Science Fair 20___ This application is Due ____________
Application Science Fair 20___ 4th-6th Grade
Name_____________________________________ Grade ____________
Project Title __________________________________________________
Introduction:
( Tell me why and what you hope to discover)
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My project is ________________________________________
Parent Signature _____________________________________
Student Signature ___________________________________
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Invention Fair MYTH BUSTER 20___ This Application is Due1/4/2010
Application Invention Fair 20__ 8th Grade
Name_____________________________________ Grade ____________
Project Title __________________________________________________
Introduction:
( Tell me why and what you hope to invent and how it should work)
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My project is ________________________________________
Parent Signature _____________________________________
Student Signature ___________________________________
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SCIENCE FAIR TIPS
Science Fair: Steps for Success
Start off by looking around. What have you noticed recently? What are you curious about? Do you wonder why something behaves the way it does or what makes something happen? Once you've decided on a topic of your own, find out as much as you can about it.
Getting a Focus
Comb the library for books, magazines, and websites. Don't forget to take notes and write down the sources of your information. Ask the librarian to point you in directions you may not have thought of. Older students can contact companies or professionals who might be willing to be interviewed. And how about physicians, dentists, and veterinarians--they're all scientists.
Investigate your topic to learn as much as you can about it. That will help you narrow your focus to a single question or a hypothesis (an educated guess). Take notes and keep careful track of where you're getting your information. If your topic involves more than one question, make sure you state each question clearly.
Developing a Procedure
Envision how you're going to answer your question or test your hypothesis. This is called developing a procedure. What experiments do you plan to conduct? Exactly how will you conduct them? What materials will you need? How will you measure your results?
Check in with your teacher. Does your project look as if it's headed in the right direction? Can your teacher suggest any modifications or improvements? Does the project conform to the rules and regulations of the science fair?
Conduct your experiments using the scientific method, and repeat them a number of times to ensure accuracy. Make personal observations--don't rely on someone else's material. Keep careful notes of everything you test, observe or measure, and don't rely on your memory - write down every single detail.
Following Through
Explain your project in a short report that tells what you did and exactly how you did it. Include a list of sources from which you gathered your background information. Jazz up your presentation with a colorful poster, chart, or other illustration that you can display at the science fair. And don't forget to practice your presentation in front of relatives or friends so you won't be too jittery when the big day arrives.
The Scientific Method
Here's a brief overview of the steps for scientific success:
Write a research question.
State a hypothesis.
Develop a procedure.
State your results.
Write your conclusions.
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Science Fair DUE DATES
Application due: 1/2/2010
Bibliography due: 1/4/2010
Conduct experiment and record experiments
by:1/22/2010
Journal with the Scientific method due: 2/1/2010
Method must have:
Write a research question.
State a hypothesis.
Develop a procedure.
Write down your data
State your results.
Write your conclusions.
Build your display board in class all supplies needed at school due: 3/1/2010
Science Fair Display board, project, journal and you must be at school on 3/26/2010
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Planning your project.
Step-by-Step Guide to a Successful Project
Scientists love to ask questions. The scientific method is a step-by-step process through which they find the answers. Other scientists can go through the same steps and get the same answer. This means you can be certain your conclusion is precise.
Following the scientific method is important. Your teacher may give different names to some of the things you do, or she may ask you to explain the information in a different order. But everyone who does a science fair project follows the same basic steps.
STEP 1: Choose a Topic
This is your question. It is usually something you wonder about. Do you really have more germs on your hands before you wash them? Are cats smarter than dogs? Do most toys live up to the advertising on TV? Are vegetables really better for you than candy? Find more information on picking a topic here.
Once you have chosen a topic, you will want to find out more about it.
STEP 2: Find Out More
This is called doing research. You can look up your topic in the library and on the Internet. Ask questions of people who might know more. Your doctor would know about germs. Your dog's vet would know about dogs.
Doing research tells you if this topic is really interesting to you. It helps you narrow down your question. You want a question that you can find the answer to. In fact, your research helps you think what the answer might be, then you can form a hypothesis.
STEP 3: Form a Hypothesis
Now that you have learned more about your topic, what do you THINK the answer might be? This is your hypothesis. It's an informed guess. A hypothesis is not a question. It is a statement of what you think is true, based on your research. "Washing hands in warm water kills more germs than washing hands in cold water." "Cats sleep more than dogs." "You can't tell the taste of a soft drink with a blindfold." Your hypothesis might be true or it might be false, therefore you need to test it.
