Okay, now get to work on your project!!

What’s that? You still need help getting started?

Introducing:
The Most Fabulous, Scientific, All Helpful,
Kid Friendly and Most Excellent Science Fair
Project Planner Known to Kid Kind:

Elementary
Science Fair
Planning
Guide

Just follow these easy steps and you too can create a wonderful
award winning science project, thought up entirely by you!!!

VERY IMPORTANT: Before you turn this page, recruit an

adult to help you. They come in very handy, especially if you
are nice to them and tell them you won’t blow up any-
thing….
My adult’s name is ___________________

From this point forward you are now… A SCIENTIST!!

Lora Holt Copyright 2006

 The Elementary
Science Fair Planning Guide
By Lora Holt (a science lab teacher, pretty cool, for an adult)
With help from Tim Holt (a very smart science and technology dude)
Inspired by past EPISD science packets. [Thank you Margaret Johnson and all past EPISD Science Gurus]
Translated by Morayma Esquivel and Alma Veronica Ortega
(two very awesome science teachers who also happen to speak Spanish)

Table of Contents
-Or-
What is inside this packet in case you are impatient and you want to jump around

Types of Science Projects (The Good, the Bad and the Scientific Method)………….…...Page 2

So What the Heck is the Scientific Method?.............................................................Page 3

Choosing a category that interests you ………….…………………..……………………...……...Page 4

Step One: Coming up with a good question…….……….…………..…………………..….Page 5

Step Two: Doing the research and forming a HYPOTHESIS…………………….…...Page 6

Now its your turn: you find the sources and write the hypothesis .…...……………..…….Page 7

Step Three: Testing the hypothesis by doing the EXPERIMENT…………….....….Page 8

Time Out: How do you collect DATA??…..……….……………………………………...………....Page 9

Now its your turn: Science Project Organizer worksheet…………………………..….....Pages 10-11

Step Four: Presentation, (or why you needed all those pictures)………………...Page 12

What those not so scary judges are looking for/What you should do at science fair Pk-3……..Page 13

What those not so scary judges are looking for/What you should do at science fair 4-5…......Page 14

Science Fair Rules and Regulations …………..…………….…………………………………………..Page 15

Website Resources………………..…………………………………..…………………………..…...…….Page 16

Page 1
 Types of Science Projects:
There are two types of science projects: Models and Experiments. Here is the
difference between the two:
G !!!!! S…. .
.
N I
RI OT
H
BO D
N’T
DO
There are three
types of volcanoes: A Model, Display or
Collection:
Shows how something works in the
real world, but doesn’t really test
anything
Examples of display or collection pro-
jects can be: “The Solar System”,
“Types of Dinosaurs” , “Types of
Rocks”, “My gum collection…” Exam-
Model or Display ples of models might be: “The solar
system” or “How an Electric Motor
Bad Choice for the Science Fair!
Works”, “Tornado in a Bottle”

COOL!!!!! DO THIS

An Experiment: Which laundry detergent works best?

Lots of information is given, but it Results
Question Materials:
also has a project that shows Which laundry
Brand X
detergent will get
testing being done and the my whites whiter? Brand Y
Brand z
gathering of data.
Procedure:
Examples of experiments can be: 1.
Hypothesis
“The Effects of Detergent on the I think that brand
x laundry deter-
2. Conclusion
I found out that
Growth of Plants”, “Which Paper gent will get my
whites whiter
3. brand x detergent was
actually….
Towel is more Absorbant” or because it has…..

“What Structure can Withstand the

Most Amount of Weight”
You can tell you have an experi- Experiment
ment if you are testing something
several times and changing a vari- Great Choice for the science fair!
able to see what will happens.
We’ll talk about variables later….

So What Type of Project Should You Do?

Even though you can learn a lot from building a model or display, we recommend that
you do an Experiment!!! Why? Well, they are fun, they are more interesting and
most of all, they take you through the SCIENTIFIC METHOD, which is the way real
scientists investigate in real science labs. Besides that, the scientific method is what
the judges are looking for!!
Page 2
 So What the Heck is the
Scientific Method?

