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This document describes how detailed and complete each section of your science fair display should be. Your display board should have the following sections/headings:Question, Hypothesis, Variables, Controls, Materials, Procedure, Data Table and/or Observations, Graph, Results, and Conclusion. These headings should all be the same format, size, and font as each other. They should be consistent throughout your project. They should be easy to see and read and should clearly distinguish the different sections of your display. Your display will go in this order of the headings listed above. Display board order (left to right, top to bottom). Everything needs to be typed.TITLEEach presentation should have a title. Your title should NOT be a complete sentence, rather, a short phrase or word that is related to your project. Be creative with your title. Remember, as in book titles, your title should have the appropriate words capitalized. The title of your display board should be larger than the rest of your headings. It should stand out in some way, and catch people’s attention so they want to come and see what you researched. Your title should appear at the top of your board. Punch-out letters, or other creative lettering, may be substituted here for typing. Be sure you don’t make your title so large that you do not leave enough space on your board for the rest of your project. Your title may also be on a separate piece of cardboard that stands above your display board. Some boards come with this piece and some people add an attachment of their own. This option gives you more room on your board for your actual content and helps your title be more visible. 1st Heading: QUESTIONSimply write out the question you have investigated. Remember to use proper capitalization and punctuation, grammar and spelling. Use the final set of feedback from the paper you handed in entitled, “Final Submission of Question, Hypothesis, and Variables” as a reference. For this section, include the heading “Question” and then simply write your question.2nd Heading: HYPOTHESISFor this section, simply state your hypothesis. Again, use the feedback you received on the paper you handed in entitled, “Final Submission of Question, Hypothesis, and Variables”. Remember, a hypothesis is a statement of what you predict the outcome of your experiment will be: in other words, the answer to your question. It is not an explanation as to WHY you think the outcome will be such. You will save the WHY for your conclusion. Be sure to use proper punctuation, spelling, and grammar. For this section, include the heading, “Hypothesis” and then simply state your hypothesis.3rd Heading: VARIABLESSince there are two types of variables in an experiment, you will have “Variables” as the main heading in this category and two sub-headings: Independent Variable and Dependent Variable.Independent Variable – Your independent variable should have the subheading “Independent Variable” and then a sentence beginning with “The independent variable in my experiment is . . “ Complete this sentence with what your independent variable is.Dependent variables - Your dependent variable should have the subheading “Dependent Variable” and then a sentence beginning with “The dependent variable in my experiment is . . “ Complete this sentence with what your dependent variable isAgain, use the feedback you received on the paper you handed in entitled, “Final Submission of Question, Hypothesis, and Variables” to write each part.4th Heading: CONTROLSControls are the things that stay constant in your experiment. Your controls should be in the form of a bulleted list with the heading “Controls” above it. You should capitalize the first letter of the first word for each point in your list of constants. Your list does NOT need to be in complete sentences, but in short phrases. Remember to list everything you will keep constant when testing each independent variable. 5th Heading: MATERIALSA list of materials a person would need to complete the full experiment one time should be displayed as a bulleted list. Be sure to use the same type of bullet as you did to list your controls. For each material, you should state the quantity needed of that item and a complete description of the item, including the brand if necessary. The description should be detailed enough for someone else to know exactly what to get. Please also remember that you write the amount of materials needed to perform one trial of all your independent variables. When you purchase your materials, you will buy 3x the amount you have listed because you will perform your experiment 3x in order to get accurate data. Make the heading, “Materials” and then post a bulleted list of your materials according to the directions above. 6th Heading: PROCEDUREMake the heading, “Procedure” and then post a numbered list of all the steps a person would have to go through if they were going to repeat your experiment. Don’t assume someone will know what to do unless you write it down. The first word of each step should be a verb and should be capitalized. Make the heading, “Procedure” and then post a numbered list of all the steps needed to complete your entire experiment once. 7th /8th Headings: DATA TABLE and/or OBSERVATIONSEveryone will have a different looking data table depending on your hypothesis and the experimental design you chose. For some of you, you won’t be able to make a data table, but will have a collection of observations instead. Some of you may have both. At the very minimum, you must have one or the other. Not having a data table is VERY rare, but is appropriate for certain questions. Please check with me if you are unsure what you should have. The heading for this part will be either “Data Table” or “Observations”. If you have both types of information, include a heading for both. Everyone’s data table will be different depending on what data is needed to answer your question. You may be recording