| Your report is a written account of your science fair | | | | be turned in to the science fair officials on the day of |
| project starting from the beginning to the end. Those | | | | judging, and it is a good idea to have copies available |
| people who will be reading the report for the science | | | | at your display. The judges will have some they are |
| fair projects will know absolutely nothing about your | | | | able to refer to when they make their final decision. |
| project - until they read your report. This means you | | | | Introduction |
| will have to write your report to where they | | | | The introduction is a statement of your intention, along |
| understand what you did and how you did it. You will | | | | with any background information, which led you to |
| have to give them details about your project. After | | | | running this experiment. It should have a brief |
| reading your report the reader show know exactly | | | | statement of your hypothesis based on your research. |
| what you did, why you did it, the ending results, | | | | In other words what facts did you learn in your |
| whether or not the experiment matched up to your | | | | research that led you to assume the answer to the |
| hypothesis, and where you got your research | | | | project's problem question. Make sure to reference the |
| information, like what books or articles you read. | | | | information or the experience that made you decide to |
| What goes in the report? | | | | do that project's point. |
| A large portion of your report will come from your | | | | Your teacher may require footnotes. If so, include one |
| journal because you will be recording everything in | | | | for each source of information you used. |
| your journal as your project develops. For the report | | | | Experiment and Data |
| you will need to organize the information and copy the | | | | If you performed more than one experiment, you will |
| information neatly from your journal. Make some | | | | need to write an experiment page for each |
| colorful tables, graphs and diagrams to go into your | | | | experiment. The experiment page should tell in detail |
| report. If you can, use a computer to make some or all | | | | the actions performed in doing the experiment. In |
| of these illustrations for your report. Science fair | | | | needs to be written as an outline. After each |
| projects that have clear diagrams and pictures are | | | | experiment you should have tables, graphs, charts or |
| easier to understand than ones that just have text. | | | | diagrams to show the results you received from the |
| What should the report include? | | | | experiments |
| You will need to check with your teacher to find out | | | | Conclusion |
| what is expected to be seen in your report and the | | | | The conclusion is a short summary about what you |
| order it is to be in as regulated by the local fair. A | | | | have discovered. The conclusion should only take up |
| project report is usually expected to be typed, using | | | | one page. The conclusion is written using the results of |
| double-spaces, and bound in a folder or a notebook. It | | | | your experiment. The hypothesis will be written in the |
| should have a title page, a table of contents, an | | | | conclusion and will point out whether the data you |
| abstract, an introduction, one or more experiments and | | | | gathered agrees. Your conclusion can also include any |
| the information, a conclusion, a list of your sources, and | | | | plans you might have for future experiments on the |
| acknowledgements. | | | | same subject. Science fair projects should always |
| Title Page | | | | leave people thinking "What would be a good |
| Before you do your title page, what goes on the title | | | | experiment to do next?" |
| page can vary. Some fairs only want the title of the | | | | Sources |
| project centered on the page. As a rule your name will | | | | You got your information from somewhere and this is |
| not go one the title page during judging. Your teacher | | | | the page you list where your information came from. |
| can give you're the specific instructions on how to do | | | | Your sources can be a book or article your read or a |
| the title page for the fair you will be entering. As you | | | | person you interviewed. |
| are creating the title of your project, you should say | | | | For the written materials you will write a bibliography. |
| something about the subject of your project, but it also | | | | You will list the people you interviewed separate from |
| needs to be an attention getting title. The project title | | | | the books. Place their names in alphabetical order by |
| can not be the same as the problem question. | | | | their last name. Their title will go next to their name |
| Table of Contents | | | | along with the business address and business |
| The second page of your report should be the table | | | | telephone number, but only if you have their permission. |
| of contents. It should have a list of everything that is in | | | | Never list home addresses or phone numbers. This |
| the report after the table of contents page. Just to | | | | part of science fair projects sometimes seems silly, |
| give you an idea look at the example below. | | | | but it is important so that someone who is interested |
| - Table of Contents | | | | can learn more about your topic from the same |
| - Abstract | | | | places you did. |
| - Introduction | | | | Acknowledgement |
| - Experiment | | | | Your acknowledgement is your thank you to all the |
| - Data | | | | people who helped you with your project and what |
| - Conclusion | | | | they did for you. It can start out something like this. |
| - Sources | | | | Acknowledgement |
| - Acknowledgements | | | | I would like to thank the members of my family and |
| Abstract | | | | my teacher for helping me with this project. To my |
| The abstract is just a brief overview or summary of | | | | mother who typed this report for me. |
| the project. It should only take up one page and should | | | | Etc. |
| include the project title, a statement of the purpose, a | | | | Finally, be sure to give yourself plenty of time to get |
| hypothesis, a brief description of the procedure, and | | | | your report written, AND to have it read over by at |
| the results. | | | | least a couple of other people. |
| Many times the abstract of science fair projects must | | | | |