SCIENCE FAIR FOLDER



SCIENCE

FAIR

FOLDER

2013-14

NAME ____________________

Table of Contents

Science Fair Information Letter…………… ………………………………………. 3

Time Line……………………………………..……………………………………..……………... 4

Science Fair Information Signature Form……………………………..………. 5

Grading Sheet……………………………………………………………………………………..6

Background Research: determing source reliability..…………………..7

Background Research Worksheet…………………………………………………..9

Works Cited Worksheet………………………………………………………………….10

Background Research Information Details………………………….………..13

Definition of Variables & Question….……….…………………………………..…23

Hypothesis………………………………………………………………………………………..25

Writing Your Background Research Summary……………………………26

Materials and Procedures………………………………………………………………28

Sample Size: how many participants do I need?...........…………………29

Step – by – Step Procedures…………………………………………………………30

Results Analysis………….…………………………………………………………………..35

General Data Table Format……………………………………………………………..37

How to Make a Table & Column Graph in Excel……………………………..38

Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………………42

Abstract………………………………….……………………………………………………….44

Written Report………………………………………………………………………………..46

How to Format your Written Report…………………………………………...47

Works Cited in MLA Format (with examples)………………………………48

Display………………………………………………………………………………………………50

Label for Poster……………………………………………………………………………….53

Example Report………………………………………………………………………………..54

SCIENCE FAIR INFORMATION LETTER

September 30, 2013

Dear Parents, Guardians, and Students,

The Science department is pleased to announce the 4th Annual University Charter Middle School Science Fair which will be held January 23,2014 in the UCMS gym. Additionally, the 60th Annual Ventura County Science Fair will be held March 19, 2014 with the theme “Sixty Years of Science Exploration”. Participation is required in our school fair and highly encouraged in the county.

As a way of increasing participation in the county fair, an exciting and worthwhile event, every student will be required to complete a science project. This project for the most part will be done independently, and will be an assignment involving experimentation on a topic of the student’s interest. The students will receive guidance and support from their science teacher as well as the science coach during the process. The educational benefits of this type of project include developing skills in writing, oral presentation, creative thinking, and problem solving.

This folder contains all information each student will need including the timeline and rubrics detailing how each part of this project will be graded. In addition to these forms, this folder will also include information about rules, policies, and expectations of the Science Fair project. Team projects will be accepted on a case by case basis. A team can consist of no more than two students; however, in order to maximize learning, a team project will be judged with higher expectations than an individual project. If you choose to do a team project, both member of the team must write his/her own report. Both members of the team will also be required to complete a log of exactly what each individual did to complete the project.

Most of the work on this project will be completed at home. Parents and Guardians, your child may need you to monitor his/her progress and provide encouragement. If your child needs to work on the project during school time, s/he will be able to make arrangements with the science coach to use the science lab during lunch time. While your support is critical to a successful project, we ask that your involvement not extend any further so as to assure equity and promote student learning. Our goal is that your child completes this project independently.

We hope that the attached timeline will help develop good time management skills and will ultimately result in a quality project. On January 23, 2013, your student will display his/her poster of the project at the UCMS Science Fair. Students will have the opportunity to grade their own work, and teachers will consider the student’s evaluation as a portion of the grade. In addition to these evaluations, members of neighboring university communities (CSUCI and CalLu) will serve as judges of these projects. Students will present their posters to judges during the school day. Parents and students will be invited back that evening to view the work of all of the students.

Please fill out the signature form on page 5 of your student’s folder. This form will be checked by his/her Science teacher on October 10th . If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact any of us. We look forward to working with you on this project.

Sincerely,

Katie Phillippe, kphillippe@pvsd.k12.ca.us Carlos Sanchez, csanchez@pvsd.k12.ca.us

Cara Tedrick, ctedrick@pvsd.k12.ca.us Allyson Tapie, atapie@pvsd.k12.ca.us

Ann Ransom, amarostica@pvsd.k12.ca.us Cherry Schultz, cschultz@pvsd.k12.ca.us

TIME LINE

October 4, 2013 Science Fair Information parent/guardian signature and student signature, and topic are due.

October 14, 2013 Due date for the research information you will use for your summary. This should include at least three reliable sources of information about your problem/question with the information you learned from these sources. Sources that you evaluated to be not credible, do not count as sources.

October 18, 2013 Question, clearly defined variables (Independent, Dependent, Controlled), and hypothesis due.

November 8, 2013 Paragraphs 1 & 2 (intoduction and key concepts) due.

November 18, 2013 Paragraphs 3-5 (history, research related to question/hypothesis, & wrap-up) due.

November 26, 2013 Materials list and procedures due.

January 8, 2014 Data Analysis due. Data must be organized into tables, contain calculated averages from repeated observations, and draw graphs to show the relationship between the dependent variable (on the y-axis) and the independent variable (on the x-axis). A short summary describing the patterns that your graphs show and a description of your findings should be included.

January 13, 2014 Conclusion and Abstract due.

January 17, 2014 Final report due. The written report includes all of the above sections that you have already completed. Use your teacher’s feedback to write the report with the corrections/changes suggested. Remember to include acknowledgements of those people who have helped you complete the project. Also include your works cited.

January 21, 2014 Poster due in class for final check.

January 23, 2014 This is the date of The UCMS Science Fair. Bring back your poster to be shared at the fair to your block 1 class.

SCIENCE FAIR INFORMATION SIGNATURE FORM

I have read the Science Fair Information letter and reviewed the timeline. I know that this is a required project in the Science class.