Find a Research Make a Conduct the

problem the problem Hypothesis experiment
Ask a and find out Predict what to find out if you
all you can . might happen were right.
“How does” based on
question what you know.

Form a Organize your Compile proof

Write about
conclusion data in tables by recording
what you learned
Check your and graphs data
and how it ap-
hypothesis So that its easy from doing your
plies to the real
against the to see the re- experiment sev-
world
results… Were sults eral times.
maybe come up with
another problem... you right?

Page 3
 Choosing a category that interests you…
All Great Projects start with great questions but before you get started on a great question you need
to pick a subject or topic that you like. There are three different categories of the Science Fair to
choose from. They are:

Life science: This category deals with all animal, plant and human body questions that you might
have and want to do an experiment about. Remember that it is against Science Fair Rules to inten-
tionally hurt an animal during an experiment. If you are dealing with animals, please let an adult as-
sist you. It is okay to do experiment on plants, as long as they don’t belong to someone else, like
don’t do an experiment on your mom’s rose bushes unless you ask her first...

Life science also includes studying behaviors, so its a perfect category to try taste tests, opinion sur-
veys, animal behavior training (or even training behavior in humans...like baby brothers or sisters...)

Physical Science: If you like trying to figure out how things work, then this is the category for you!
It includes topics about matter and structure, as well as electricity, magnetism, sound, light or any-
thing else that you might question, “How does it work and what if I do this to it, will it still work?” But
remember, you always need to ask an adult first (and always make sure there is one of those adult
guys with you when you try it.)

Physical Science also includes the composition of matter and how it reacts to each other. These are
the science experiments that may have bubbling and oozing going on, like figuring out what is an acid
and what is a base. It is a perfect category to try to mix things together to see what will happen.
Again, if you are experimenting with possibly dangerous things, you need to recruit an adult to help
you out.

Earth and Space Sciences: This category is really awesome because it covers all sorts of topics that
deal with the Earth or objects in space. This includes studying weather, Geology (which is the study
of everything that makes up the Earth, like rocks, fossils, volcanoes, etc..), and the study of all that is
in space, including the stars, our sun and our planets. Unfortunately this topic is also where most kids
mess up and do a collection or model project instead of an “Experiment,” so be careful!!!

Now It’s Your Turn:

Write down your favorite Science Fair Category and what it is you want
to learn more about:

My favorite Category was ____________________________________

(Life Science, Physical Science, Earth and Space Science)
I want to do an experiment involving
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Page 4
 Step 1: Coming up with a
Good Question…
Now that you have picked out a topic that you like and that you are interested in, it’s time to write a ques-
tion or identify a problem within that topic. To give you an idea of what we mean you can start off by filling
in the question blanks with the following list of words:

The Effect Question:

What is the effect of _______________ on ____________________?

sunlight on the growth of plants
eye color pupil dialation
brands of soda a piece of meat
temperature the size of a balloon
oil a ramp

The How Does Affect Question:

How does the ___________________ affect ___________________?
color of light the growth of plants
humidity the growth of fungi
color of a material its absorption of heat

The Which/What and Verb Question

Which/What _____________________ (verb) ______________________?
paper towel is most absorbent
foods do meal worms prefer
detergent makes the most bubbles
paper towel is strongest
peanut butter tastes the best

Now its your turn:

Create your Science Fair question using either the “Effect Question”, the “How does Affect
Question” or the “Which/What and Verb Question”:

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Page 5
Step 2 : Doing the Research and forming a
Hypothesis
So you’ve picked your category and you’ve chosen a topic. You even wrote a question using our
cool fill in the blank template. Now it is time to research your problem as much as possible. Be-
coming an expert at your topic is what real scientists do in real labs.

So How do you become an expert?

YOU READ!!!!
READ about your topic. READ encyclopedias. READ magazine articles and books from the library.
READ articles from the internet. Take note of any new science words you learn and use them. It
makes you sound more like a real scientist. Keep Track of all the books and articles you read.
You’ll need that list for later.