STEP 4: Test Your Hypothesis
For most projects, you will do an experiment to test your hypothesis.
Remember, you want other scientists to be able to do your experiment and get the same results. Be sure to write everything down through proper documentation in your log or journal.
Include:
• Your purpose (why are you doing this experiment?)
• Your procedure. Be sure to write down every step. You are writing a "recipe" for your experiment.
• Your materials. If you have to buy things, write down where you got them and what they cost. Often you can use materials you have at home, but you still need to list them. Find suggested supplies here.
• Variables. These are things that change.
• Controls: These are things that stay the same.
• Data: What happened.
Design your experiment before you perform it. Think about the factors that could change the results of your experiment ... light, heat, cold and humidity, for example. You want to control as many variables as you can.
When you do your experiment, you might want to take pictures. If you are testing products, side-by-side pictures or before-and-after pictures are good.
Once you have completed your experiment, you will have your Results.
STEP 5: Formulate Results
Results are what you discover, usually in the form of data. In research, data usually means numbers, which can be turned into graphs and charts to make your results easier to understand. Good graphs makes an ordinary person say, "I see what happened".
A good scientist always double-checks results. This is especially important if your hypothesis is different from what most people think. It is also important if your research disproves your hypothesis. You may need time to do the experiment a second or third time. Follow the directions in your log. Does it turn out the same way? If not, what happened? Did you forget to write down one of the steps? Were there other variables that might have changed the results?
Once you are sure your results can be repeated by other people, you need to draw a conclusion.
STEP 6: Draw a Conclusion
In an experiment, you learn whether your hypothesis is true or false. But you always learn more. How can you put what you learned to work in everyday life?
Examples:
If hot water boils faster than cold water, you can have spaghetti sooner if you put hot water on to boil.
If your cat likes cheaper food as well as she likes expensive food, you can save some money.
If grass grows an inch every 9 days, do you have to mow the lawn every 7 days?
Once you have reached your conclusion, you will want to write a report. Your report tells about your project in a way that an ordinary person can understand. It summarizes the entire scientific method.
What did you want to find out? What did you do to find it out? What happened? Where did you get your materials? How much did they cost? How much time did it take? These are things that people would like to know.
For the science fair, of course, your report becomes a display. Regardless of your topic, about 20% of your evaluation will be based on your presentation of information. Here are helpful tips on preparing your display.
Always Remember ...
Don't copy. It's okay to get the idea for your project from someone else, but don't copy another student's work. Start from the beginning and do everything yourself. Copying someone else's work is called plagiarism. It is wrong.
Don't let your parents help too much. It's okay to ask them for advice or some help. But if they try to take over your project, remind them this is YOUR project, not their project.
Credit your sources. While you do your project, you will probably get some help from people, books or web sites. Be sure to list the help you got as part of your written report.
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Supplies you'll need. Some of these supplies will be at school for you to use. So
Elmer's® offers a wide variety of display boards, display board accessories, adhesives, markers, paints and other products for your science fair project. The following list of products can be found at most office supply, large retail/discount and art/craft/hobby stores. For a complete list, visit www.elmers.com.
Display Board Premium:
Sturdy, 3/16" thick foam display board. Tri-fold display board's size is 36" x 48" unfolded and 36" x 24" folded. Foam display board is lightweight, rigid and stands up by itself. Surface paper is smooth and accepts paints, markers, glues, stick on letters, etc.
Available : at Staples
Elmer's® Display Board Plus:
Heavy-duty corrugated, tri-fold display board. Size is 36" x 48" unfolded and 36" x 24" folded. Display board stands up by itself and is an ideal surface for paints, markers, glues, stick on letters, etc.
Available : at Staples
Display Board:
Corrugated display board is tri-fold and stands up by itself. Size is 36" x 48" unfolded and 36" x 24" folded. Great surface for paints, markers, glues, stick on letters, etc.
Available in white and colors (blue, red, yellow, green and black) at school for purchase in Febuary for $5.00.
Elmer's® Display Board Header:
Pre-cut to sit securely on any Elmer's® display board. Made from durable corrugated material.
