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SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT

DUE DATE:  FEBRUARY 14, 2006

Project must be displayed on poster board.  I will provide the boards for the students.  Thank you. 

6^th grade Science Fair Projects must include experiments.  Here’s how the project breaks down.  If you follow the directions step-by-step, you should do well because the directions are The Scientific Method.

• STEP 1:  QUESTION – What do you want to explore?  Here are some ideas to help you. ***Remember, you MUST perform experiments.  Thank you.  Also, you do not have to choose one of these questions.  They’re here to help you.  However, another reminder, YOU MUST PERFORM EXPERIMENTS.

• Does human hair affect the growth of plants?
• Which type of wildflower grows best under artificial light?
• Does the type of water affect the growth of plants?
• Is soil necessary for plant growth?
• How does rotation affect plant growth?
• Does music affect plant growth?
• Does a plant grow best in sunlight or artificial light?
• What are the maximum and minimum heat requirements for peas to grow?
• Can plants deprived of sunlight recover?
• Which color of light causes green beans to grow best?
• Can potatoes be grown without soil?
• What affect does Epsom salts have on plant growth?
• On which foods does fungus grow best?
• What kind of soil is best for water retention?

• STEP 2:  RESEARCH YOUR QUESTION. 

***How and where can you find answers to your questions?  (Look in books, get advice, make observations, research your question on the internet). 

• STEP 3:  DEVELOP A HYPOTHESIS (a statement that tries to explain a relationship between variables – What do you think the answer to your question will be?)

***Use the words if and then.

***Form your hypothesis from a simple question.

***Your hypothesis must be very clear so you can test it. 

• STEP 4:  EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN (Write your procedures step-by-step)

***List each thing you will do for your experiment.

***Number each step in order.

***Write down everything you will do.  Others should be able to repeat your experiment by reading your procedures.

***Be sure you are testing your hypothesis.  (Is there anything you haven’t considered that could affect your experiment?)

***Control your variables.  (A variable is anything that can change or vary during an experiment.  In an experiment, everything should be the same each time you test, except the one variable you are testing.)  REFER BACK TO THE EXAMPLE OF A PLANT EXPERIMENT WE DID IN CLASS.) 

STEP 5:  LIST OUT ALL OF YOUR MATERIALS (Please make sure you include this kind of list of materials on your display board. 

• STEP 6:  TEST YOUR HYPOTHESIS

***Get your materials.

***Follow your procedure.

***Make observations.

***Collect data and record it in a journal or notebook. (Use the notebook we set-up in class.) 

• STEP 7:  ORGANIZE YOUR DATA

***Make tables, charts, or graphs.

***Write a summary.

***Draw pictures, or take photographs to show your results and/or procedures. 

• STEP 8:  STATE YOUR CONCLUSIONS (What happened?  Was it what you expected?  Did you find out what you wanted to know?)

***Look at your data.

***Decide what your data tells you about your hypothesis.

***Decide how you might change your hypothesis based on your results.

***Think about what you might do to experiment further.

***Communicate your results with others.

 SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT DISPLAY REQUIREMENTS

Listed below are all of the pieces that are required to be displayed on your poster board.  Thank you.  J

Ø    A.        TITLE AND PROBLEM QUESTION/QUESTIONS

Ø    B.        DISPLAY YOUR HYPOTHESIS

Ø    C.        DISPLAY YOUR LIST OF MATERIALS

Ø    D.        DISPLAY AN INTRODUCTION TO YOUR SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT

Ø    E.        DISPLAY YOUR EXPERIMENT AND YOUR STEP-BY-STEP TESTING OF YOUR HYPOTHESIS

Ø    F.         DISPLAY YOUR DATA (Include your charts, tables, or graphs)

 TABLE EXAMPLE


 

BAR GRAPH EXAMPLE

 Ø    G.        DISPLAY YOUR CONCLUSION

 CONCLUSION EXAMPLE

Ø    H.        DISPLAY YOUR SOURCES (Where did you find help with your project:  books, people, internet, magazines, newspapers, etc.)

 Ø    I.          DISPLAY YOUR ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS (Who do you want to give a special thank you to for helping you with your project?)