YOU DISCUSS!!
Talk about it with your parents. Talk about it with your teachers. Talk about it with
experts like Veterinarians, Doctors, Weathermen or others who work with the things
you are studying. Sometimes websites will give you e-mail addresses to experts who
can answer questions…. But again, do not write to anyone on the internet without
letting an adult supervise it. (*hint: take pictures of yourself interviewing people)

Whew…..
Then when you think that you can’t possibly learn anymore and the information just keeps repeat-
ing itself.. You are ready to...

Write a Hypothesis
Now it is the time to PREDICT what you think will happen if you test your problem. This type of
“SMART GUESS” or PREDICTION is what real scientists call A HYPOTHESIS. Using this fancy
word will amaze your friends and will have you thinking like a full fledged scientist.

So how do you begin? Well, just answer this very simple question:

What do you think will happen, (even before you start your experi-
ment)?
Example Problem: Which Paper Towel is more absorbent?

Example Hypothesis: I think Brand X will be more absorbent because it’s a more
popular brand, it is thicker and the people I interviewed said
that the more expensive brands would work better

(This hypothesis not only predicts what will happen in the experiment, but also shows that the
“Scientist” used research to back up his prediction.)

Page 6
Now its your turn:
Write down the problem and create a Hypothesis based on what you have researched.

Problem:________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Research: My problem is about this subject: __________________________________
(sample topics could be magnetism, electricity, buoyancy, absorbency, taste, plant growth, simple machines
or other scientific topics that relate to your problem. If you are having problems finding out what the topic
is, ask your teacher or an adult to help you on this one….)

Books I found in the library on my topic are:

Title: Author:
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Internet sites that I found on my topic are:
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
People I talked to about my topic are:
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Some important points that I learned about my topic are
• _____________________________________________________
• _____________________________________________________
• _____________________________________________________
• _____________________________________________________
Hypothesis: I think that ___________________________________________________
(will happen) because (my research shows…)___________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Page 7
________________________________________________________________________
Step 3: Testing your Hypothesis by doing
an experiment
Now we’ve come to the good part. The part that all scientists can’t wait to get their grubby
little hands on… you guessed it… The EXPERIMENT!

Designing an experiment is really cool because you get to use your imagination to come up
with a test for your problem, and most of all, you get to prove (or disprove) your Hypothe-
sis. Now Science Fair Rules state that you cannot perform your experiment live, so you’ll have
to take plenty of pictures as you go through these seven very simple steps.

First: Gather up your materials: What will you need to perform your experiment? The safest way to
do this is get that adult you recruited to help you get the stuff you need. Oh, did we mention to take pic-
tures or draw pictures of your materials. This will come in handy when you are making your board display.

Second: Write a PROCEDURE. A procedure is a list of steps that you did to perform an experiment.
Why do you need to write it down? Well it’s like giving someone a recipe to your favorite dish. If they
want to try it, they can follow your steps to test if its true. Scientists do this so that people will believe that
they did the experiment and also to let other people test what they found out. Did we mention to take
pictures of yourself doing the steps?

Third: Identify your variables. The variables are any factors that can change in an experiment.
Remember that when you are testing your experiment you should only test one variable at a time in
order to get accurate results. In other words, if you want to test the affect that water has on plant growth,
then all the plants you test should be in the same conditions, these are called controlled variables: same
type of dirt, same type of plant, same type of location, same amount of sunlight, etc. The only variable
you would change from plant to plant would be the amount of water it received. This is called the inde-
pendent or manipulated variable. The independent variable is the factor you are testing. The results
of the test that you do are called the dependent or responding variables. The responding variable is
what happens as a result of your test. Knowing what your variables are is very important because if you
don’t know them you won’t be able to collect your data or read your results.

Fourth: TEST, TEST, TEST. Remember that the judges expect your results to be consistent in order to
be a good experiment, in other words, when you cook from a recipe you expect the outcomes to be the
same if you followed the directions (or procedure) step by step. So that means you need to do the experi-
ment more than once in order to test it properly. We recommend five times or more. More is better!
Don’t forget to take pictures of the science project being done and the results.

Fifth: Collect your DATA. This means write down or record the results of the experiment every time
you test it. Be sure You also need to organize it in a way that it is easy to read the results. Most scientists
use tables, graphs and other organizers to show their results. Organizing makes the results easy to read,
and much easier to recognize patterns that might be occurring in your results. (Besides, it impresses the
judges when you use them.) But don’t make a graph or table because we asked you to, use it to benefit
your project and to help you make sense of the results. There is nothing worse than having graphs and
tables that have nothing to do with answering the question of a science project.