Student Name __________________________________________________ Grade ________

Science Teacher __________________________________

Parent Name (please print) ________________________________________

Phone Number __________________________________________

Email address(es):

________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________ _____________________________________________

Parent/Guardian Signature Student Signature

Topic:

DUE OCTOBER 4, 2013

GRADING SHEET

|Component |Due Date |Date turned in |Possible points |Points Earned |

|Parent Sig & Topic | | |5 | |

|Background Research | | |18 | |

|Variables & Question | | |8 | |

|Hypothesis | | |4 | |

|Paragraphs 1-2 | | |10 | |

|Paragraphs | | |15 | |

|3-5 | | | | |

|Materials and Procedure | | |12 | |

|Analyzed Data and Data Summary| | |15 | |

|Conclusion & Abstract | | |10 | |

|Written Report | | |20 | |

|Poster | | |20 | |

Total Possible 137 Total Earned _________________

Background Research

DETERMINING IF SOURCES ARE RELIABLE: Avoid being “DUPED”

Date: When was the page last updated?

Url: The most reliable tend to be .edu and .gov

Pop-Up Ads: May denote bias or that the site is being paid by advetisers to promote certain ideas

Email: The site administrator or creator should be easy to contact

Design: Does the website look professional? Check the links on the site to verify legitimacy

The Internet is a great resource, but it is also a public forum, where anyone can make a claim or an assertion. If you find an article that provides relevant information for your research topic, you should take care to investigate the source to make sure it is valid and reliable.

It is your responsibility as a researcher to find and use the trustworthy sources. There are several ways to investigate your source.

Author -In most cases, you should stay away from Internet information that doesn't list an author. While the information you find may be true, it is more difficult to validate information if you don't know the credentials of the author.

If the author is named, you will want to find his/her web page to:

• Verify educational credits

• Discover if the writer is published in a scholarly journal

• Verify that the writer is employed by a research institution or university

URL -If the information is linked to an organization, try to determine the reliability of the sponsoring organization. One tip is the url ending. If the site name ends with .edu, it is most likely an educational institution. Even so, you should be aware of political bias.

If a site ends in .gov, it is most likely a reliable government web site. Government sites are usually good sources for statistics and objective reports.

Sites that end in .org are usually non-profit organizations. They can be very good sources or very poor sources, so you'll have to take care to research their possible agendas or political biases, if they exist.

For instance, is the organization that provides the SAT and other tests. You can find valuable information, statistics, and advice on that site. is a non-profit organization that provides educational public broadcasts. It provides a wealth of quality articles on its site. Other sites with the .org ending are advocacy groups that are highly political in nature. While it is entirely possible to find reliable information from a site like this, as always, you should be mindful of the political slant and acknowledge this in your work.

Online Journals and Magazines -A reputable journal or magazine should contain a bibliography for every article. The list of sources within that bibliography should be pretty extensive, and it should include scholarly, non-Internet sources.

Check for statistics and data within the article to back up the claims made by the author. Does the writer provide evidence to back up his statements?

News Sources -Every television and print news source has a web site. To some extent, you can rely on the most trusted news sources, but you should not rely on them exclusively. After all, network and cable news stations are involved in entertainment. Think of them as a stepping stone to more reliable sources.

5 Common UNreliable sources

In conducting homework research, you are basically conducting a search for facts: little tidbits of truth that you will assemble and arrange in an organized fashion. Your first responsibility as a researcher is to understand the difference between fact and fiction—and also the difference between fact and opinion.

Here are some common places to find opinions and works of fiction that can be disguised as facts.

1. Blogs: As you know, anybody can publish a blog on the Internet. This poses an obvious problem with using a blog as a research source, as there is no way to know the credentials of many bloggers or to get an understanding of the writer’s level of expertise. Many people create blogs to give themselves a forum to express their views and opinions.

2. Personal Web Sites: A web page is much like a blog when it comes to being an unreliable research source. Web pages are created by the public, so you have to be very careful when choosing them as sources. It's sometimes difficult to determine which web sites are created by experts and professionals on a given topic. If you think about it, using information from a personal web page is just like stopping a perfect stranger on the street and collecting information from him or her. Not very reliable!

3. Wiki Sites: Wiki web sites can be very informative, but they can also be untrustworthy. Wiki sites allow groups of people to add and edit the information contained on the pages. You can imagine how a wiki source could contain unreliable information! The question that always arises when it comes to homework and research is whether it’s OK to use Wikipedia as a source of information. Wikipedia can be a great site with a lot of fantastic information. Wikipedia offers a reliable overview of a topic to give you a strong foundation to start with. It also provides a list of resources where you can continue your own research. Make sure you check the reliability of the author.

4. Movies: Don’t laugh. Teachers, librarians, and college professors will all tell you that students often believe things they’ve seen in movies. Whatever you do, don’t use a movie as a research source! Movies about historical events can contain kernels of truth, but they are created for entertainment, not for educational purposes.

5. Historical Novels: Students also believe that historical novels are trustworthy, because they state that they are “based on facts.” There is a difference between a factual work and a work that is based on facts! A novel that is based on a single fact can still contain ninety-nine percent fiction! Never use a historical novel as a history resource.

BACKGROUND RESEARCH WORKSHEET

WORKS CITED WORKSHEET

WORKS CITED WORKSHEET

WORKS CITED WORKSHEET

Background Research Information Details

Now that you have found a credible source that is use for your project, summarize your information. Write only in COMPLETE SENTENCES!

SOURCE #1

MAIN IDEA #1

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Supporting Detail #1

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Supporting Detail #2

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Supporting Detail #2

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MAIN IDEA #3

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Supporting Detail #1

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Supporting Detail #2

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List any other important detail or new questions you may have.

SOURCE #2

MAIN IDEA #1

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Supporting Detail #1

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Supporting Detail #2

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MAIN IDEA #3

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Supporting Detail #2

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List any other important detail or new questions you may have.

SOURCE #3

MAIN IDEA #1

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Supporting Detail #1

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Supporting Detail #2

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MAIN IDEA #2

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MAIN IDEA #3

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Supporting Detail #1

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Supporting Detail #2

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List any other important detail or new questions you may have.

