Science Project

Guide and homework

Name: __________________

Teacher: _______________ Class: _____

 Science Project Deadlines

Homework What you have to do What you have to hand in Due date

Find a project Look at books and Science project proposal

websites form
Read “your question”
help sheet
Background Read “finding Background research plan
research: information “ help sheet worksheet
Collect
information
Hypothesis Read “variables “ help Complete “variables and
sheet hypothesis” worksheet
Design an Decide how you will find Write a materials list
experiment answers to your Write method
question. Come up with
a method and equipment
list.
Do Carry out your A results table
experiment experiment. Record your
or collect results. Repeat your
data experiment
Analyse Data Decide what your At least one graph
experiment tells you. A conclusion
Write a conclusion and at
least one graph or
diagram
Display board Present your findings, Bring in display board
use display board help
sheet
Presentation Rehearse your You will be giving a
presentation to the class presentation
about your project and
findings
 Your Question Help sheet

(1) There are lots of areas you could investigate. To get some ideas use

• The library

• The internet

• Your class books

• Parents, Teachers other adults

(2) If you are struggling ask one of the library staff or try

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-

projects/recommender_register.php

(3) Pick a topic you are interested in looking at for the next 2-3 weeks. If you

are not interested this will be difficult to complete well.

(4) Write down the question that you want to answer. A scientific question

usually starts with: How, What, When, Who, Which, Why, or Where.

(5) Can you design a fair test to answer your question? A “fair test” means that

you only change one variable and keep everything else the same.

(6) Does your project question involve a variable that can be easily measured

e.g. height, mass, distance, time, colour, volume, temperature, current,

voltage

(7) Plan ahead are you going to be able to get the materials you need to carry

this project out? Do you have enough time? (E.g. plants take a long time to

grow!).
 Homework 1: Science Project Proposal form

The question I plan to investigate in my experiment:

Science project question checklist Yes/no

1. Is the topic interesting to read about and work on for 2

weeks?

2. Can you measure changes to important variables using a

number that you can count. E.g. length, width, time,

volume, time, mass etc?

3. Can you design a “fair test” to answer your question?

I.e. change only one variable and control all the others.

4. Is your experiment safe?

5. Do you have all the materials you need, or will you be

able to get them?

6. Do you have enough time to complete the experiment?

Finding Information help sheet

(1) Record your sources and take notes as you go.

(2) Come up with some questions you want to answer as part of your
research before you start.

(3) How to find information:

(a) Come up with a list of key words that link to your project.

Use encyclopedias, dictionaries or textbooks to help with

this

(b) Library – look for or ask for other books that link to your

project or key words

(c) Internet - add your key words to search engines including

Oliver and Science Reference Centre in the library

(d) Broaden your search by adding words to your search phrases

in search engines. Narrow your search by subtracting words

from or simplifying your search phrases.

 Homework 2(a): Background research plan

(1) What is the question you are trying to answer with an

experiment? ___________________________________

_____________________________________________

(2) List the keywords and phrases from your question and the topic in

general. (hint use an encyclopaedia to help you)

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

(3) Use your key words to come up with some questions to answer

during your background research.

Question Possible questions Questions you will use in

word your research. Substitute

your key words in the blanks

Why does___ happen?

Why Why does ___ ___?

Why ________?

How does __ happen?

How How does ___ work?

How does __ detect __?

How do you measure___?

 How do we use___?

Who needs ____?

Who Who discovered____?

Who invented___?

Who ____?

What causes___ to increase?

What What is ___ made of?

What is the relationship

between ___ and ___?

What do we use__ for?

When When does __ cause__?

When was ___ discovered?

When_____?

Where Where does ___ happen?

Where does __ get used?

Where_______?

(4) Are there any formulas or equations that you may need?

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________
Research paper Help sheet

A research paper is a report that summarises what you found out during

your research. The research paper summarises the theory behind your

experiment and shows you understand the science behind your

experiment. You do library and Internet research so that you can make a

prediction of what will occur in your experiment, and then whether that

prediction is right or wrong, you will have the knowledge to understand

what caused the behavior you observed.

Note taking:

Take notes as you go along; remember to record the sources you use and

the key information from each one

Your research paper:

Before starting to write, Plan what you are going to include in each

section or paragraph. Suggested sections are

• Your science fair project question or topic

• Definitions of all important words, concepts, and equations that

describe your experiment

• The history of similar experiments

• Answers to your background research questions

 Homework 3: Research paper Checklist

Use this checklist to make sure your summary includes all the key points.

o Have you given the definition of all key words

o Have you clearly answered your research questions

o Does your background research allow you to make a prediction?

o Will you have enough knowledge to understand what you observe?

Does your research include the following

o Theories, facts and data

o Key discoveries and early researchers.

o Have you given a reference for all information you have used?

Does your research paper include

o A title page

o Your report

o Have you checked your punctuation, grammar and spelling?

 Variables Help sheet

To make your experiment a fair test you must only change one factor or

variable.

The variable that you change is called your Independent Variable

The variable that you measure is called you Dependent Variable

Variables that you must keep the same are your Control Variables.

e.g. If your question was how much water do different paper towels

absorb?

o The independent variable will be: Type of paper towel

o The dependent variable will be: Volume of water absorbed

o Control variables will be, size of paper towel, temperature of water,

time given to absorb.

Hypothesis

• A hypothesis is an educated guess about how things work.

• Most of the time a hypothesis is written like this: "If _____ [I do

this] _____, then _____ [this] _____ will happen." (Fill in the

blanks with the appropriate information from your own experiment.)

