Science Fair 2009-2010

Where to Start?What is of interest to you?Is it testable or measureable?Lets make it Fun.

Reno and MaysWith special credit to Steve Phillips

Let’s See What you Remember…• Do you remember the

steps? (in order)1. Topic2. Research3. Hypothesize4. Test hypothesis5. Collect data6. Draw a conclusion and

analysis

• What does each step mean? (briefly)

Before you Begin or do anything…For your science fair project, you must keep a

science log book:a. EVERYTHING goes in this book.b. As you research topics for log it.c. When you pick a topic, log it. Each time you research log it. Once you form a hypothesis, log it… etc… d. Log book includes:

Date Eventex: 8/29/09 Looked at different topics

9/12/09 Choose to test density of an object9/13/09 Researched density and what

affects density 9/14/09 Decided on my hypothesis9/16/09 Started listing materials needed

Step 1: Pick a Topic

•What would you like to learn? What question in science do you have that you would like to be answered?

•It needs to be an actual question, not something you want to demonstrate or display.

Step 1: Pick a TopicGood Bad

1. Does a person’s personal preference to color affect his/her sorting?

2. Would an object’s shape affect it’s density?

3. Can the shape of an object affect the amount of light reflected?

1. What are the positions and locations of the planets orbiting the sun?

2. How does a volcano explode?

3. How many people shop at walmart each day?

Step 2: Do some research…1. Read available background information,

look at other studies done on your topic, and discuss your project with experts.

2. Go to the library and research your topic. Look for some of the following:

a. Has a similar experiment been completed previously?

b. Is there information on the web or book that helps to answer your topic?

c. What factors can affect your results based on your research?

Step 3: Hypothesize • What did you think would happen?

• You must state your hypothesis in a way that you can readily measure.

• Your hypothesis is a prediction of your experiment's results. Before making a hypothesis, be sure you have gathered all the information necessary to make an educated guess.

• Remember, a good hypothesis predicts how two factors relate. Be sure you consider all the variables that affect you're experiment. You will only be testing an changing ONE variable, so your hypothesis is based on that ONE variable you will change.

• Your hypothesis should clearly state how one variable (the independent variable) will be changed and the effect it will have on a second variable (the dependent variable). For example, "Variance in plant type will enhance sand accumulation in sand dune restoration."

Step 3: Hypothesize • Your project will be designed to test this

hypothesis, so it must be stated in such a way that can be tested through experimentation. In addition, predict your results in measurable terms and use words like increase and decrease, or more or less, or higher and lower to show the relationship you predict to observe between the two variables. Do not use words like better to describe your predicted outcomes, as they do not clearly define the expected results.

• Finally, keep in mind that your hypothesis does not have to be right--that will be determined by the experiment. But remembering that your hypothesis will be the foundation of your project should

Step 3: Hypothesize 1. Does a person’s personal preference to

color affect his/her sorting?

Good: I believe that people will have more of their favorite color stacked than any other color.

Bad: I believe that more people will choose blue while sorting a mixture of various colors.

Now you try…

With your thought partner choose one of the two options to the left. Then create a hypothesis for that topic.

1. Would an object’s shape affect it’s density?

2. Can the shape of an object affect the amount of light reflected?

Variables (something to consider before finalizing your experiment)•Variables are things/items in your

experiment that create a cause. For example, variable for potted plants are: type of soil, amount of water, sunlight.

•You are only testing ONE variable. Therefore, everything in your experiment should be identical except ONE variable you want to change.

Variables • The independent variable is the one that is changed by the

scientist. In an experiment there is only one independent variable.

• As the scientist changes the independent variable, he or she observes what happens.

• The dependent variable changes in response to the change the scientist makes to the independent variable. The new value of the dependent variable is caused by and depends on the value of the independent variable. For example, if you are looking at how shape affects an object’s density. The independent variable is the shape of the foil (since the scientist will change it) and the dependent variable is the object’s density (since it will be affected by the shape of the foil).

