Ms. Hasty's Science Fair Information Page
On this page you will find:
-- Ms. Hasty's project schedule
-- Research paper information
-- Answers to some frequently asked science fair questions
-- Links to science fair related websites
I will be flexible with due dates if needed, but students must come speak to me individually. Right now students should be focusing on choosing a testable question with a measurable outcome. Then students need to do background research on the topic. For example, if the question involves electromagnets then the student needs to research electromagnets, how they work, how they are made, electricity, etc. Students should also be considering and discussing with their families how, when and where they will conduct their experiments.
Ms. Hasty's Science Fair Schedule 2002 - 2003
Due Date Science Fair Task
Oct. 30(A),31(B) Plan due, signed by parent
Nov. 1,4 Research notes (from 2 - 3 sources)
Nov. 11,12 Summary of research and references
Nov. 21,22 Rough draft of "Introduction", "Experiment" and "References" sections due
Dec. 12,13 Rough draft of "Abstract" due
Dec. 17, 18 Rough draft of "Discussion" and "Conclusion" sections due with graphs and data tables
Jan. 13,14 It's all due! Complete research paper due (all 9 sections, final draft) and complete display backboards due.
The Research Paper
Please put each section on a separate page. Note on the schedule that drafts of different sections are due at different times.
A. Title page Center the project title on the paper. Put your name, address, school and
grade at the bottom right.
B. Table of Contents Include a page number for the beginning of each section.
C. Abstract An abstract is written in paragraph form and should include the following:
1. purpose of your experiment
2. hypothesis - your prediction and rationale (reason)
3. brief description of procedures used
4. brief summary of data
5. brief conclusion
The abstract should be no longer than 250 words. (Notice the word 'brief' used 3 times!!!) Using number 1 as a topic sentence, the next four items could each be a sentence long. That would be a good first abstract!
D. Introduction The introduction sets the scene for your report. It includes a statement of the problem (question), and explanation as to why you did this research, your hypothesis, and your library research about the topic. This section should be about 2-6 paragraphs long depending on your topic.
E. Experiment In paragraph form, describe in detail the procedures you used to collect your data or make your observations. Your report should be detailed enough so that someone could repeat the experiment from reading your paper. Include photographs or drawings if you designed your own equipment.
F. Discussion This is a very important part of your paper. Discuss your results in paragraph form. Refer to data tables and graphs of your data. Compare your actual results with your expected results. Include a discussion of possible experimental errors. Other questions you might find important to answer:
1. How did the data vary between repeated observations? Were the observations
similar or different?
2. What would you do differently if you repeated this project?
3. What other experiments should be conducted to further explore this idea?
G. Conclusion Briefly summarize your results. This section is basically a concluding paragraph to your Discussion section. Also include here a brief discussion of real life applications of this project.
H. Acknowledgments You should give credit to those who assisted you. You should list names of any individual(s) or organization(s) who helped you or financially supported your experiment.
I. References In this section you should list alphabetically the sources you used (i.e., books, journal articles, Internet sources, etc.) This section is the bibliography for your research paper and should be done in the proper format.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. May I used animals in my experiment? Vertebrate animals may not be used unless prior approval is obtained. For many projects, research must be conducted in a laboratory with a qualified scienctist. Household pets may not be used. Invertebrates do not fall under the same guidelines, but teacher approval and extreme care are both still required.
2. May I make a volcano or other model? No. Your science fair project should be a well designed science investigation. This includes a problem and a scientific experiment to answer the problem. A model does not fit this criteria.
3. May I use or grow mold or bacteria? To move on in competition out of the classroom, any mold or bacteria experiments would need prior approval (as do all projects) and would need to be conducted in a laboratory environment with an approved scientist. Projects intended just for the classroom grade may involve mold, such a bread mold. However, no actual mold or bacteria may be brought to school and all mold or bacteria should be grown in sealed containers and then discarded to the reduce the chance of sickness.
4. I found a great project in a book. May I do that one? Maybe. Many projects in science fair idea books are models or demonstrations. However, it is often very easy to modify them to fit our guidelines. Look for one variable you could change to see how that affects the results.
5. Can you give me an example of a good project? Of course. Here's a very simplified version. Question: Will the height from which a ball is dropped affect the height to which it bounces? Procedure: Use one type of ball. Drop from various heights and measure how high it bounces each time. Be sure the only thing you change each time is the height where it was dropped. Research bouncing, energy, rubber. Create charts and graph showing bounce height and drop height.
Good luck! Remember to ask Ms. Hasty questions whenever you are unsure of something.
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