Page 8
 Time out: How Do You Collect Data?!!?
• Keep a science journal: A science journal is a type of science diary that you can keep especially if
your experiment is taking place over a long period of time. We suggest you do that if your experi-
ment is over a period of a week or more. In your journal you can record observations, collect re-
search, draw and diagram pictures and jot down any additional questions you might have for later.
• Have the right tools to do the job: make sure you have the stuff you need to take accurate
measurements like rulers, meter tapes, thermometers, graduated cylinders or measuring cups that
measure volume. The recommended standard of measurement in science is metric so if you can keep
your measurements in meters, liters, Celsius, grams, etc, you are doing great!
• Tables, charts and diagrams are generally the way a good
Plant Amount of Size it grew
scientist like you would keep track of your experiment trials. water per day in two weeks
Remember you are testing at least 5 times or more. A table is
(controlled (independent (responding
organized in columns and rows and ALWAYS has labels or variable) variable) variable)
headings telling what the columns or rows mean. You will
probably need a row for every time you did the experiment Plant A none .5 cm
and a column telling what the independent variable was (what Plant B 5 ml 2 cm
you tested) and the responding variable (the result that hap-
pened because of the independent variable) Plant C 10 ml 5 cm

• Be accurate and neat! When you are writing your tables Plant D 20 ml 7 cm
and charts please make sure that you record your data in the
correct column or row, that you write neatly, and most of all that you record your data as soon as you
collect it SO YOU DON’T FORGET WHAT HAPPENED!!!! Sometimes an experiment might be hard
to explain with just a table, so if you have to draw and label a diagram (or picture) to explain what
happened, it is recommended that you do.
• Use the right graph for your experiment. There is nothing worse than a bad graph. There are all
types of graph designs, but these seem to be easy to use for science fair experiments.
• Pie graphs are good to use if you are showing percentages of groups. Remember that you
can’t have more than 100% and all the pieces need to add up to 100%. This type of
graph is great if you are doing surveys

• Bar graphs are good to use if you are comparing

amounts of things because the bars show those Grow th in CM growt h cm
amounts in an easy to read way. This way the judges
will be able to tell your results at a glance. Usually the 8

bars go up and down. The x axis (or horizontal axis) is 6

where you label what is being measured, (like plant A, 4

B, C and D) and the y axis (or vertical axis) is labeled 2

to show the unit being measured (in this case it would

0
P l ant A P l ant B Pl ant C P l ant D
be centimeters that the plant grew)

• Line graphs are good to use if you are showing how changes occurred in your experiments
over time. In this particular case you would be using the x axis to show the time
increments (minutes, hours, days, weeks, months) and then you would use the Y
axis to show what you were measuring at that point in time.

….And Now back to the Experiment Steps

Sixth: Write a Conclusion: tell us what happened. Was your hypothesis right or wrong or neither?
Were you successful, did it turn out okay? Would you change anything about the experiment or are you
curious about something else now that you’ve completed your experiment. And most of all, TELL
WHAT YOU LEARNED FROM DOING THIS.

Seventh: Understand its Application. Write about how this experiment can be used in a real life
situation. Why was it important to know about it?

Page 9
 Now it’s your turn
Materials: (take pictures!)
List the Materials that you will need for your science experiment here:
1. ______________________ 6. ______________________
2. ______________________ 7. ______________________
3. ______________________ 8. ______________________
4. ______________________ 9. ______________________
5. ______________________ 10. _____________________

Variables:
List the variables that you will control, the variable that you will change and the variables that
will be the results of your experiment:

My controlled variables are (the stuff that will always stay the same): ___________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

My independent variable is (this is the thing that changes from one experiment to the next, it is
what you are testing): _____________________________

My responding variables might be (in other words, the results of the experiment)

Procedure: (the steps…. Don't forget to take pictures)

List the steps that you have to do in order to perform the experiment here:
_1st….____________________________________________________________________
_2nd_____________________________________________________________________
_3rd_____________________________________________________________________
_4th_____________________________________________________________________
_5th….___________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

Page 10
Design a table or chart here to collect your information
(Did we mention that you needed to take pictures of you doing the actual experiment?)