• Experiments also have controlled variables. Controlled variables are quantities that a scientist wants to remain constant, and he must observe them as carefully as the dependent variables. In our example, the controlled variables are the amount foil and water and the bowl being used.

Step 4: Experiment!!

•Decide how you will test your hypothesis.

•Again remember you should only be changing one variable (element) of your experiment.

•You will need to plan out the experiment step by step and be DETAILED!! Another person should be able to read your directions and recreate your experiment exactly.

Step 4: Experiment!! • As you plan out your experiment, you should

begin a list of all supplies necessary to complete your experiment.

• Also, include in your plans how and when you will obtain your data for each experimental trial.

• Once you have well though out directions and materials, go get ‘em! Pick up your supplies and materials needed to experiment.

• Then put word to action! Set aside enough time that you can complete your experiment.

Step 4: Experiment!!Good Bad

• Materials: bowl, 500 mL of water, aluminum foil, data table

• Procedures (Steps):1. Fill the bowl with 500

mL of water2. Take a sheet of

aluminum foil that measure 3 inches long by 2 inches wide

3. Wrinkle the paper into a ball.

4. Drop aluminum ball into the bowl of water.

5. Record results and observations

• Materials: bowl, water, foil

• Procedures (Steps):1. Get a bowl with some

water and drop a wad of foil.

2. Now drop flat aluminum in same water.

Step 5: Collect Data•Before beginning, prepare a data table

to help you collect your data.

•A data table will ensure that you are consistent in recording your data and will make it easier to analyze your results once you have finished your experiment.

First Trial Second Trial

Aluminum Ball

Flat Aluminum

Boat shaped aluminum

Step 6: Conclusion and Analysis• Look over your data tables and see what

happened.

• Did you get the results you had expected? What did you find out from your experiment? Really think about what you have discovered and use your data to help you explain why you think certain things happened.

• You should have performed multiple trials of your experiment. Think about the best way to summarize your data. Do you want to calculate the average for each group of trials, or summarize the results in some other way?

Step 6: Conclusion and Analysis• In science fair projects as in life, "a picture is

worth a thousand words." Plan to take pictures of the materials you used and of the experiment as it is being carried out

• Your conclusion should summarize the results of your experiment and show how these results relate to your hypothesis.

• Does the experiment answer your research question? If your results were different from your hypothesis, provide some possible reasons. Do not change your results to match the hypothesis. Instead, explain why your results did not match the hypothesis.

Step 6: Conclusion and Analysis• Critically evaluate your results and compare

them to other studies or to your research of existing literature.

• What would you change in your research?

• Was there variability?

• How could you further test your hypothesis? Is there a new question that now should be addressed?

• Could this knowledge be shared with the community to enhance their knowledge?

The ProjectPutting it all together to be presented at Science Fair!!

Project Titles

•Put the topic in the form of a question.

•Many project titles follow one of these forms:

• How will __________affect __________? Variable result

• The Effects of __________on __________. Variable result

Will __________when __________? Variable result

3 Requirements for the Competition• The Project Journal: All the data gathered in your

project journal needs to be included as part of your final presentation. Accurate and detailed notes on your data demonstrate the thoroughness of your investigation. See the next slide for more information.

• The Abstract - See the other Chart on how to put together an abstract

• The Report - See the Table of contents for the basic items in a report

Journal• Throughout the process of doing your project, you should keep a journal containing all

of your important ideas and information. This journal is called a laboratory notebook.

• You should always keep a project journal handy to record the progress of your report.

• Each day you spend in the field, record a journal entry with detailed and accurate notes about your observations. Every entry should include the following:

• Date and time

• Exact location where data is being collected (perhaps with a map of the area and coordinates of each site)

• Description of location, including biotic and abiotic factors

• Weather conditions (temperature, wind, cloud cover, precipitation)

• Species observed (Include a list with estimates of the number of individuals encountered. If you collect any specimens, be sure to catalog them with detailed measurements and location descriptions.)

• Other observations and questions (Use your senses and record what you see, hear, smell, and touch.)