• Your hypothesis should be something that you can actually test,

what's called a testable hypothesis. In other words, you need to be

able to measure both "what you do" and "what will happen."
 Homework 4: Variables and hypothesis Worksheet

Variables

Independent (change) Dependent (Measure) Control (keep the

same)

Your hypothesis

If (I do this) _____________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

Then ___________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

will happen
 Equipment, Method and analysis help sheet

Equipment list

Make a list of everything you will need, including how much of everything If you

have difficulty getting anything ask you parents or teachers for some help.

Method

Write the experimental procedure like a step-by-step recipe for your science

experiment. A good procedure is so detailed and complete that it lets someone

else copy your experiment exactly!

Results table

You need a correctly labeled results table, showing your data.

Analysing your data and drawing a graph

• Review your data. Try to look at the results of your experiment with a

critical eye. Ask yourself these questions:

o Is it complete, or did you forget something?

o Do you need to collect more data?

o Did you make any mistakes?

• Calculate an average for the different trials of your experiment, if

appropriate.

• Make sure to clearly label all tables and graphs. And, include the units

of measurement (volts, inches, grams, etc.).

 • Place your independent variable on the x-axis of your graph and the

dependent variable on the y-axis.

Conclusions

Your conclusions summarise how your results support or contradict your

original hypothesis:

• Summarise your science fair project results in a few sentences and

use this summary to support your conclusion. Include key facts from

your background research to help explain your results as needed.

• State whether your results support or contradict your hypothesis.

• If appropriate, state the relationship between the independent and

dependent variable.

• Summarise and evaluate your experimental procedure, making

comments about its success and effectiveness.

• Suggest changes in the experimental procedure (or design) and/or

possibilities for further study.

 Display help

Organise 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 science fair project:

Summary, question, hypothesis, variables, equipment list, method, results

table, graph and conclusion.

• Use a font size of at least 16 points for the text on your display

board, so that it is easy to read from a few feet away. It's OK to

use slightly smaller fonts for captions on picture and tables.

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

Choose one that accurately describes your work, but also grabs

peoples' attention.

• A picture speaks a thousand words! Use photos or draw diagrams

to present non-numerical data, to propose models that explain your

results, or just to show your experimental setup. But, don't put text

on top of photographs or images. It can be very difficult to read.

Here some project ideas but for more chancing of winning, research your own
project idea!!!

1. What is the home made version of polymers?

2. What material we can use to keep us warm or cold?
3. How can we make our bones soft and bendy?
4. How you can make hot ice?
5. How we can make Stalactites and Stalagmites in our kitchen?
6. How do bubbles work and what is physics behind it?
7. How does bleach kill bacteria?
8. What starch plant produces the most fuel?
9. How fast does light travel in water vs. air?
10. Are designer shampoos worth it? Make your own Shampoo?

11. Why do our fingers prune when immersed in water?

12. Visual and auditory learning modes: which is better and for whom?
13. Does chewing gum help you concentrate?
14. Diet and memory: is there a connection?
15. Can food boost your mood?
16. How has climate changed over the past 100 years?
17. How does microwave radiation affect different organisms?
18. Natural or synthetic antibiotics: Which works better?
19. Does a plant grow best in salty, sweet or normal water?
20. What is the best stain remover perfume, oil or soap?
21. How does surface area affect the speed of a falling object?

22. Build a table top lever and investigate how changing the length of the effort
arm affects the amount of effort it takes to lift an object.
23. Making a candy water fall: Can solids flow like liquids- To Determine how the
size of different granular materials affects their mass flow rate through a
funnel.
24. Create marshmallow-and-stick constructions, To investigate the forces that
enable you to balance them, and understand why those forces act the way
they do.
25. Which material keeps a can of fizzy drink the coldest for longest?
26. Which type or paper towel absorbs the most water?
27. How does temperature effect mould on bread?
28. What household substances are acidic?
29. Does the direction you plant a seed effect the direction it grows in?
30. What is the effect of light on seed germination
31. How many lemons does it take to make a battery?

32. What effect does cutting up an apple have on how quickly it starts to rot?
33. How long do different metals take to go rusty?
34. How does your breathing rate depend on how much exercise you do?
35. What factors affect memory?
36. How does heat effect plant growth?
37. What conditions grow the most mould on bread?
38. How does temperature effect the amount of bubbles washing up liquid makes?
39. Does the Water pH effect how well cress seeds grow?
40. What colours make up the different colours of m and m’s
41. Which household acids can be used as a battery?
42. What conditions effect how quickly a nail goes rusty?
43. Which soft drinks are the worst for your teeth (most corrosive)
44. Which materials are best for sound proofing?

45. How does height a ball bounces depend on the surface it bounce son
46. Which fruits give the highest voltage in a fruity battery?
47. Which metal combination gives the highest voltage in a fruity battery
48. Which shape gives the strongest bridge?
49. Will a coat stop a snowman melting?
50. How do different materials affect the speed of sound?
51. What household substances can be used to keep oil and water together
(emulsifiers)?
52. Does the area of solar cell exposed to light effect the voltage output?
53. What household substances can test for acids and alkalis?
54. Do fats or carbohydrates have more energy?

55. Which indigestion remedy neutralises stomach acid the best?

56. How can we prevent rusting?
57. How do nappies absorb water?
58. Are two eyes better than one?
 59. How does size of your outer ear effect hearing?
60. Are two ears better than one?
61. How do series and parallel circuits affect the brightness of bulbs?

Please see more ideas here:

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/blog?blc=48