heights, times, amounts, etc. or you may have data that is made of sketches or photos of your observations over time. This packet includes several examples of data tables. Please consult me if you are unsure which type best suits your experiment. Most data tables should be typed or of a digital nature; however, there are special circumstances where this may not be ideal. Data tables that require sketches or photos do not need to be typed. Please consult me if you are unsure about whether yours should be typed or not. You should create your data table BEFORE you conduct your experiment so you have a place to record your data during the process. Take time to think through what type of data you need to collect. You will need to have column headings (capitalized appropriately) and unit labels for any measurements. Data Tables: Sample Ideas Idea #1: Use this type if you are collecting data over time and using multiple test subjectsQuestion: Do worms affect height of plant growth?Independent Variable: The independent variable is the presence of worms.Dependent Variable:The dependent variable is the height of plants.DayHeight of Plants Without Worms (cm)Height of Plants With Worms (cm)Plant 1Plant 2Plant 3AveragePlant 1Plant 2Plant 3Average123Idea #2: Use this format if you are testing three or more different brands of your independent variableQuestion:Which brand of popcorn leaves the most unpopped kernels: Orville Redenbocker, Trail’s End (Boy Scout), or Meijer?Independent Variable:The independent variable is the brand of popcorn.Dependent Variable:The dependent variable is the number of kernels left unpopped.Independent Variable:Brand of PopcornDependent Variable:Number of Kernels Left UnpoppedTrial 1Trial 2Trial 3AverageOrville RedenbockerTrail’s EndMeijerMore trials may be added. Three is the MINIMUM for your experiment458152581280Notice the bolding to make certain items stand out. Notice the alignment of cells, some centered, some left-aligned. Bold and align according to whatever looks neat, professional, and appropriate.Science Journal:In addition to your data table, you may also wish to keep a science journal. You are NOT required to keep a journal, however, you may find it helpful when it comes to writing your conclusion, especially if you are recording how something has changed over time; like the example of growing plants with/without worms. A science journal is a record of your observations. You can keep a hand-written journal, or a digital one. A science journal should include:The date the observation was taken and perhaps the timeA sketch of the observation or a digital photo. Label the parts of the sketch/photoNotes about what you are seeing. Color, movement, temperature, size, ments about changes you are noticing from the previous observationInstructions for Creating a Data Table Using Microsoft WordTip: It is helpful to sketch the table you want to draw before you create it on the computer. This provides a visual for determining the number of columns and rows you want, and where you may want to split cells.Microsoft Word 2003Place curser on page and click where you want your table to appearClick on “Table” from the menu barPlace your curser over “Insert” and arrow over to “Table”. Click on “Table”Enter the number of columns (up and down) and rows (across) and click “OK”Type your headings and data in the appropriate cellsTo split cells, select the cells you want to split.Click on “Table” from the menu bar and then click on “Spilt Cells”Uncheck the “Merge Cells Before Split” box, choose the number of columns you want and then click “OK”Microsoft Word 2007Place curser on page and click where you want your table to appearClick on the “Insert” TabClick on “Table”. Use the custom grid that show up to select the number of rows and columns. Left click on the grid once you have selected the number of rows and columns. This will automatically send this size table to your pageType your headings and data in appropriate cellsTo split cells, select the cells you want to splitOnce you have created a table, an “upper level” tab will appear above the original row of tabs. Click on the one that says “Layout”Click on “Split Cells”Uncheck the “Merge Cells Before Split” box, choose the number of columns you want and then click “OK”8th or 9th Heading: RESULTS (if you had observations as a heading this will be your 9th)Your heading for this section will be “Results”. The results section is simply a paragraph which states your results from your data table in writing rather than in just numbers. The sentences in your results paragraph are only statements explaining WHAT your results were. There is NO WHY or explanations given as to why you think you got these results. There is NO relating your results to the hypothesis. For this paragraph, you simply state the facts. You may make some general comparisons in your results, but be careful to not provide any justification for your results or draw any conclusions in this portion of the scientific method. Your results should also follow a logical sequence, beginning with your first data and ending with the last. You are basically putting your data table into written form.9th or 10th Heading: GRAPHThe next part of your display is the graph of your results. The only data from your data table you will graph are your averages. The graph organizes a summary of your data in a visual representation that is easier for people to understand than your data table. A graph will also help you in your efforts to analyze your data to formulate a conclusion. As with your data table, your graph must also be computer generated. I recommend using Microsoft Excel for this part. Be sure to include a main heading/title for your graph, axis headings/titles, units of measurement for each axis, and a key/legend if appropriate. You may choose any style of graph to convey your results (line, bar, pie, etc.) A pie chart needs to be used if you are representing your data in percentages. Feel free to include several types of graphs to give readers multiple