Use the Graph paper at the end of this booklet to make a graph of your results from
your table.

Conclusion:
Now tell us what you learned from this and if you were able to prove your hypothesis. Did it work?
Why did it work or why didn’t it work? What did the results tell you? Sometimes not being able to
prove a hypothesis is important because you still proved something. What did you prove?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

Application:
(How does this apply to real life?)
Its important to know about this experiment because…...
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

Page 11
 Step 4: The Presentation or Why you needed all
those pictures….
But First, a school Fable….
Sammy and Sally both baked cakes for the bake sale with the same cake mix and by following the same directions.
When Sammy got his cake out of the oven, he carefully took it out of the pan, smoothed the chocolate frosting
neatly and decorated his cake so that it looked delicious. Sally on the other hand, smashed her cake slightly when
getting it out of the pan and globbed the frosting on parts of the cake. As you may have already guessed, every-
one wanted some of Sammy’s cake and no one wanted Sally’s. Sally couldn’t figure out why, because she tasted
both and they both tasted the same… A good display is
You may have become the leading expert of your topic and had the most interesting experiment results, but if you a Piece o’cake
don’t make your science project look delicious for the judges eyes to see, well, your chances of winning sweep-
stakes will crumble like Sally’s cake. Your display board is kind of like an advertisement for all your hard work. So take our advice: BE
NEAT!! The judges like to see a nice, easy to read display, that has neat writing, easy to read graphs and tables and you guessed it….
lots and lots of pictures!! (Did you remember to take pictures?)

MAKING A MOUTH WATERING DISPLAY

This is an example of a neat looking Science Fair Display Board. It is just an example. Depending on your in-
formation and the amount pictures, tables and graphs, you may have a different layout. Just make sure it is
neat.
180cm

#1

#11
#6
#11 #9
#2
#8
#3 #9

#7 #11
#5 #10
#11
100cm

#4 #11

#1. Title (name of project) #8. Variables: The parts of the ex

#2. Purpose: Reason for the project…. periment that will stay the same
your question, what you want to and the what will be tested to get
find out. the results. You can purchase a display
c m board or make your own out
75 #3. Hypothesis: A prediction that #8. Results: Graphs or charts showi-
you make of the results before ng what happened after you con- of cardboard. The dimen-
conducting the experiment. ducted your experiment. sions are:
#4. A report of your research on the #9. Conclusion: Telling what hap-
Height: 100 CM
subject. pened.. Did it work, were you right
#5. Books and Resources: A list of about the hypothesis? What did Length: 180 CM
the books you read and websites you learn?
Depth: 75 CM
you used. Also list your inter #10. Application: Explain how your
views. experiment relates to the real It has to be able to stand on
#6. Materials: a list of the supplies world. its own
needed for the experiment. #11. Pictures, pictures and more pic-
#7 Procedure: The steps or direc- tures...
tions that you used to conduct
the experiment.
Display Beauty Secrets:
• Use a computer to type out your information, but if you can’t, write out your information in your best writing. Printing the titles is usually best. If you are
using a computer, make sure the fonts are readable and only use one or two type faces.
• Use spray adhesive or glue stick to paste up your papers. It is less messy

• Mount white paper, pictures, graphs and tables on colored papers (making sure the colored paper is larger so it creates a border for the white paper. ) Do not

Colored paper White paper, pictures

Creates border or graph/tables Page 12
 What those not What you should
so scary Judges do the day of the
are looking for Science Fair
(PK-3rd grade)
A lot of kids are scared of talking to a judge. Just Relax, smile and have fun, remember you are the expert
imagine the judge as a fellow scientist who just and you had fun doing the project. But if you are a little
wants you to share what you learned… But just so nervous, we listed the stuff you need to do during the
it’s not such a mystery, we’ve listed all the stuff presentation to meet the criteria of the judges form.
that is on the judges form that they want you to
do: Helpful Hint: Look sharp, feel sharp and you will be sharp. Dress nice that
day, be polite and speak clearly and you will show the judges that you
Criteria Worth how many have confidence. Don’t forget to look them in the eyes, they really are
quite nice.
points?