SOURCE #4

MAIN IDEA #1

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Supporting Detail #1

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Supporting Detail #2

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MAIN IDEA #3

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Supporting Detail #1

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Supporting Detail #2

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List any other important detail or new questions you may have.

SOURCE #5

MAIN IDEA #1

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Supporting Detail #1

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Supporting Detail #2

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MAIN IDEA #3

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Supporting Detail #1

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Supporting Detail #2

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List any other important detail or new questions you may have.

| |13-18 Points |7-12 Points |1-6 Points |0 Points |

|Background Research |At least 3 reliable sources. |Only 2 reliable sources used. |Only 1 reliable source used. |No research done. OR |

| |Information from each source is |Information from each source is |Information is written in your |information from less than 3 |

|DUE: |written on attached worksheet. |written on attached worksheet. |own words in complete |sources is included and is not |

|10/14/13 |Information is written in your own|Information is written in your own |sentences. |written in complete sentences. |

| |words in complete sentences. |words in complete sentences. | | |

DUE OCTOBER 14, 2013

DEFINITION OF VARIABLES

Scientists use an experiment to search for cause and effect relationships in nature. In other words, they design an experiment so that changes to one item cause something else to vary in a predictable way.

These changing quantities are called variables. An experiment usually has three kinds of variables: independent, dependent, and controlled. The independent variable is the one that is changed by the scientist. To insure a fair test, a good experiment has only one independent variable. The scientist focuses his or her observations on the dependent variable to see how it responds to the change made to the independent variable. Experiments also have controlled variables. Controlled variables are quantities that a scientist wants to remain constant, and he must observe them as carefully as the dependent variables. Most experiments have more than one controlled variable. Some people refer to controlled variables as "constant variables." You conduct a fair test by making sure that you change one factor at a time while keeping all other conditions the same.

For example, let's imagine that we want to measure which is the fastest toy car to coast down a sloping ramp. If we gently release the first car, but give the second car a push start, did we do a fair test of which car was fastest? No! We gave the second car an unfair advantage by pushing it to start. That's not a fair test! The only thing that should change between the two tests is the car; we should start them down the ramp in exactly the same way.

Let's pretend we're doing an experiment to see if fertilizer makes a plant grow to be larger than a plant that doesn't receive fertilizer. We put seeds of the same kind in three pots with fertilizer and rich soil. But, we run out of soil so we put the seeds without fertilizer in three pots filled with sand. We put all six pots in the same location and water each one with the same amount of water every other day. The plants with soil and fertilizer grow to be much larger than the ones grown in sand without fertilizer. Is that a fair test of whether fertilizer makes a plant grow to be larger? No! We changed two things (type of soil and fertilizer) so we have no idea whether the plants with fertilizer grew to be larger because of the fertilizer or whether the other plants were stunted by being grown in sand. It wasn't a fair test! All of the plants should have been in the same kind of soil.

Conducting a fair test is one of the most important ingredients of doing good, scientifically valuable experiments. To insure that your experiment is a fair test, you must change only one factor at a time while keeping all other conditions the same.

Science Fair Project Variables Checklist

|What Makes for Good Variables? |For Good Variables, You Should |

| |Answer "Yes" to Every Question |

|Is the independent variable measurable? |Yes / No |

|Can you change the independent variable during the experiment? |Yes / No |

|Have you identified all relevant dependent variables, and are they all caused by and dependent on the independent |Yes / No |

|variable? | |

|Are all dependent variable(s) measurable? |Yes / No |

|Have you identified all relevant controlled variables? |Yes / No |

|Can all controlled variables be held at a steady value during the experiment? |Yes / No |

DEFINITION OF VARIABLES

Our Independent Variable:

We are going to change the .

Our Dependent Variable:

We are going to measure the .

Our Controlled Variables: (THESE STAY THE SAME)

.

QUESTION

This is the question or problen that your

Science Fair Experimentwill be designed to solve.

“How will the (independent variable) affect the (dependent variable) ?”

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Variables/Question Rubric

|CATEGORY |POINTS (0-8) |

|Independent Variable: describes ONE factor that the experimenter changes |0-2 |

|which can be measured | |

|Dependent Variable: describes ONE factor that is measured and changed because|0-2 |

|of the indpendent variable. | |

|Controlled Variables: describe MULTIPLE factors that must stay the same to |0-2 |

|insure the test is fair | |

|Question: asks how the dependent variable will be affected by the independent|0-2 |

|variable. | |

DUE OCTOBER 18, 2013

Hypothesis

After having thoroughly researched your question, you should have some educated guess about how things work. This educated guess about the answer to your question is called the hypothesis.

The hypothesis must be worded so that it can be tested in your experiment. Do this by expressing the hypothesis using your independent variable (the variable you change during your experiment) and your dependent variable (the variable you observe-changes in the dependent variable depend on changes in the independent variable).

Hypothesis Checklist

|What Makes a Good Hypothesis? |For a Good Hypothesis, You Should Answer "Yes" to |

| |Every Question |

|Is the hypothesis based on information contained in the Research Paper? |Yes / No |

|Does the hypothesis include the independent and dependent variables? |Yes / No |

|Have you worded the hypothesis so that it can be tested in the experiment? |Yes / No |

“Based on my research, I predict that if (independent variable) , then (dependent variable) will

| |4 Points |3 Points |2 Points |0 Points |

|Hypothesis | Prediction of what will happen is|Prediction is clear, but does not |Prediction is unclear and |No hypothesis turned in OR |

| |clear and relates to research |clearly relate to the background |difficult to understand. It |prediction does not relate to |

|DUE: 10/18/13 |question. Hypothesis relates to |research or only includes the |relates partially to the |background research or topic at |

| |back ground research and includes |independent or dependent variable. |background research or topic. |all. |

| |independent and dependent | |Both independent/dependent | |

| |variables. | |variables are missing. | |

DUE OCTOBER 18, 2013

WRITING YOUR BACKGROUND RESEARCH SUMMARY

Key Info

As you do your research, follow your background research plan and take notes from your sources of information. These notes will help you write a better summary.

