| We are going to walk through the steps of a Sample | | | | - Helper |
| Project. You will learn how to turn a project idea into a | | | | Make sure you have thought the experiment through |
| unique project. During the phase of the actual | | | | and thought of all the material you will need to perform |
| experiment, you can use one of the data-collecting | | | | the experiment. |
| techniques or other ideas to design and develop your | | | | Six-Week Schedule |
| project. Even though science fair projects may have | | | | Starting on science fair projects can seem a bit of a |
| very different topics, the overall plan for doing them is | | | | huge task, but you can cut this huge task down to |
| mostly the same. These are the key steps: | | | | bite-size bits with a schedule. Make sure to follow your |
| - Starting Your Project | | | | timetable so that everything gets done at a reasonable |
| - Procedures | | | | pace and not all at the last minute. |
| - Results | | | | Procedure |
| - Explaining Your Results | | | | The procedure is the steps needed to complete the |
| - Problem and Hypothesis | | | | experiment. In the procedure a variable is anything that |
| Starting your Project | | | | has an effect on the experiment. In the sample project, |
| Once you have selected your subject, you are ready | | | | the altitude of the sun must be measure during specific |
| to get started. Here are some tips to getting you | | | | times during the day. This makes the time of day the |
| started on the right foot. This tips will include everything | | | | independent or manipulated variable. The measure |
| from gathering your materials to setting a schedule. All | | | | altitude is the dependent, or responding variable. All |
| of these are essential steps in good science fair | | | | other variables like the latitude and season are the |
| projects. | | | | controlled, or constant, variable. |
| Project Journal | | | | Results |
| Your journal is an important part of your project. You | | | | First you must organize all the data you have collected |
| will be recording the progress of the project. When the | | | | during the experiment before you can actually say the |
| experiment has been completed, and the results | | | | results of your experiment. Number, which is called |
| recorded in the journal, you will find the journal to be | | | | "raw data" have very little meaning unless you |
| very useful when you start you project report. | | | | organize and label them. You will need to write down |
| Title and Problem Question | | | | the data from each experiment in a neat and orderly |
| The title and the problem question we are using on this | | | | fashion in your journal. A table is one good way to |
| sample project, will most likely not work for your own | | | | keep up and record the numbers of your results. |
| project. Below is the Title and the Problem Question. | | | | There are several ways you can present your results |
| HOW HIGH? | | | | data. However you decide to present you results data, |
| PROBLEM | | | | be creative, but get make it easy to understand. |
| When is the Sun at its highest altitude during the day? | | | | Science fair projects that are easy for teachers and |
| Materials | | | | judges to understand usually do the best. |
| All the materials you will need for the sample | | | | Explaining Your Results |
| experiment can be found around the house or | | | | To explain your results you will need to use any |
| purchased without much money at a local store. You | | | | information you have gathered during your research |
| will need to collect all the supplies before you start the | | | | and combine it with the results you found in your |
| experiment. The experiment will go much more | | | | experiment. If necessary make a small model of part |
| smoothly if you have all the materials you need before | | | | of the experiment. The sample project used the sun's |
| starting the experiment. If there is a material you can | | | | altitude and certain times of the day. You could make |
| not find, ask an adult before you substitute materials. | | | | a small model of the earth and the sun to show the |
| Different science fair projects will need different | | | | Northern Hemisphere's location at a certain time of |
| materials, but here is a sample list for one experiment: | | | | day to the sun. |
| Materials Example | | | | Problem and Hypothesis |
| - Pencil | | | | Now that you have collected and analyzed your |
| - 5 tablespoons (75 ml) plaster of Paris | | | | project research, you should be able to identify the |
| - 2 tablespoons (30 ml) tap water | | | | problem. In your hypothesis you should state the |
| - 3 ounce (90 ml) paper cup | | | | findings in your research and compare them to the |
| - Masking tape | | | | findings in your experiment. Remember, science fair |
| - 30-inch (1-meter) piece of string | | | | projects must always have a clear hypothesis that |
| - Yardstick (meter stick) | | | | can be stated in just one or two sentences. |
| - Protractor | | | | |