• Your journal may also include photographs to help explain and demonstrate your experimental results and to provide visual information for your final project presentation. Be very precise in describing where your photographs are taken and label them accurately.

•

AbstractAn abstract is a brief, one-page summary of

your science project. (ISEF guidelines state that an abstract should be no more than 250 words.) Your abstract should present the essence of your project, including: ▫ a brief description of your experiment's purpose;

▫ an overview of your procedure;

▫ a short description of the data; and

▫ and a brief explanation of your conclusions.

4 Elements of an Abstract• Purpose of the Experiment

▫ An introductory statement of the reason for investigating the topic of the project.

▫ A statement of the problem or hypothesis being studied. •

Procedures Used▫ A summarization of the key points and an overview of how the

investigation was conducted. ▫ An abstract does not give details about the materials used

unless it greatly influenced the procedure or had to be developed to do the investigation.

▫ An abstract should only include procedures done by the student. Work done by a mentor (such as surgical procedures) or work done prior to student involvement must not be included.

•Observation/Data/Results▫ This section should provide key results that lead directly to

the conclusions you have drawn. ▫ It should not give too many details about the results nor

include tables or graphs. •

Conclusions▫ Conclusions from the investigation should be described

briefly. ▫ The summary paragraph should reflect on the process and

possibly state some applications and extensions of the investigation.

Report: Table of ContentsPage number

State of Purpose 1The Hypothesis 2Background Research 3Material List 4Testing Procedure 5Observation and Results 6Variables and Controls 7Conclusion 8Bibliography 9Acknowledgements 10

• Make sure include page numbers when putting together your report together.

Display Board basics• Choose a catchy, attention-grabbing title that accurately summarizes

your research. The title should be big and easily read from across the room.

• Organize your information like a newspaper so that your audience can quickly follow the thread of your experiment by reading from top to bottom, then left to right. Include each step of your project: Question and/or purpose, hypothesis, variables, background research, and so on.

• Your name will be put on your board IN CLASS so do NOT put it on the board!!!

• If your fair allows it, take advantage of the space on the table in front of your board to help describe your project. You can display your experimental apparatus or models and perhaps your project notebook. ▫ You may bring in models or recreations from your experiments, but this can not

include animals or animal parts, live plants, or liquids. Pictures are a good idea and recreations from modeling clay, legos, etc…

Display Board

Bibliography• You should have a minimum of three written sources of

information about your topic from books, encyclopedias, and periodicals. You may have additional information from the Web if appropriate.

Books• Format:

Author. Title: Subtitle. Place of publication: Publisher, Date.

• Examples:Allen, Thomas B. Vanishing Wildlife of North America. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 1974.

• Searles, Baird and Martin Last. A Reader's guide to Science Fiction. New York: Facts on File, Inc., 1979.

Magazine & Newspaper Articles• Format:

Author. "Title of Article." Title of Periodical Volume # (Date): Pages.

• Examples:Kanfer, Stefan. "Heard Any Good Books Lately?" Time 113 (21 July 1986): 71-72.

• Kalette, Denise. "California Town counts Down to Big Quake." USA Today 9 (21 July 1986): sec. A:1.

BibliographyWebsite or Webpage• Format:

Author (if available). "Title of page." Editor (if available). Date (if available). Institution. [cited Access Date]. URL.(simply omit any information that you do not have)

• Examples:Devitt, Terry. "Lightning injures four at music festival." August 2, 2001. The Why? Files. [cited 23 January 2002]. http://whyfiles.org/137lightning/index.html.

Article from an Encyclopedia• Format:

Author. "Title of Article." Title of Encyclopedia. Date.• Examples:

Pettingill, Olin Sewall, Jr. "Falcon and Falconry." World Book Encyclopedia. 1980.

Acknowledgements• Make sure you Thank all that helped you along the

way.

• If people helped you, say so. List them by name, and state briefly what they did to help. It is normal to list them by alphabetical order of surname. For email contacts, list the email addresses as well. As a rule,

keep this section brief.