First Colony Middle School’s Science Fair 2016-2017
Friday, September 9th to Science Teacher
[Project Timeline]
 Problem/Question
o Be sure the topic of your selected problem is reasonable enough to actually be tested by you.
o You MAY NOT do projects involving surveys, animals, or consumer science (which product works better).
 Hypothesis
o After researching their chosen topic of study, scientists are ready to formulate their hypothesis. This is an educated
guess of what they think will be the solution to their problem. They also make sure that they properly control the
variables of their experiment, being sure to test only one at a time.
o Write a hypothesis for your chosen problem. It must be in the form of an If . . . then statement. (ex. If a plant is
given fertilizer, then it will grow faster.)
o DO NOT write a hypothesis that begins with “I think. . .”
 Variables
Friday, September 30th to Science Teacher
Check Point #1
Check Point #2
o Manipulated Variable - This is the variable you are testing. You will have only 1 manipulated variable.
o Responding Variable - This is the variable that responds to the change of your manipulated variable and is
represented by the data you are collecting. You will have only 1 responding variable.
o Controlled Variables - These are any factors that are not being tested. For example, if you were testing the effect of
fertilizer on plant growth, you would use the same type of plants, the same soil, give the same amount of water and
sunlight, etc. These would be your controlled variables. You will have several controlled variables.
 Materials
o List the materials you will need to complete your procedure, being very specific about each item.
o With each item, be sure to include the amount you will need, using metric units where appropriate (ex: 3 ivy plants,
3-15cm. pots, etc.)
 Procedure
o List the steps in the procedure you will use to complete your experiment.
o Each step should be written in a complete sentence and numbered.
o Your procedure needs to be VERY DETAILED!! Let someone else read your procedure and see if they follow each step
exactly how you would. If they do not, your procedures need to be more detailed.
o Be sure to include instructions to repeat the experiment several times to get accurate data.
o If there are any safety precautions that need to be taken when doing your experiment, these should also be included.
Check Point #3
Friday, November 4th to Science Teacher (Rough Draft)
 Data Collection
o Draw the data table you will use to record the data you collect during your experiment.
o The data table should be neatly drawn with a ruler.
o Remember that the first column contains the manipulated variable and the remaining columns are the responding
variable.
 Experiment and Analysis
o While you are conducting your experiment, you should record your data in your data table that you created. Then,
after you have conducted your experiment, you need to graph your data.
o Your graph should be done neatly! You can do it by hand or create a graph on your computer.
o Be sure to include a title, appropriate labels, and a key, if needed.
 Conclusions
o Write a concluding paragraph stating what you have found. The conclusion should be written in complete sentences
(at least 5).
o In your paragraph, be sure to summarize your results, tell whether your hypothesis was proven or not and why, and
explain anything that went wrong or needed to be changed.
 Bibliography
o Please note three sources you used in gathering information about your topic.
Check Point #4 (FINAL PROJECT)
Tuesday November 15th to Science Teacher
 Project Board
o Put your name, period, and teacher on the BACK of the board
o If you are including pictures on your board, make sure you do not include any faces
o Below are two examples for project board set-up. Neat, colorful, organized, and easy to read boards score the highest
when judged.
 Journal
o Your journal is required to lay out your research notes and data throughout your experiment.
* Project Board Layout Examples: