should include several parts: A title page, which accurately and specifically states what the topic is. A contents page to direct the reader to various sections of the report. An abstract page to summarize the central point report in as few words as possible. An introduction, including background, statement of the problem, and the hypothesis. An experimental design, which includes a description of the methods, materials, and experiments selected and an explanation of why they were chosen. An analysis of results, which includes tables, graphs, charts, and other materials that summarize results. A conclusion. A list of references, which includes books, articles in magazines, and scientific journals, web sites, videos, television programs, correspondence, and handbooks An appendix, if needed, to accommodate additional information such as data too extensive to include in results.
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