Science Fair: From Horror to HappyHappy in Four (or so) Easy

Steps

Anderson Mill Elementary School

October 2, 2014

The Four Easy StepsThe Four Easy Steps

1. Choose a kid friendly question (and have the student answer it!).

2. Start early and follow a reasonable timeline.

3. Make it good science.

4. Think like a science fair judge.

Choose a kid friendly question Choose a kid friendly question (and have (and have the student the student answer it!) answer it!)

Step OneStep One

Step TwoStep Two

Start early and follow a reasonable timeline

Step ThreeStep Three

Make it good science

It’s ok if it doesn’t turn out the way you hypothesized.

That’s science!

Step FourStep Four•The title should be the question that’s being investigated.•Focus on neat and “followable.” If you have to make it pretty, do it with data display and relevant digital pictures.•Include the data and an explanation of what it means. (Check out this site for making graphs:

http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createAGraph/)•Focus on science fundamentals.•Follow the rules!

Think like a science fair judge

The Rules

A few surprises…• Your project may NOT have plants or plant

parts with it.• Your project may NOT have any food with it.• Your project may NOT have any liquids with

it.• Your project MAY have teeth, hair, nails, or

dried animal bones with it.• Yuck!

The bottom line (Get it?! The bottom line!): Take pictures.

Title in the Form of a QuestionResults

This tells us what happened. This should include

evidence of at least 3 trials and can contain both

quantitative (numbers) and qualitative (observations)

results. This is a good place for pictures.

Data

This section should include labeled tables and/or

graphs. This is a good section in which to garner higher presentation points with good looking, color graphs. Sites such as

http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createAgraph/default.aspx

are a good source.

Purpose/ ProblemWhat is the student trying to

find out?

ResearchThis can be experiential. “I

have noticed that when….”

HypothesisWhat do you think will happen? This should be testable and based on the

research!

ProceduresThis is what you did. This

should be listed out step-by-step. Variables should

be noted.

MaterialsListed alphabetically. This

section could be in the middle column, too.

Summary of Results/ Discussion

The data in a nutshell. What does it all mean?

ConclusionWhat did you learn? Was

the hypothesis supported or not? What

would the student do differently next time?

What other experiments would the student like to

do based on these results?

AcknowledgmentsThis is where you credit the

people that helped (parents, teachers, etc) by telling what part they

played in the project. This can also serve as a place to reference items utilized for the research

section.

Results, Data, Summary

• Pictures

• Data tables

• Notes

• Graphs

• No opinions – just the facts!

Conclusion

• BASED ON YOUR DATA was your hypothesis supported or not?

• What would you change next time?

• Your thoughts