avenues of looking at the data.A video tutorial series for how to create a graph in Microsoft Excel 2007 is provided on our science fair website: It is near the bottom of the page. 18288008255Example of Graph:Data Entered0.50.751.21.42.42.633.23.253.53.5444.54.25.24.75.55610th or 11th Heading: CONCLUSIONThe conclusion is the final step of the scientific method (besides sharing your work with others). The conclusion is the part of the project where you make sense of what you learned. Your conclusion should be a MINIMUM of 2 - 4 paragraphs long. The conclusion is where you can explain WHY you think as you do. You will also use data to support your reasoning. The following is a basic outline you could follow when writing your conclusion. These are not broken down by paragraph. You may structure your paragraphs however you think makes the most sense. This is just outlining the logical flow of information you will want to analyze and report. Compare your conclusion to the rubric. Be sure you include all parts from the rubric. The conclusion is the section worth the most points in your project as it is the “meat” of what you have learned. Restate your question. Restate your hypothesis and then why you thought this would be the answer to your question. You may site prior knowledge or other research that lead you to think this way.Next, tell whether you accept or reject your hypothesis. Whether you accept or reject your hypothesis should be based upon your data. You should give examples from your data as you explain why you accept or reject your hypothesis. If you accept your hypothesis, you are saying, based upon your data, your hypothesis is true. If you reject your hypothesis, you are saying, based upon your data, your hypothesis was incorrect. If you reject your hypothesis you should suggest a new hypothesis. Using data to support or reject your hypothesis is the key point here.Discuss the accuracy of your results. Do you think your results are accurate? Why or why not? Was there anything that went wrong in your experimentation, such as something you failed to keep constant, or lack of attentiveness, failure to record data one day, improper technique, etc. that could contribute to your results not being as accurate as they should be? If so, state this and how you think it could have impacted your results. If you think your results are accurate, explain why you believe they are accurate. You can site examples here such as good technique, strict attention to your constants, etc.If you were to ever repeat this experiment, is there anything you would do differently? What and why? Reflect upon any complications you had. Also discuss if this experiment leads you to further questions you would like to investigate.What kind of summary can you draw from your data? In other words, a re-stated answer to your question. How can what you’ve learned be applied to help others in a real-world context? Describe how this new-found knowledge can be used to inform others when making decisions about what products to buy or how it can be used to better our world in some way. This is a critical area of your conclusion. Scientific investigations must help the general public in some way, as ultimately, it is tax dollars that funds research endeavors! Example of Conclusion:Do worms affect height of plant growth? I hypothesized that the presence of worms will make plants grow taller than plants grown in soil without worms. I thought this because I know gardeners add worms to their soil. It would not be logical for gardeners to pay to add worms to their soil if there was no benefit to the plant. I was curious to know if worms aided in the growth of plants. According to my data, I accept my hypothesis. My results consistently showed that the three plants grown in soil with worms added grew taller than the plants grown in soil with no worms added. For example, on the very first day, the average height of the plants grown in soil with worms was 0.25 cm taller than the average height of the plants grown in soil without worms. By the end of my experiment, the tenth day, the plants grown in soil with worms were a full centimeter taller than the plants grown in soil with no worms. I can accept my hypothesis because I believe my results were very accurate. I was careful to ensure all my constants were equal. I measured the amount of soil very carefully for each pot. For the pots with worms, I chose worms that were the same size and heartiness. All pots received the same amount of sunlight, which is a factor in plant growth. I measured four tablespoons of water each day for each plant. I poured the water on the same part of the soil, directly over the sprout. I was very meticulous when measuring the height of each plant, recording the height to the nearest tenth of a centimeter. The only difference among my plants was the presence or absence of worms.If I were to ever repeat my experiment, I would use more plants for each independent variable to increase the accuracy of my results, and see if my hypothesis would prove to be correct in a larger test sample. I may also try this same experiment and substitute the kind of plant to see if worms make plants of a different species grow taller. I may also put a wire mesh over the surface of each pot to ensure no worms escape. This is something I cannot verify for this experiment. I just assume all worms are still in the pot they were placed in.In summary, I can conclude that the presence of worms does affect the height of a plant’s growth. Plants grown with worms grow between 0.20 and 1 cm taller than plants grown in soil without worms. This difference may not be significant enough, however, to warrant the purchase of worms for your garden. A more expensive, and perhaps effective, growth stimulant may be fertilizer. For more student examples of projects and conclusions visit: The more you familiarize yourself with quality work, the better your project will be! Good luck! ................
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