• Why is this a project worth doing?
• What is the PURPOSE?
• Why are the results important?
• Who would want to know the results?
An experiment is a test to find
out something. Experiments
are repeated 3 times. I can
label this as Trial 1, Trial 2,
and Trial 3.
1
2
3
A Science Fair project is an investigation to
learn NEW information that can be applied to
solve an authentic problem.
I wonder what would happen if ____________?
How does __________________?
You will design an
investigation to answer
your question by using the
steps of the Scientific
Method.
Use the flowchart to help guide
your steps during this process:
Scientific Method/Process
Getting Started
Think about the world around you.
What are things you wonder about?
When you think like a scientist, you begin
asking questions and use scientific
investigations to gain knowledge to answer
your questions.
You may even think about problems you
experience every day.
After that, begin to conduct research on
your topic to answer more questions related
to what you are wondering.
Once you find out the science facts, you can
begin to develop a scientific investigation to
collect data to solve a problem.
What research questions should you
get answered in order to develop a
scientific investigation to help
solve a problem?
Now that you have some scientific
facts, you can begin to develop your
investigation.
Setting Up Your Scientific Investigation
How will you conduct your investigation?
Identify your dependent and independent variables.
dependent variable
What will you be measuring to collect scientific data?
paper towel absorbency test
measure amount of water paper towels would hold
paper towel strength test
measure amount of weight paper towels would hold
independent variable
What will you change for each trial?
different paper towels
Testable Question
The question should include the relationship between the
independent (manipulated) variable
dependent
(responding) variable.
How does the amount of space affect the population of fish in a pond?
-independent (manipulated) variable is size of the pond.
-dependent (responding) variable is the population of fish in the pond.
What is the effect of slope of the land on the amount of soil erosion?
-independent (manipulated) variable is the slope of the land.
-dependent (responding) variable is the amount of soil erosion.
How does stirring affect the rate that salt dissolves in water?
-independent (manipulated) variable is the stirring.
-dependent (responding) variable is the time to dissolve.
Testable Questions
Can the answers to these questions be used to
solve problems in real life?
• How does the amount of water affect
plant growth?
• Which material will filter dirty water best?
• Does temperature have an effect on
the strength of magnets?
• Does temperature of the surface
of glass affect fingerprints?
You must become an expert on your topic
by conducting research. READ about your
topic. READ encyclopedias, magazine
articles, and books from libraries. READ
articles from the internet.
Take note of any new science words you
learn and use them. It makes you
sound more like a real scientist.
Keep track of all the books and
articles you read. You will need
that list for later.
Developing your Hypothesis
Now that you have become an expert on your topic
through research, and you have thought about what
you will do to gain information from a scientific
investigation, you should have some idea of what
the outcome will be.
Your hypothesis is a prediction about the
relationship between the dependent and
independent variables from your testable question.
The experiment is conducted to support or not
support a hypothesis. If the hypothesis is not
supported by the experiment, it can still be used to
help rule out some other ideas.
A hypothesis can be stated positively or negatively.
The smaller the pond, the smaller the population of fish.
(negative)
The greater the slope of the land, the more soil erosion
will be observed.
(positive)
The faster the stirring, the shorter amount of time it will take
to dissolve the salt.
(positive)
A hypothesis can also be stated as a cause-and-effect
(“If_____then ________”) statement.
“If there is more food available,
then the population of fish will increase.”
The Experiment
This is the FUN part of the project.
But, it requires some work and
planning!
1. Write your material’s list
2. Write your procedure
3. Identify the variables
4. Test, test, test
5. Collect the data
The Experiment—
Variables, Constants and the Control
Variable
• The one “thing”
you change on
purpose. This is
called the
independent
variable
(manipulated)
variable
Constants/
controlled variables
• Factors that
remain the same
throughout the
experiment
Control
• The trial done
without changing
the original
factors
The Experiment—Materials
• List all the materials you use in the
experiment including what, how much, and
what kind.
Good Listing of Materials
Poor Listing of Materials
250 mL graduated beaker
Measuring cup
750 mL water at 20 degrees C
Water
1- 20X20 cm sq cake pan
Container
Celsius thermometer
Thermometer
Stop watch
clock
The Experiment—Procedure
The procedure is a sequenced list of clear and precise
directions (like a recipe). It should be written so that
anyone could repeat your experiment.
Well-written procedure
1. Wear safety goggles.
2. Add 3 mL magnesium
sulfate solution to one
test tube.
3. Observe the contents for
5 minutes.
Poorly-written procedure
1. Use safety equipment.
2. Pour magnesium sulfate
into a test tube.
3. Observe.
Recording the Data
Data is all the information you gather during the experiment.
Writing in a notebook or journal is an effective way to keep track of
your observation and data. Remember: This is a primary source of
information that records your thoughts and ideas. Do NOT go back
and change any of your previous thoughts or data!
Data notebooks/journals should
include:
 A list of all the materials you
use
 Notes on the research and
preparations you did before
starting the experiment
 Day-by-day notes on the
progress of your project
 Data from the experiment
BE ACCURATE AND NEAT!
Organize the Data
BAR GRAPH:
Use if you are comparing amounts of things.
Usually, the bars go up and down. The x-axis
(horizontal) is what’s being measured (like plant
A, B, C, D) and the y-axis (vertical) is labeled to
show the Unit being measured (plant growth in
centimeters)
PIE GRAPH:
Use if you area showing percentages or groups.
REMEMBER: You can’t have more than
100% and all of the pieces MUST add up to 100%.
This is great for surveys.
LINE GRAPH:
Use if you are showing changes over time.
The x-axis shows the independent variable
(what you change); the y-axis shows the
dependent variable (the result).
Conclusion and What I Learned
The following information should be part of the conclusion:
1. Statement of support or non-support of the
original hypothesis. (NOT “prove” or “disprove”)
2. Description of any problems or unusual events that
occurred during your experiment.
3. Discussion of scientific facts that would explain the
outcome of your investigation.
4. Explanation of what you might do differently of change
the next time.
5. Discussion of additional questions or experiments that
could be a continuation of the current investigation
6. Discussion of the relevance of your investigation for
business/industry or humans in general.
Display Board Information
Catchy Title of Project
Testable question
(is the problem)
Hypothesis
(prediction)
Variables
Pictures of
investigation
process
Graph to Show
Results
Conclusion
Materials List
Procedure list
Table/ chart
to Show
Data collected