Online Sites for Additional Science Fair Help

Make Your Graphs Here!

St. Louis Regional Science Fair website
Consult this site for requirements of projects, guidelines, especially if you want to try to advance to the regional science fair.

Conclusion

Conclusion: 


Students are to use the format below as a guide for writing a conclusion. Conclusions are to address the background, problem, hypothesis, results, and explanation as to why the experiment worked the way it did. The blanks provided are way too small. This is not a fill-in the blank paragraph. Just a format of what should be in a conclusion. 



EXAMPLE

     My project was to (tell what it is was about) _____________. When I did my project, (this is what happened) __________. My hypothesis was right/wrong. I said that _____ would happen and it did/but it didn't, instead something else happened. (explain what happened) ____________. The

reason why it worked was because (refer to research to explain) ________ (or, explain why it didn't work, and, then use research to explain what should have happened). I learned that ________________. My research helped me

understand _______________. The scientific significance of this experiment is (explain why this project was worthwhile i.e. (exploding Mentos in Coke is fun, but why is it a valuable experiment?) __________. If I had the chance to do

this experiment again, I might try something different. I might try ____________(meaning something different regarding THIS experiment - let plants grow longer, add more fertilizer, etc do NOT suggest a brand new experiment!). 

Results

Results: 

Use table then to create a graph.
http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/default.aspx

Results sections have tables (Data Collection) AND graphs. 

Not one or the other. 

Problem Statement

Problem: 

What is the problem/question you are trying to answer? You need to label the IV, DV and CV in the problem statement. 

Ex. Which fertilizer (IV) will produce the tallest plant (DV) in a pot of 7 cups of peat moss (CV)? 

Independent Variable - IV - 

The item being changed in each experiment, or different condition being tried 

ex. testing different fertilizers, amount of sun light, different seeds to test growth

Dependent Variable - DV - 

The expected outcome

ex. tallest plant, furthest distance, fastest result

Constant Variable - CV - 

All of the conditions that are remaining the same in all experiments, the items NOT  being changed, the items that stay the same

Control Variable

The control experiment that has NO changes whatsoever

ex. the plant that has NO fertilizer, for instance

Hypothesis

Hypothesis: 

What do you think is going to happen? Must be written in the if/then statement. 

For example: 

If I use fertilizers A, B, C, and D on 5 plants per fertilizer (for a total of 20 plants), and treat 5 plants with no fertilizer, then I think the plants that receive fertilizer C will grow the tallest. 

Your hypothesis must include:

The item being tested
The way it is being tested
And
The expected/hypothesized result all must be included

Procedure

Procedure: 

1. Write down your procedure. Write it step by step so that someone else could follow it.

2. Use metric measurements.

3. Include safety requirements.

4. Number each step: 1. 2. 3. etc. 

Variables

Variables: 

o Independent Variables (IV):These are the variables of which you have control, the items you are changing or manipulating from your materials list. 

o Dependent Variables (DV): These are the variables that are to occur as aresult of your project. Examples: bubbling  mixture, balloons blow up, salt disappears, model works correctly, etc. This is NOT a summary of your results. These are NOT found in your materials list. 

o Constant Variables (CV): These are the variables that remained the same from experiment to experiment. These are found in your materials list. 

o Control Variables: This is the experiment that has no manipulation done to it all. For example, the plant that does NOT receive any fertilizer (if you are testing for fertilizer), the ball that is NOT bounced (if you are testing the heights of a ball bounced on different surfaces), etc. 

Materials List

Materials List: 

List the items you need to conduct your project. 

Indicate how many, how much, using metrics for measurements 


EXAMPLE:

1. access to water source 

2. 1 kilogram bag of peat moss (usually labled in pounds and ounces, not in metrics) 

3. container to use for watering etc. 

Background

Background 

Paragraph #1:

Research the following: 

• What is the history of this topic? 

• Who studied it? When? What did they discover? 

Paragraph #2

• How does this relate to your project? 

• Describe its scientific significance. 

• Why are you interested in this topic? What did you do, read, see, experience

that made you interested in this project idea? 

Paragraph #3:
• Describe the procedure, not step by step, but generally speaking, how you plan to complete this project.

________________

Notes for Writing the Background:

When writing your background, consider a more in depth way to think about your Background. 

Hook in the Reader: 
• Have you wondered how/why...... 

History: 

• What is the history of this topic? Who studied it? When? • What did they discover? 

Put YOU into your project!: 

• How does your research relate to your project? 

• Why are you interested in this topic? 
• What did you do, read, see, experience that made you interested in this project? 

Purpose:

• Why study this?: Describe its scientific significance. 

How do you intend to study your topic:

• Describe the procedure, not step by step, but

• Generally speaking, how you plan to complete this project. 

Resources:

Use five references - 1-2 Internet, rest books, encyclopedias, journals, interviews, etc.