Name _______________________________________
Science
Due Date __________
Period _________
Science Fair Project 2014-2015
The Purpose of your Project
Life Science
Growing seeds in
Choose a topic that interests you. Sample Project Topic
materials.
Topic
recycled
Write you topic here: _____________________________________________
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Now that you have chosen a topic, think about the purpose of your project. What is it
you want to accomplish?
State the purpose clearly You can start this way:
“The purpose of this project is …”
The purpose of this project is to determine
whether bean seeds can germinate in
Sample Project Purpose
recycled material.
Write the purpose of your project here:
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Name _______________________________________
Science
Due Date __________
Period ____________
The Problem
Now that you have decided the purpose of your project you need to write a question
that addresses your topic.
1. The scientific problem should be written as a question.
2. A good scientific question is one that can have an answer and be
tested by some experiment or measurement that you can do.
3. It should also build on what you already know.
What type of recycled material will plant
Sample
Project Question
seeds grow the best?
Write your scientific question here:
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Name ____________________________________
Science
Due Date ______
Period _________
Research
No matter what the topic or purpose of your science fair project, the next step should
be research. Find out what you can about the topic that you have chosen. Look for
information that will help you to design your investigation.
Keep a record of the information you read.
Use a separate piece of paper or note card for each different book, magazine, or
website you read. Each place you find information is called a source. For a book
write down the title of the book, its author, publisher and when it was published.
For a magazine article write down the author, the article title, the magazine title
and the publication date. Also with books and magazines you should note page
numbers. With a website write down the web address, editor, site name, name of
institution/organization affiliated with the site.
The Science Book by Sara Stein
Workman Publishing New York 1979
Bean Seeds should sprout in a few days. The
sprouts will have two round leaves at the top
called seed leaves. The first true leaves will grow
out between the seed leaves. When a seedling has
several pairs of true leaves, it can be
transplanted.
Write your list of resources below:
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Bibliography (Secondary Grade Levels)
When you put your final project together you will list the sources in a list called a
bibliography.
The correct forms for listing sources in a bibliography are:
Book
The author’s name or a book with a single author's name appears in last name,
first name format. The basic form for a book citation is:
Lastname, Firstname. Title of Book. City of Publication: Publisher, Year of
Publication. Medium of Publication.
Article in a Magazine
Cite by listing the article's author, putting the title of the article in quotations
marks, and italicizing the periodical title. Follow with the date of publication.
Remember to abbreviate the month. The basic format is as follows:
Author(s)."Title of Article." Title of Periodical Day Month Year: pages. Medium of
publication.
Citing an Entire Web Site
Remember to use n.p. if no publisher name is available and n.d. if no publishing
date is given.
Editor, author, or compiler name (if available).Name of Site.Version number. Name
of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), date of
resource creation (if available). Medium of publication. Date of access.
Name _______________________________________
Science
Due Date ___________
Period _____________
Hypothesis
Now that you have completed your background research, you are ready to write a
hypothesis. A hypothesis is a scientific word for “a proposed explanation for a
problem. For a scientific hypothesis, the scientific method requires that you can test
it..”In other words, you need to be able to measure both "what you do" and "what
will happen."
Most of the time a hypothesis is written in an If and then statement like this:
"If _____[I do this (independent variable)] _____, then _____[this (dependent
variable)]_____ will happen." (Fill in the blanks with the appropriate information from
your own experiment.)
If I grow bean seeds in paper, Styrofoam,
Sample Project Hypothesis
and cardboard then the plant will
germinate faster.
Write your hypothesis here:
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Your hypothesis should not start with the words “I think” or “I hope.”
Procedure
The procedure should be a step-by-step list that anyone could follow to duplicate you
experiment. Descriptions of the steps should be concise and complete. Think of your
procedure as a recipe for your science experiment. Don’t leave any steps out or the
experiment might not be complete.
Here are three important considerations:
Sample Size
You can not do an experiment once on only one subject and prove a
hypothesis. When dealing with live specimens, a larger sample size is
important. (For example” If you are dealing with seeds, start with ar least 50
since some will not germinate.)
Number of Trials
Perform a sufficient number of trials, or tests, to make your results more
accurate. No conclusive evidence can be inferred base on too few trials.
Control Group
If you are changing one variable to test its effect on your subject, you will
need to have a control group. A group that is identical to your experimental
group except for the variable. The difference between the control group and
the experimental group will show the effect of the variable
The control group will be beans planted in
Sample Project Control
Group
potting soil with no recycled material
I can’t know how well
recycled materials
work if I don’t
compare then to plain
old dirt.