Available in white and colors (blue, red, yellow, green and black) Available : at Staples
Elmer's® Science Project Titles:
Self-adhesive, pre-cut, easy to apply and read, they give your science fair display a 'finished look'. Set includes: Title; Hypothesis; Problem; Materials; Procedure; Variables; Data; Graph; Conclusion; plus one blank title. Font size of titles is Helvetica Bold, 70 points.
Elmer's® Stencil Sets:
Easy way to letter your display board of choice. Works well with any type of Elmer's® display board.
Available in 2" and 3" Gothic-style capital letters and numbers.
OR
Elmer's® Permanent Stick Letters:
Professional quality stick on letters made from vinyl. Permanently sticks to any clean, dry surface. Letters work well with any Elmer's® Display Board.
Available in 1/2", 1" and 2" Helvetica-style capital letters, numbers and symbols.
Or
You can print out your headings from our school computers or at home in color.
Elmer's® Foam Board
Lightweight foam board has a smooth, clay-coated surface on both sides of white, polystyrene core. Easy to cut with an X-ACTO® knife and works perfectly with adhesives, paints and markers. Foam board is ideal for creating backdrops to enhance your science fair display. Also can be used to create 3-dimensional structures or models.
Available in various sizes and thickness. Elmer's® Foam Board comes in white; colors: black, blue, red, green, yellow, orange, tan, sky blue, soft lilac, soft pink, soft green, fuchsia, gold and silver; black-on-black (black on both sides with a black polystyrene core) and patterns: graystone, sandstone, antique copper and linen.
X-ACTO® Knives: Supplied at school
Easy to use and great for cutting and trimming Elmer's® Sturdy Board foam board, photos, artwork and other materials used for your science fair display.
Elmer's No-Wrinkle Rubber Cement: Supplied at school
Finally! A better solution for adhering photos and detailed cut and paste projects. Excess glue rubs off cleanly, and shows no wrinkles as it dries! Rubs off when dry.
Elmer's All-Purpose Glue Sticks
Everyone's favorite for easy, no-mess bonding. Choose from four sizes. Wipe excess with damp cloth. If necessary, use soap & water.
Elmer's® Tempera Paints:Supplied at school
Poster Tack
Elmer's Poster Tack is a re-usable and ideal for holding posters, calendars, messages. Available in a 2-28g package. Safe and non-toxic.
Glitter Shakers:Supplied at school
OTHER HELPFUL SUPPLIES
Scissors
Ruler
Camera
Calculator
Construction paper
Notebook
Eraser/White Over
YOU SHOULD NOT SPEND MORE THAN $20.00 for your supplies
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ONLINE SCIENCE SUPPLIES
Are you sure you have everything you need? Download Science Project Supply List to help with your shopping. Here are some helpful supply sources.
The Science Fair - telescopes, microscopes and laboratory supplies
http://www.thesciencefair.com/
Edmund Scientific - all types of scientific supplies
http://www.edsci.com/
Indigo Instruments - a variety of scientific materials
http://www.indigo.com/index.html
NCAR Science Store
http://www.ucar.edu/sciencestore/
American Science Surplus
http://www.sciplus.com/
Science Kit Supplies
http://sciencekit.com
Science eStore
http://www.physlink.com/estore/
Home Training Tools
http://www.hometrainingtools.com/
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What the Judges will look for:
1 Project Objectives
• Presenting original ideas
• Stating the problem clearly
• Defining the variables and using controls
• Relating background reading to the problem
2 Project Skills
• Being knowledgeable about equipment used
• Performing the experiments with little or no assistance except as required for safety
• Demonstrating the skills required to do all the work necessary to obtain the data reported
3 Data Collection
• Using a journal to collect data and research
• Repeating the experiment to verify the results
• Spending an appropriate amount of time to complete the project
• Having measurable results
4 Data Interpretation
• Using tables, graphs, and illustrations in interpreting data
• Using research to interpret data collected
• Collecting enough data to make a conclusion
• Using only data collected to make a conclusion
5 Project Presentation (Written Materials, Interviews, Displays)
• Having a complete and comprehensive report
• Answering questions accurately
• Using the display during oral presentation
• Justifying conclusions on the basis of experimental data
• Summarizing what was learned
• Presenting a display that shows creative ability and originality
• Presenting an attractive and interesting display
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