Mrs. Powell

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The Science Fair Notebook                
The Notebook IS the Project- your notebook should be divided into 5 sections. Neatness and spelling DO count. Word processing is preferred, but neat handwriting is ok, too. We also have examples of great projects in the classrooms for students and parents to see. There is a scoring guide in this Science Fair packet for the exact scoring for the entire notebook/display board/speech. Follow the instructions!
 
Section 1: Introduction Section
First page-Title Page/ Table of Contents
Second page- Research Question- Provide background information on why you choose this project. The research question is the single most important part of the scientific method. Every part of your project is done to answer this question. The research question is sometimes formed as a statement and is called the "Problem" or "Problem Statement."
Third page- Hypothesis: The hypothesis is an "educated guess," formed as a statement that you propose to be the answer to the research question. An educated guess is based on some prior knowledge -Explain the question you are investigating. Each section should be about a 1/2 page long
Section 2: Methods and Materials Section
First page: Make a LIST of all Materials: Write down all supplies and equipment.
Example:
250 ml. glass beaker
1 straw
150 ml. Lime Water
10 g. Baking Soda
Your Procedure and Plan
Second Page(s) 2 3, 4 or more- Your Experimental Design: Plan an experiment in which you can test your hypothesis. Explain HOW you did your experiment in detail. Include enough information for another person to follow the plan exactly.
The procedure is a somewhat detailed, step - by - step description of how you conducted your experiment. Example: "After 1 minute, I stirred in the baking soda and timed the reaction to be 45 seconds."  Remember that your experiment will have:
  • Variables: The experiment will contain an element or elements that do not change (called controlled variables or dependent variables) and elements that will change (called manipulated variables or independent variables).
  • And a Control: The control is a particular sample that is treated the same as all the rest of the samples except that it is not exposed to manipulated variables.
 
Section 3: Observation, Results and Data Section
First page(s) - Observation and Results: When you interact with your experiment, you are using your senses to observe. Does it have a smell, make a noise, have color, etc.? Don’t eat your experiment!
  • Collect Data: As you observe your experiment, you will need to record the progress of your experiment. Data can be whatever you observe about your experiment that may or may not change during the time of the experimentation. Examples of data are values in pH, temperature, a measurement of growth, color, distance, etc.
Second page(s)-You need to record the data you collected. A graph, table, or a chart is required. One is sufficient
  • Example: Data: The data are the values written down as the experiment progresses. Examples of data entry on measuring plant growth:

11/15/04
Control Plant
7.4 mm
 
Test Plant
16.2 mm
 
Test Plant
24.9 mm
 
Test Plant
37.2 mm
11/22/04
Control Plant
7.8 mm
 
Test Plant
15.9 mm
 
Test Plant
23.2 mm
 
Test Plant
37.2 mm

 
  • Charts & Graphs: When at all possible, illustrations of data are advisable. They create a professional appearance and convey a great deal of information. Examples include: Bar Graph, Pie Chart, X & Y axis Graph, Histogram, etc. Remember, only one is required.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Section 4: Conclusion Section
First page- Answer your research question. You make a statement of whether your data supported your hypothesis or not. You may have data that supported part of your hypothesis and not another part. You may also have data that did not support your hypothesis at all. In this case, you may explain why the results were different.
 Second page- Summarize the project in a brief paragraph.
 
Section 5: Acknowledgements of Resources:
First page- One of the most important things for a student to do is recognize the people and resources used in developing and conducting the project. Name the people who offered knowledge or helped, and list the web sites, retail stores, magazines, books, computer programs, etc. that were used as sources of information or supplies.
 
The Display Board
The Science Fair teaching packet has a model layout of the Display board. We will also have examples for students to see at school, and we will teach them the order in which things should be attached to the Display. Foam core board or Fiberboard can be purchased at Fraisers or Walmart. It costs about $5.00. Heavier boards are nicer, and can last till next year’s Country report. Make sure the board has three sections. Neatness and spelling and alignment all count, as do completeness of the display. Displays will be shown at the evening Science Fair night, May 1. See the Science Fair rubric for a complete account of what should be place on the board.
Questions? Call us at 276-2543.
 
The Speech
The speech is a 3 to 5 minute speech that your student will give to the class, explaining their project. These will be scored for their permanent portfolio.
 
Timeline:
Original note, parent notification and project packet:
March 5, 2012
 
Project picked, hypothesis formed and note signed:
due March 12.
 
Notebook - due April 27
 
Display Board- due April 30
 
Science Fair night- May 1
 
Oral Presentation- beginning May 2