Check the tables below before you establish your sample size and the number of
times you will repeat an experiment.
Sample Size
Subjects
Plants
Live animals
Humans
Suggested # of Subjects/Sample
10-50
10-15
50-100
Number of Trials
Type of Project Minimum
Physics
20
Animal behavior
10
other
5
Suggested
50-100
25-50
20-50
Sample Project Procedure
1. Prepare 40 milk cartons for planting:
•
•
•
•
Cut off the tops of all cartons
Rinse them thoroughly
Punch seven holes in the button for drainage
Put in one scoop of gravel
2. Fill ten milk cartons by layering ½ cup of shredded
potting soil in each one.
newspaper with ½ cup of
3. Fill ten milk cartons by layering ½ cup of Styrofoam
potting soil in each one.
4. Fill ten milk cartons by layering ½ cup of cardboard
soil in each one.
pellets with ½ cup of
with ½ cup of potting
5. Fill ten milk cartons by layering 1 cup of potting soil in each one.
6.Plant two bean seeds ½ inch (1.3 cm) deep in each milk carton.
(The bean seeds should be the same variety.)
7. Place milk cartons in a tray near a window.
8. For a greenhouse effect, make a tent over all the cartons using clear plastic.
9. Water each carton daily. Use one tablespoon of water.
10. Observe and write a daily report on observations for ten days.
Name _____________________________________
Science
Due Date ___________
Period ______________
Procedure Page for Your Experiment
How many subjects will you test? _________________________________________
How many trials will you have? ___________________________________________
Will you have a control group? ___________________________________________
Write down the numbered steps for completing your experiment.
Steps
Date
Done ()
Estimate the time needed for each step to help with your planning.
You may even want to assign a date to each step so that you keep
on schedule.
Materials
Now that you have a precise procedure, you will need to prepare a complete
materials inventory. This list must include everything that you will use. Tell the size,
quantity, kind, and/or temperature of all items.
If there is anything that you are using that you cannot describe verbally, illustrate it
by including diagrams or photographs.
If you build your own equipment, include instructions.
A poor materials list. (Not specific enough.)
Sample Project Materials
beans
plastic wrap
gravel
cardboard
soil
newspaper
water
styrofoam
milk cartons,
tops cut off
Sample Project Materials
A good materials list
40 half pint milk cartons
(with folded tops cut off)
80 bean seeds of the
same variety
gravel
water supply
cardboard box cut into
small pieces
surface near a sunny
window
potting soil
plastic wrap
measuring cups and spoons
styrofoam pellets
black and white newspaper
shredded into strips
nail for poling holes in
milk carton
Name ______________________________________
Science
Due Date ___________
Period ______________
Materials List for Your Project
List the materials that you will need. Refer to your Procedure to make sure that your
list is complete and specific.
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Name ________________________________________
Science
Due Date __________
Period ______________
Create a Log Sheet
Precise record keeping is essential for accurate results. Before you begin your
investigation, create a log sheet for each test you will perform. If you have a control,
create a log sheet for it also.
Your form should include a place for:
• Date and time of entries
• Measurements and observations
• Notes and comments
Here are some sample log pages.
Log sheet to record liquid absorbed.
Date Time
1/27
5:53
pm
Liquid Absorbed
Group A
Liquid Absorbed
Group B
5mL
5mL
Comments
Noticed a hole in
container B
Log sheet to record temperature over a 10-minute period
Sample #1
Change in Temperature6°C
1 min 2 min 3 min 4min
90°C
91°C
93°C
94°C
5 min 6 min 7 min 8 min 9 min 10 min
95°C
95°C
96°C
96°C
96°C
96°C
Due Date __________
Period ______________
Name ________________________________________
Science
Doing Your Experiment
Gathering Data
1.Follow the procedure that you have written.
2.
Be accurate in your measurements and careful in recording the results. At the
time you make each observation, record your data in writing on you log sheet.
Photographs can be helpful.
3.
If you find it necessary to change your procedure, note the changes and tell why
they were made.
4.Sometimes the measurements will remain the same and your comment may be
“Nothing happened.” That is a result.
Sample Log sheet from
Bean SeedProject
It’s exciting to see
what’s happening
each day!
Sample
#3
Newspaper/Soil
Seed A
Seed B
Day 1
-------
-------
Day 2
-------
-------
Day 3
Sprout
Day 4
1 cm
3 cm
------Sprout
2 cm
Day 5
5 cm
3 cm
Day 6
6 cm
4 cm
Day 7
7 cm
6 cm
Day 8
8 cm
6 cm
10 cm
8 cm
11 cm
9 cm
This should be done in yourDay 9
Day 10
journals. Be prepared to show
your notes to your teacher.