1. Display well organized 2 points Stand to the side of the display so that the judge can see it

Introduce yourself, point out the title of your display and tell the judge
2. Clearly stated title, purpose 2 points why you chose to study this. State your problem that you studied (your
and reasonable hypothesis question) Also tell them about your hypothesis (what you think might
happen)

3. Background information on 2 points Hand a copy of your report to the judge so that they can review your
science topic with at least 3 research. Talk about the sources (books, websites and interviews) that
helped you understand your topic. To get top marks you need to have at
sources cited
least 3 sources.

4. Clearly explained experimental 3 points Tell about your experiment, the steps you took to do it . Use all those
procedures fancy science words you just learned.. They love that.

5. Measurable data that includes 3 points Be sure to show them that you tested your experiment at least 3 times.
Show them all of the cool graphic organizers that you made, like your
3 or more trials
tables and charts.

6. Effective analysis of data 3 points Be sure and explain what your data means. Make sure you can read your
clearly stated results (graphs graphs and tables. Let them know if you were surprised by the results, or
if you knew what would happen because you studied about it.
charts and tables)
Make sure you sound like an expert at your topic. Always use the appro-
7..In-depth knowledge base of 3 points priate vocabulary especially by using words from the Scientific Method
topic with use of related like: Problem, Hypothesis, Procedure, Results and Conclusion.
vocabulary at grade level
Let the judge know if you were right about your hypothesis. What did you
8. Well elaborated conclusion 3 points conclude about your problem? Did you find another problem to investigate
based on results based on what you learned?

9. Stated real life connections. 2 points Judges love this one, because it gives a real world purpose to your topic.
It makes you sound like a real scientist in a real lab… which you are!! “My
experiment about paper towel absorbancy could help people save money
by buying the right type of paper towels”

Nothing makes a judge feel worse than to make a kid so nervous that they
10. Effective closure of 2 points repeat themselves or they stop their presentation before they are really
presentation done. If you get lost or forget where you are, look at your display and
follow it piece by piece. It is better to discuss everything than to forget to
tell the judge something. When you are done, shake hands with the
judge and thank them for their time, remember that they are volunteers
who care about you!

Total possible points 25 Points

24-25 points= Sweepstakes!!!!

Page 13
 What those not What you should
so scary Judges do the day of the
are looking for Science Fair
(4th & 5th grade)
A lot of kids are scared of talking to a judge. Just Relax, smile and have fun, remember you are the expert
imagine the judge as a fellow scientist who just and you had fun doing the project. But if you are a little
wants you to share what you learned… But just so nervous, we listed the stuff you need to do during the
it’s not such a mystery, we’ve listed all the stuff presentation to meet the criteria of the judges form.
that is on the judges form that they want you to
do: Helpful Hint: Look sharp, feel sharp and you will be sharp. Dress nice that
day, be polite and speak clearly and you will show the judges that you
have confidence. Don’t forget to look them in the eyes, they really are
Criteria Worth how many quite nice.
points?
Introduce yourself, point out the title of your display and tell the judge
1. Clearly stated title, purpose 2 points
why you chose to study this. State your problem that you studied (your
and reasonable hypothesis question) Also tell them about your hypothesis (what you think might
happen)

2. In depth report on science 2 points Hand a copy of your report to the judge so that they can review your
topic research. Talk about what you learned while researching your topic

Talk about the sources (books, websites and interviews) that helped you
3. 3 or more resources cited 2 points
understand your topic. To get top marks you need to have at least 3
sources.

4. Thoroughly stated procedures 2 points Tell about your experiment, the steps you took to do it . Be sure to men-
and materials tion all the materials involved and point out all of those lovely pictures!