The purpose of your research section is to give you the information to understand why your experiment turns out the way it does. The research section should include:

|Paragraph # |Content |

|1 |Introduction of your science fair project question or topic |

|2 |Definitions of all important words, concepts, and equations that describe your experiment |

|3 |The history of similar experiments |

|4 |Answers to your background research questions |

|5 |Conclusion/wrap-up |

***Make sure you include parenthetical citations throughout your summary

How to site sources using Parenthetical Citations

For every fact or picture in your research paper you should follow it with a citation telling the reader where you found the information. A citation is just the name of the author and the date of the publication placed in parentheses like this: (Author, date). This is called a reference citation when using APA format and parenthetical reference when using the MLA format. Its purpose is to document a source briefly, clearly, and accurately.

If you copy text from one of your sources, then place it in quotation marks in addition to following it with a citation. Be sure you understand and avoid plagiarism! Do not copy another person's work and call it your own. Always give credit where credit is due!

The Details

What Is a Background Research Section?

The short answer is that the research section summarizes the answers to the research questions you generated in your background research plan. It's a review of the relevant publications (books, magazines, websites) discussing the topic you want to investigate.

The long answer is that the research section summarizes the theory behind your experiment. Science fair judges like to see that you understand why your experiment turns out the way it does. You do library and Internet research so that you can make a prediction of what will occur in your experiment, and then whether that prediction is right or wrong, you will have the knowledge to understand what caused the behavior you observed.

From a practical perspective, the research section also discusses the techniques and equipment that are appropriate for investigating your topic. Some methods and techniques are more reliable because they have been used many times. Can you use a procedure for your science fair project that is similar to an experiment that has been done before? If you can obtain this information, your project will be more successful. As they say, you don't want to reinvent the wheel!

Special Information to Include in Your Background Research Section

Many science experiments can be explained using mathematics. As you write your research paper, you'll want to make sure that you include as much relevant math as you understand. If a simple equation describes aspects of your science fair project, include it.

Writing the Background Research Section

Note Taking

As you read the information in your bibliography, you'll want to take notes. Some teachers recommend taking notes on note cards. Each card contains the source at the top, with key points listed or quoted underneath. Others prefer typing notes directly into a word processor. No matter how you take notes, be sure to keep track of the sources for all your key facts.

Use the background research worksheet to help you come up with relevant research questions and answers. Record your sources on the worksheet too.

RUBRIC

This will be used for each of the 5 paragraphs for a total of 25 points for the Background Research Summary

|CATEGORY |POINTS |

|Content: paragraph contains all required information and is relevant |2 |

|Flow: paragraph is easy to read and is written in a sensical order |1 |

|Grammar/Spelling: correct spelling, tense, punctuation, & grade-level |1 |

|appropriate vocabulary is used | |

|Sources: cited correctly in MLA format |1 |

PARARAPHS 1-2 DUE NOVEMBER 8, 2013

PARAGRAPHS 3-5 DUE NOVEMBER 18, 2013

Materials & STEP-BY-STEP PROCEDURES

MATERIALS: What type of supplies and equipment will you need to complete your science fair project? Make the materials list as specific as possible, include specific types and amounts of supplies, and be sure you can get everything you need before you start your science fair project

PROCEDURES:

• Write the experimental procedure like a step-by-step recipe for your science experiment. A good procedure is so detailed and complete that it lets someone else duplicate your experiment exactly!

• Repeating a science experiment is an important step to verify that your results are consistent and not just an accident.

o For a typical experiment, you should plan to repeat it at least three times (more is better).

o If you are doing something like growing plants, then you should do the experiment on at least three plants in separate pots (that's the same as doing the experiment three times).

o If you are doing an experiment that involves testing or surveying different groups, you won't need to repeat the experiment 3 times, but you will need to test or survey a sufficient number of participants to insure that your results are reliable. You will almost always need many more than 3 participants!

In many experiments it is important to perform a trial with the independent variable at a special setting for comparison with the other trials. This trial is referred to as a control group. The control group consists of all those trials where you leave the independent variable in its natural state. In our example, it would be important to run some trials in which the plants get no fertilizer at all. These trials with no fertilizer provide a basis for comparison, and would insure that any changes you see when you add fertilizer are in fact caused by the fertilizer and not something else.

Whether or not your experiment has a control group, remember that every experiment has a number of controlled variables. Controlled variables are those variables that we don't want to change while we conduct our experiment, and they must be the same in every trial and every group of trials. In our fertilizer example, we would want to make sure that every trial received the same amount of water, light, and warmth. You MUST explain how to control these variables in your procedures.

Experimental Procedure Checklist

|What Makes a Good Experimental Procedure? |For a Good Experimental Procedure, You Should Answer |

| |"Yes" to Every Question |

|Have you included a description and size for all experimental and control groups? |Yes / No |

|Have you included a step-by-step list of all procedures? |Yes / No |

|Have you described how to the change independent variable and how to measure that change? |Yes / No |

|Have you explained how to measure the resulting change in the dependent variable or variables? |Yes / No |

|Have you explained how the controlled variables will be maintained at a constant value? |Yes / No |

|Have you specified how many times you intend to repeat the experiment (should be at least three times),|Yes / No |

|and is that number of repetitions sufficient to give you reliable data? | |

|The ultimate test: Can another individual duplicate the experiment based on the experimental procedure |Yes / No |

|you have written? | |

Sample Size: How Many Survey Participants Do I Need?