Comments
Seed leaves out
Stems are long
Organizing Your Data
When your experiment is completed you are left with your written observations. This
is your raw data. You need to organize this data so that you can figure out what it
means. An organized summary of your data tells others what happened during the
course of your experiment. Scientists call these summaries, results.
An effective way to present your
raw data is to create bar, line or pie
graphs that show the difference
between your variable and control
groups. You will want to average
the trials on a specific test before
you begin graphing.
At the bottom of each data table or graph, write a brief explanation of what the facts
and numbers show. Title each graph or chart and label it clearly.
When you have completed your graphs, write a summary of your observations and
measurements. This short statement should clearly and simply explain what you
observed.
Sample Project Summary
Results of Results
The growing records show
•
17 bean seeds planted in the shredded
newspaper/soil mixture sprouted and grew. On
Day 10 the average height of these seedlings was
10 cm.
•
15 bean seeds planted in the Styrofoam pellet/soil
mixture sprouted and grew. On Day 10 the
average height of these seedlings was 12 cm.
•
16 bean seeds planted in the cardboard/soil
mixture sprouted and grew. On Day 10 the
average height of these seedlings was 9 cm.
•
14 bean seeds planted in the soil mixture sprouted
and grew. On Day 10 the average height of these
seedlings was 12 cm.
Name ________________________________________
Science
Due Date __________
Period ______________
Results
Write a summary of your data here. Use graph paper to make a graph highlighting
important findings or enter your data into a computer to make the graph.
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The Conclusion
Write your conclusion after you have done your experiment and organized your
results. Your results reported what happened in your investigation. The conclusion is
your analysis of these results.
The conclusion should state, what you learned from the trials and the testing.
Compare the results with your original hypothesis. The results may establish your
theory to be true of false. It is also possible that the results will be inconclusive. The
data may not be strong enough to prove or disprove you hypothesis.
Almost Done!
Look for patterns. Closely look at your graphs and tables
to see if a trend clearly emerges. Then write about any
trends that you see.
End your conclusion with a discussion of any practical value that your experiment
might have.
Sample Project Conclusion
Conclusion
The bean seeds I planted grew! Out of 80 seeds 62 sprouted. It is clear that
bean seeds can grow in mixtures of soil and newspaper, soil and styrofoam, and
soil and cardboard. In fact, each of the experimental groups produced more
bean sprouts that the control group Where just potting soil was used.
In all but 2 milk cartons at least one bean seed sprouted. Seedlings sprouted in
the styrofoam/soil and in the potting soil had the largest average height.
However, the height difference from largest to smallest is just 3 cm. All
seedlings have long stems. The depth of the growing material may not be deep
enough.
If growers can mix shredded paper and styrofoam with soil for planting, there
will be less paper and styrofoam to put in landfills. This investigation should be
continued to include testing of more recycled materials and an extended growing
period to see if the beans mature normally in the soil mixtures.
Name ________________________________________
Science
Due Date __________
Period ______________
Conclusion
Write a rough draft of your conclusion here.
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Presenting Your Project
You have done the research, completed your investigation, analyzed and graphed the
results, and formulated your conclusions. You are ready to present your project.
Your project presentation should include two parts
•
A journal
•
A display
Your Science Fair Journal should include the following:
(Refer to the District Science Fair Guidelines for a complete list.)
1. Required Forms:
• Front Cover with title that describes the research.
• Title page with time period covered for the data recorded in the
book.
• Table of Contents- the next two pages after Title page.
• All pages after the Table of Contents should be numbered on top
outside corner of the page.
2. Background Research
3. Bibliography (Secondary Grade Levels)
4. Your Purpose, Question, Hypothesis, Procedures, Materials, Results,
Conclusion
5. Observations
Your Science Fair display should include the following:
(Refer to the District Science Fair Guidelines for a complete list.)
1. Display- Poster Tri fold (School), Tri-fold presentation board (District)
2. Title
3. Question
4. Background Research
5. Hypothesis
6. Materials
7. Procedures
8. Results- pictures, graphs, data tables, etc.
9. Conclusion and Future directions
10. Model if applicable
11. Log book
Model
Journal
Name___________________________________________________
Science
Science Fair Project Display
Sketch out your display before you make your poster.
Due Date ______________
Period _________________