Point out the controlled variables, independent variable and responding

5. Clearly stated variables and 2 points variables to the experiment, (you know the stuff you kept the same, the
controls thing you tested and the results)

6. Measurable data that includes 3 points Be sure to show them that you tested your experiment at least 3 times.
Show them all of the cool graphic organizers that you made, like your
3 or more trials or when testing
tables and charts. Remember to point out the labeled parts of your graph
human subjects, 10 people or or table to show that you know what it represents.
more
Be sure and explain what your data means. Make sure you can read your
7. Effective analysis of data 3 points graphs and tables. Let them know if you were surprised by the results, or
clearly stated results (graphs if you knew what would happen because you studied about it.
charts and tables)

8. In-depth knowledge base of 3 points Make sure you sound like an expert at your topic. Always use the appro-
topic with use of related priate vocabulary especially by using words from the Scientific Method
like: Problem, Hypothesis, Procedure, Variables, Results and Conclusion.
vocabulary at grade level

9. Well elaborated conclusion 3 points Let the judge know if you were right about your hypothesis. What did you
based on results conclude about your problem? Did you find another problem to investigate
based on what you learned? The conclusion is all about what you learned
from doing this.

Judges love this one, because it gives a real world purpose to your topic.
10. Stated real life connections. 2 points It makes you sound like a real scientist in a real lab… which you are!! For
example, “My experiment about paper towel absorbency could help people
save money by buying the right type of paper towels” See how useful that
sounds?

Nothing makes a judge feel worse than to make a kid so nervous that they
11. Effective closure of 2 points
repeat themselves or they stop their presentation before they are really
presentation done. If you get lost or forget where you are, look at your display and
follow it piece by piece. It is better to discuss everything than to forget to
tell the judge something. When you are done, shake hands with the
judge and thank them for their time, remember that they are volunteers
who care about you!
Total possible points 25 Points
24-25 points= Sweepstakes!!!!

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 Science Fair Rules and Regulations
Aw!, you mean there are rules? Of course there are, silly, this is made by adults!
Safety Rules First
1. Number one rule… think safety first before you start. Make sure you have recruited your adult to help you.
2. Never eat or drink during an experiment and always keep your work area clean.
3. Wear protective goggles when doing any experiment that could lead to eye injury.
4. Do not touch, taste or inhale chemicals or chemical solutions.
5. Respect all life forms. Do not perform an experiment that will harm an animal.
6. All experiments should be supervised by an adult!
7. Always wash your hands after doing the experiment, especially if you have been handling chemicals or animals.
8. Dispose waste properly.
9. Any project that involves drugs, firearms, or explosives are not permitted.
10. Any project that breaks district policy, and/or local, state or federal laws are not permitted.
11. Use safety on the internet! Never write to anyone without an adult knowing about it. Be sure to let an adult know about
what websites you will be visiting, or have them help you search.
12. If there are dangerous aspects of your experiment, like using sharp tools or experimenting with electricity, please have an
adult help you or have them do the dangerous parts. That’s what adults are for, so use them correctly. (Besides, it makes
them feel important!)

Science Fair Rules

1. Only one student per entry, you can’t work in a team of two until you get to middle school, sorry.
2. Adults can help, in fact we want them to get involved. They can help gather materials, supervise your experiment and even
help build the display. They just can’t be with you during the judging. (So parents, no peeking!)
3. Experiments are recommended over collections and models. You will not score very high unless you do an experiment, so
save the models and collections for a class project. You will be judged on the use of the Scientific Method (we told you that
on page 2.)
4. You cannot bring the materials of your experiment for the display or perform the experiment live. You will only be judged on
your presentation and board. You can however, mount things on your board in a type of 3D display, but remember that your
board has to be able to stand by itself, so don’t get carried away. If you do mount things on the board, try not to mount
something expensive that you bought and make sure you have things mounted securely so they don't fall off. YOU MAY NOT
MOUNT ANY FOOD OR ORGANIC MATERIALS!
5. Displays must be on display boards or can be made with cardboard. They can be no longer than 100cm in height, 180 cm in
length and 75cm deep. They must stand alone. See the display making page if you need a diagram.
6. Limit your presentation to 12 minutes at the most, 5-7 minutes on speaking and the rest for the judges to ask questions.
7. No recording or transmitting devices are permitted.. (no tape recorders or secret walkie talkies, cell phones or other James
Bond toys.)
8. Respect all adults involved in the fair… especially the judges!
9. All decisions of the judges and science fair committee are final.
10. All Sweepstakes winners are eligible for entry in the district wide science fair. If you do win sweepstakes, you are responsi-
ble for maintaining your presentation board and getting yourself and the board to the district competition.