In order to have confidence that your survey results are representative, it is critically important that you have a large number of randomly-selected participants in each group you survey. So what exactly is "a large number?" See the chart below for a detailed breakdown of how increasing the number of participants decreases the margin of error. You want the margin of error between your sample and the general population to be as small as reasonably possible.

|sample size |margin of error |

|(N) |(percentage) |

|10 |31.6 |

|20 |22.4 |

|50 |14.1 |

|100 |10.0 |

|200 |7.1 |

|500 |4.5 |

|1000 |3.2 |

|2000 |2.2 |

|5000 |1.4 |

|10000 |1.0 |

You can quickly see from the table that results from a survey with only 10 random participants are not reliable. The margin of error in this case is roughly 32%. This means that if you found, for example, that 6 out of your 10 participants (60%) had a fear of heights, then the actual proportion of the population with a fear of heights could vary by ±32%. In other words, the actual proportion could be as low as 28% (60 - 32) and as high as 92% (60 + 32). With a range that large, your small survey isn't saying much.

If you increase the sample size to 100 people, your margin of error falls to 10%. Now if 60% of the participants reported a fear of heights, there would be a 95% probability that between 50 and 70% of the total population have a fear of heights. Now you're getting somewhere. If you want to narrow the margin of error to ±5%, you have to survey 500 randomly-selected participants. The bottom line is, you need to survey a lot of people before you can start having any confidence in your results.

STEP-BY-STEP PROCEDURES

Materials:

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Procedures:

1. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

| |9-12 Points |5-8 Points |1-4 Points |0 Points |

|Experimental Procedure |Materials are listed and detailed |Materials are incomplete OR listed|Materials are not complete AND| No Materials listed OR No |

|& Materials |with amounts. Experimental |without amounts. Procedure is |do not have amounts Procedure |step-by-step procedure is |

| |Procedure is written clearly as |written as step-by-step |is written as step-by-step |written. |

|DUE: 11/26/13 |step-by-step directions, includes |instructions, but some steps seem |instruction but is missing | |

| |how to change the ind variable, |to be missing OR the instructions |many steps OR is not written | |

| |how to measure the dep variable, |are difficult to understand. |in numbered format as | |

| |describes necessary controls, and | |commands. | |

| |is reproducible. | | | |

DUE NOVEMBER 26, 2013

ANALYZING RESULTS

• Review your data. Try to look at the results of your experiment with a critical eye. Ask yourself these questions:

o Is it complete, or did you forget something?

o Do you need to collect more data?

o Did you make any mistakes?

• Calculate an average for the different trials of your experiment, if appropriate.

• Make sure to clearly label all tables and graphs. And, include the units of measurement (volts, inches, grams, etc.).

• Place your independent variable on the x-axis of your graph and the dependent variable on the y-axis.

Calculations and Summarizing Data

Often, you will need to perform calculations on your raw data in order to get the results from which you will generate a conclusion. A spreadsheet program such as Microsoft Excel may be a good way to perform such calculations, and then later the spreadsheet can be used to display the results. Be sure to label the rows and columns--don't forget to include the units of measurement (grams, centimeters, liters, etc.).

You should have performed multiple trials of your experiment. Think about the best way to summarize your data. Do you want to calculate the average for each group of trials, or summarize the results in some other way such as ratios, percentages, or error and significance for really advanced students? Or, is it better to display your data as individual data points?

Graphs

• Generally, you should place your independent variable on the x-axis of your graph and the dependent variable on the y-axis.

• Be sure to label the axes of your graph— don't forget to include the units of measurement (grams, centimeters, liters, etc.).

• If you have more than one set of data, show each series in a different color or symbol and include a legend with clear labels.

Different types of graphs are appropriate for different experiments. Possible types of graphs:

1. A bar graph might be appropriate for comparing different trials or different experimental groups. It also may be a good choice if your independent variable is not numerical. (In Microsoft Excel, generate bar graphs by choosing chart types "Column" or "Bar.")

2. A time-series plot can be used if your dependent variable is numerical and your independent variable is time. (In Microsoft Excel, the "line graph" chart type generates a time series. By default, Excel simply puts a count on the x-axis. To generate a time series plot with your choice of x-axis units, make a separate data column that contains those units next to your dependent variable. Then choose the "XY (scatter)" chart type, with a sub-type that draws a line.)

3. An xy-line graph shows the relationship between your dependent and independent variables when both are numerical and the dependent variable is a function of the independent variable. (In Microsoft Excel, choose the "XY (scatter)" chart type, and then choose a sub-type that does draw a line.)

4. A scatter plot might be the proper graph if you're trying to show how two variables may be related to one another. (In Microsoft Excel, choose the "XY (scatter)" chart type, and then choose a sub-type that does not draw a line.)

Data Analysis Checklist

|What Makes for a Good Data Analysis Chart? |For a Good Chart, You Should Answer "Yes" to Every |

| |Question |

|Is there sufficient data to know whether your hypothesis is correct? |Yes / No |

|Is your data accurate? |Yes / No |

|Have you summarized your data with an average, if appropriate? |Yes / No |

|Does your chart specify units of measurement for all data? |Yes / No |

|Have you verified that all calculations (if any) are correct? |Yes / No |

General Data Table Template

| | |Write your DEPENDENT VARIABLE in this box |

|Test |Write your INDEPENDENT VARIABLE in this box |What did you measure? |

| |What did you change? | |

| | |Trial 1 |Trial 2 |Trial 3 |Average |

| | |(include units)|(include units)|(include units)|1 +2 +3 |

| | | | | |3 |

|2 | | | | | |

| | | | | | |

|3 | | | | | |

| | | | | | |

|4 | | | | | |

| | | | | | |

|5 | | | | | |

| | | | | | |

|6 | | | | | |

| | | | | | |

|7 | | | | | |

| | | | | | |

How to make a Table in Excel:

1. Start your table at D7 by writing your independent variable. Place your cursor between cells D and E and double click to make the cell large enough to fit your title.

2. Continue across row 7 by writing your trials and the average column.

[pic]

3. In E6, write your dependent variable and include units in parenthesis.

4. Highlight cells E6-H6 and then click the “merge cells” option

[pic]

5. Under your independent variable, in D8, write your different conditions in column 7.

6. Fill in your data underneath the trials. DO NOT INCLUDE units or letters of any kind. DO NOT skip cells.

[pic]

7. You can create borders using this button

8. You can shade cells using this button.

[pic][pic]

How to make a Column Chart in Excel:

1. Make a Table using the steps above. DO NOT INCLUDE LETTERS WITH DATA OR SKIP ROWS/COLUMNS IN YOUR TABLE. If you do either of these things, your graph will not generate.

2. Highlight, using your mouse or hold SHIFT+arrow keys, the table except for the dependent variable title.

3. Select “insert” and select “column chart”. Choose from the options circled ONLY.

[pic][pic]

4. Right click the chart and select “move chart”. Select the “New Sheet” option.

[pic][pic]

5. Go to the “Chart Layout” options and select the layout in the middle of row 2.

6. Edit the chart title by clicking on it. Title it Chart 1: (your independent variable) vs (your dependent variable)

7. Edit the y-axis title by clicking on it and writing (your dependent variable (with units))

8. Click on one of the colored bars once (keep all highlighted) and right click. Choose “Add Data Labels”. Repeat for the other sets of bars

[pic] [pic]

9. Click on the average bar twice so that only ONE bar is highlighted, right click and choose “Format Data Labels”. Click the “category” box. This should make the title say “Average” above the bar.

[pic] [pic]

10. You can change the colors of the bars using the paint bucket button in the home tab. If you accidentally change a background color of a title or data point, go back to the paint bucket and choose “no fill”.

[pic]

**be careful with your color choices. Do not choose a dark background and make sure your color choices make sense. Colors should make your data EASIER TO READ. They are not there to make your chart look pretty.

**To UNDO a change you made, hold down CTRL+Z

**If you accidentally delete something on the graph, go back to the layout option and re-click the layout you chose before. This should bring back the original format.

**I suggest making the average bars the same color as the trial bars only a lighter shade.

**If you notice a mistake on your graph with spelling or data points, you can edit your numbers/titles by going back to the table in “sheet 1” and editing it there. The change will automatically transfer to the graph.

**Your data may require a scatter plot instead of a column graph. The steps are very similar if this is the case. If you have trouble, see you science teacher for help.

Results Analysis

In addition to your data table and graph, you will need to summarize in words, the results you got. Tell exactly what happened in your experiment. Describe the pattern of results that is shown in your graphs.

• Example: “According to my experiments, the Bullet design (independent variable) flew an average of 14.6 m longer (dependent variable) than the Arrow design. Each of the three trials were no more than 3m apart, denoting the trials were fairly accurate.”

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______

| |10-15 Points |5-9 Points |1-4 Points |0 Points |

|Results and Analysis |Where applicable, data are |Data are presented in a table or a |Data are not presented in |No results or discussion is |

| |presented in tables and graphs. If|graph but not both. OR if repeated|tables or graphs. OR graphs do|turned in. |

|DUE: |repeated observations were done, |observations were made, averages |not relate to the data shown in| |

|1/8/14 |averages have been calculated. |were not calculated. Patterns |the table. No averages are | |

| |Describe, in words, the patterns |shown in graphs or tables are not |calculated. If results are | |

| |that your graphs or tables show-- |described in words, or description |written, they are unclear or | |

| |in complete sentences. |is not in complete sentences or |have errors. | |

| | |contains some errors. | | |

DUE JANUARY 8, 2014

CONCLUSION

Your conclusion summarizes how your results support or contradict your original hypothesis:

• Summarize your science fair project results in a few sentences and use this summary to support your conclusion. Include key facts from your background research to help explain your results as needed.

• State whether your results support or contradict your hypothesis.

• State the relationship between the independent and dependent variable.

• Summarize and evaluate your experimental procedure, making comments about its success and effectiveness.

• Suggest changes in the experimental procedure (or design) and/or possibilities for further study.

If Your Results Show that Your Hypothesis is False

If the results of your science experiment did not support your hypothesis, don't change or manipulate your results to fit your original hypothesis, simply explain why things did not go as expected. Professional scientists commonly find that results do not support their hypothesis, and they use those unexpected results as the first step in constructing a new hypothesis. If you think you need additional experimentation, describe what you think should happen next.

Scientific research is an ongoing process, and by discovering that your hypothesis is not true, you have already made huge advances in your learning that will lead you to ask more questions that lead to new experiments. Science fair judges do not care about whether you prove or disprove your hypothesis; they care how much you learned.

Conclusions Checklist

|What Makes for Good Conclusions? |For Good Conclusions, You Should Answer "Yes" to |

| |Every Question |

|Do you summarize your results and use it to support the findings? |Yes / No |

|Do your conclusions state that you proved or disproved your hypothesis? |Yes / No |

|If appropriate, do you state the relationship between the independent and dependent variable? |Yes / No |

|Do you summarize and evaluate your experimental procedure, making comments about its success and |Yes / No |

|effectiveness? | |

|Do you suggest changes in the experimental procedure and/or possibilities for further study? |Yes / No |

CONCLUSION

Use the checklist above to make sure all points are covered

• “My results showed that the Bullet design flew farther than the Arrow. I believe this is because the bullet has a narrower shape, creating less drag and more speed. The Arrow design had more surface area and more drag, causing it to fly slower and a shorter distance. My results contradicted my hypothesis. I predicted the Arrow would fly farther. The design of the airplane greatly affects the distance flown. Slimmer planes seem to fly longer distances due to having less air resistance. My procedures went smoothly but I did run into some problems with my planes flying straight. I could fix this by using stiffer paper and paying more attention to the quality of my folds. In the future, I want to test more plane designs to see if other features besides a narrow body contribute to flight distance. Some examples would be longer wings, a smaller size plane, or the presence of flaps on the wings.”