Sweepstakes Research Requirements:

All Sweepstakes winners are required to have a research paper written according to the following
guidelines:

Title Page: This contains the title, the name of the student, grade level and date.

Table of Contents: list all the pages of your research paper and what they contain.

Introduction: Background research to your project. (See step 2) One to three pages long.

A Works Cited and Acknowledgement page is at the end listing all the research sources such as books, au-
thors, websites and people interviewed for the project.

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If you completed everything in this packet you probably have a terrific science
fair project, and you are now a real scientist! Good Job!
But…

If you still need more ideas, here is a list websites that you can check out about
science fair projects to give you even more ideas.

Websites Gateway to Educational Materials: Science Fair Pro-

Internet Public Library jects
http://www.ipl.org/div/kidspace/projectguide/ http://members.ozemail.com.au/~macinnis/scifun/
Are you looking for some help with a science fair project? projects.htm
If so, then you have come to the right place. The IPL will The Gateway to Educational Materials extensive and de-
guide you to a variety of web site resources, leading you tailed step-by-step guide to doing a science fair project.
through the necessary steps to successfully complete a
science experiment. Science Fair Primer
http://users.rcn.com/tedrowan/primer.html
Discovery.com: Science Fair Central A site to help students get started and run a science fair
http://school.discovery.com/sciencefaircentral/ project.
"Creative investigations into the real world." This site pro-
vides a complete guide to science fair projects. Check out Science Fair Project Guidebook
the 'Handbook' which features information from Janice http://www.energy.sc.gov/K-12/science_fair.htm
VanCleave, a popular author who provides everything you The State of South Carolina publishes a K-12 science fair
need to know for success. You can even send her a ques- guidebook. It can be viewed using Adobe Acrobat Reader.
tion about your project.
Science Project Guidelines
http://www.thesciencefair.com/guidelines.html
Science Fair Idea Exchange The scientists at the Kennedy Space Center have partici-
http://www.halcyon.com/sciclub/cgi-pvt/scifair/ pated in judging local school science fairs for many years
guestbook.html and have some great suggestions for student research
This site has lists of science fair project ideas and a chance projects. This information by Elizabeth Stryjewski of the
to share your ideas with others on the web! Kennedy Space Center is now provided on a commercial
site.
Cyber-Fair
http://www.isd77.k12.mn.us/resources/cf/welcome.html The Ultimate Science Fair Resource
This site has one-sentence explanations of each part of a http://www.scifair.org/
science fair. One of the steps described is presenting your A variety of resources and advice.
project to judges. This may or may not be a part of your
science fair. The site also has an explanation of what What Makes A Good Science Fair Project
makes a good project and an explanation of how to come http://www.usc.edu/CSSF/Resources/Good_Project.html
up with your own science fair project. A website from USC that gives a lot of good tips and ideas
to think about regarding what makes a good science fair
Try Science project. Advice for students as well as teachers and par-
http://tryscience.com ents is included.
Science resource for home that gives you labs to try and
400 helpful links all related to science Mr. McLaren's Science Fair Survival Page
http://www.ri.net/schools/East_Greenwich/Cole/
sciencefair.html
The Yuckiest Site in the Internet Tips from Archie R. Cole Junior High school on what makes
http://yucky.kids.discovery.com/ a good project.
Brought to you by Discovery Kids, this site gives you lots of
ideas on how to do the messiest yuckiest experiments Neuroscience for Kids: Successful Science Fair Pro-
jects
Experimental Science Projects: An Introductory http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/fair.html
Level Guide Site made by Lynne Bleeker a former science teacher, sci-
http://www.isd77.k12.mn.us/resources/cf/SciProjIntro.html ence fair organizer, and judge. Gives a thorough and de-
An excellent resource for students doing an experiment- tailed description of the steps to a successful science fair
based science fair project. There are links on this page to a project
more advanced guide and an example of an actual experi-
ment-based project.

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