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

| |5 Points |3-4 Points |1-2 Points |0 Points |

|Conclusion |All checkpoints are met completely.|All but 1-2 checkpoints are met |All but 3-4 checkpoints are met|No conclusion written. |

| | |completely. |completely. | |

|DUE: | | | | |

|1/13/14 | | | | |

DUE JANUARY 13, 2014

Abstract

An abstract is an abbreviated version of your science fair project final report. For most science fairs it is limited to a maximum of 250 words (check the rules for your competition). The science fair project abstract appears at the beginning of the report as well as on your display board.

Almost all scientists and engineers agree that an abstract should have the following five pieces:

• Introduction. This is where you describe the purpose for doing your science fair project or invention. Why should anyone care about the work you did? You have to tell them why. Did you explain something that should cause people to change the way they go about their daily business? If you made an invention or developed a new procedure how is it better, faster, or cheaper than what is already out there? Motivate the reader to finish the abstract and read the entire paper or display board.

• Problem Statement. Identify the problem you solved or the hypothesis you investigated.

Science Fair Project Abstract Checklist

|What Makes for a Good Science Fair Project Abstract? |For a Good Science Fair Project Abstract, You Should |

| |Answer "Yes" to Every Question |

|Does your science fair project abstract include: |Yes / No |

|Introduction | |

|Problem Statement | |

|Procedures | |

|Results | |

|Conclusions | |

|Did you review the list of "Things to Avoid" in a science fair project abstract? |Yes / No |

|Does your abstract contain 250 words or less? |Yes / No |

|Did you write the abstract so that the reader is motivated to learn more about your science fair |Yes / No |

|project? | |

Abstract

| |5 Points |3-4 Points |1-2 Points |0 Points |

|Abstract |All checkpoints are met completely.|All but 1-2 checkpoints are met |All but 3 checkpoints are met |No conclusion written. |

| | |completely. |completely. | |

|DUE: 1/14/14 | | | | |

DUE JANUARY 13, 2014

Written Report

At this point, you are in the home stretch. Except for writing the abstract, preparing your science fair project final report will just entail pulling together the information you have already collected into one large document.

• Your final report will include these sections:

o Title page.

o Abstract. An abstract is an abbreviated version of your final report.

o Table of contents.

o Question, variables, and hypothesis.

o Background research. This is the Research Summary you wrote before you started your experiment.

o Materials list.

o Experimental Procedure.

o Data analysis and Summary. This section is a summary of what you found out in your experiment, focusing on your observations, data table, and graph(s), which should be included at this location in the report.

o Conclusion.

o Acknowledgements. This is your opportunity to thank anyone who helped you with your science fair project, from a single individual to a company or government agency.

o Works Cited.

• Write the abstract section last, even though it will be one of the first sections of your final report.

• Your final report will be several pages long, but don't be overwhelmed! Most of the sections are made up of information that you have already written. Gather up the information for each section and type it in a word processor if you haven't already.

• Save your document often and email it to yourself! You do not want to work hard getting something written the perfect way, only to have your computer crash and the information lost. Frequent file saving could save you a lot of trouble!

• Remember to do a spelling and grammar check in your word processor. Also, have a few people proof read your final report. They may have some helpful comments!

Each section corresponds to a previously due assignment. Completing the written report should consist of you typing the information that you already have in this folder and organizing it into a report format.

How to Format Your Written Report

This table describes how to format your research paper using the MLA guidelines. Be sure to follow any additional instructions that your teacher provides.

| |MLA Guidelines |

|Paper |Standard size (8.5 x 11" in the U.S.) |

|Page Margins |1" on all sides (top, bottom, left, right) |

|Font |12-pt. easily readable (e.g., Times Roman) |

|Spacing |Double-spaced throughout, including captions and bibliography |

|Alignment of Text |Flush left (with an uneven right margin) |

|Paragraph Indentation|1/2" (or five spaces) |

|End of Sentence |Leave one space after a period unless your teacher prefers two. |

|Page Numbers |On every page, in the upper right margin, 1/2" from the top and flush with the right margin put your last name followed by the page |

| |number. |

|Title Page |Only if your teacher requests one. Instead, on the first page, upper left corner place on separate lines, double-spaced: |

| |Your name |

| |Teacher's name |

| |Course name or number |

| |Date |

| |Underneath, center the title using regular title capitalization rules and no underline. Start the report immediately below the title. |

|Section Headings |Bolded and justified left. |

|Tables & |-Place tables and illustrations as close as possible to the text they refer to. |

|Illustrations |-A table is labeled Table and given a number (e.g., Table 1). The table label and caption or title appear above the table, capitalized |

| |like a title, flush left. Sources and notes appear below the table, flush left. |

| |-Photos, graphs, charts or diagrams should be labeled Figure (usually abbreviate Fig.), and assigned a number (e.g., Fig. 1). The label,|

| |title, and source (if any) appear underneath the figure, flush left, in a continuous block of text rather than one element per line. |

|Order of Major |Title page |

|Sections |Abstract |

| |Table of contents |

| |Question, variables, and hypothesis |

| |Background Research Summary |

| |Materials list |

| |Experimental Procedure |

| |Data Analysis and Summary |

| |Conclusion |

| |Acknowledgements |

| |Works Cited |

|Binding |Most teachers prefer a simple paper clip or staple. Follow your teacher's request. |

|Additional |Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL) - |

|Information |MLA Style Guide: |

Writing your Works Cited in MLA format

Basics

Your list of works cited should begin at the end of the paper on a new page with the centered title, Works Cited. Alphabetize the entries in your list by the author's last name, using the letter-by-letter system (ignore spaces and other punctuation.) If the author's name is unknown, alphabetize by the title, ignoring any A, An, or The.

For dates, spell out the names of months in the text of your paper, but abbreviate them in the list of works cited, except for May, June, and July. Use either the day-month-year style (22 July 1999) or the month-day-year style (July 22, 1999) and be consistent. With the month-day-year style, be sure to add a comma after the year unless another punctuation mark goes there.

Underlining or Italics?

When reports were written on typewriters, the names of publications were underlined because most typewriters had no way to print italics. If you write a bibliography by hand, you should still underline the names of publications. But, if you use a computer, then publication names should be in italics as they are below. Always check with your instructor regarding their preference of using italics or underlining. Our examples use italics.

Hanging Indentation

All MLA citations should use hanging indents, that is, the first line of an entry should be flush left, and the second and subsequent lines should be indented 1/2".

Capitalization, Abbreviation, and Punctuation

The MLA guidelines specify using title case capitalization - capitalize the first words, the last words, and all principal words, including those that follow hyphens in compound terms. Use lowercase abbreviations to identify the parts of a work (e.g., vol. for volume, ed. for editor) except when these designations follow a period. Whenever possible, use the appropriate abbreviated forms for the publisher's name (Random instead of Random House).

Separate author, title, and publication information with a period followed by one space. Use a colon and a space to separate a title from a subtitle. Include other kinds of punctuation only if it is part of the title. Use quotation marks to indicate the titles of short works appearing within larger works (e.g., "Memories of Childhood." American Short Stories). Also use quotation marks for titles of unpublished works and songs.

Format Examples

Books

Format:

Author's last name, first name. Book title. Additional information. City of publication: Publishing company, publication date.

Examples:

Allen, Thomas B. Vanishing Wildlife of North America. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 1974.

Boorstin, Daniel J. The Creators: A History of the Heroes of the Imagination. New York: Random, 1992.

Hall, Donald, ed. The Oxford Book of American Literacy Anecdotes. New York: Oxford UP, 1981.

Searles, Baird, and Martin Last. A Reader's Guide to Science Fiction. New York: Facts on File, Inc., 1979.

Toomer, Jean. Cane. Ed. Darwin T. Turner. New York: Norton, 1988.

Encyclopedia & Dictionary

Format:

Author's last name, first name. "Title of Article." Title of Encyclopedia. Date.

Note: If the dictionary or encyclopedia arranges articles alphabetically, you may omit volume and page numbers.

Examples:

"Azimuthal Equidistant Projection." Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. 10th ed. 1993.

Pettingill, Olin Sewall, Jr. "Falcon and Falconry." World Book Encyclopedia. 1980.

Tobias, Richard. "Thurber, James." Encyclopedia Americana. 1991 ed.

Magazine & Newspaper Articles

Format:

Author's last name, first name. "Article title." Periodical title Volume # Date: inclusive pages.

Note: If an edition is named on the masthead, add a comma after the date and specify the edition.

Examples:

Hall, Trish. "IQ Scores Are Up, and Psychologists Wonder Why." New York Times 24 Feb. 1998, late ed.: F1+.

Kalette, Denise. "California Town Counts Down to Big Quake." USA Today 9 21 July 1986: sec. A: 1.

Kanfer, Stefan. "Heard Any Good Books Lately?" Time 113 21 July 1986: 71-72.

Trillin, Calvin. "Culture Shopping." New Yorker 15 Feb. 1993: 48-51.

Website or Webpage

Format:

Author's last name, first name (if available). "Title of work within a project or database." Title of site, project, or database. Editor (if available). Electronic publication information (Date of publication or of the latest update, and name of any sponsoring institution or organization). Date of access and .

Note: If you cannot find some of this information, cite what is available.

Examples:

Devitt, Terry. "Lightning injures four at music festival." The Why? Files. 2 Aug. 2001. 23 Jan. 2002 .

Dove, Rita. "Lady Freedom among Us." The Electronic Text Center. Ed. David Seaman. 1998. Alderman Lib., U of Virginia. 19 June 1998 .

Lancashire, Ian. Homepage. 28 Mar. 2002. 15 May 2002 .

Levy, Steven. "Great Minds, Great Ideas." Newsweek 27 May 2002. 10 June 2002 .

FINAL REPORT DUE JANUARY 17, 2014

DISPLAY

Most display boards have three sections and are made to stand on a table. Your display should make it easy for interested spectators and judges to understand your experiment and its results. It should be eye-catching, neat, and organized. This is the first thing that the judges will see so you will want to convince them that your study is worth a closer look!

Hints for display:

• Good Title: Catch the viewers’ interest with your title. It should give the viewer an idea of what your experiment is about, but not be too long.

• Pictures: Include photographs. Many parts of projects cannot be displayed but are important. Pictures will add visual interest and help the reader understand what you did.

• Organization: Make sure your display follows a sequence and is logically presented and easy to read. One glance should allow anyone to find the title, abstract, procedure, results, and conclusions. See the sample display on the next page for help in setting yours up.

• Use a self-standing display board like Elmer's ® 36" x 48' tri-fold display board. Display boards in black or white-colored "foam core" (a sandwich made up of two pieces of smooth surface paper with a polystyrene (plastic) middle) or corrugated cardboard are readily available at many retailers including (Wal-Mart, Michaels, Joann Fabrics) ranging between $4 to $14 per board depending on the material.

• Print out or write your information on white paper that you will attach to your display board. Be sure to proofread each sheet before you attach it.

o Instead of regular paper, use cover stock (67#) or card stock (110#). These heavier papers will wrinkle less when you attach it to your display board.

o Matte paper is preferable to glossy because it won't show as much glare- glare makes your display board difficult to read.

• Glue sticks (use plenty) or rubber cement work well for attaching sheets of paper to your display board. Use double-sided tape or foam mounting tape for items like photographs that may not stick to glue.

• Add simple visual accents to your board. Do not make the board too busy or it becomes difficult to read. Try these simple techniques instead:

o Use color construction paper to add accents to your display board. A common technique is to put sheets of construction paper behind the white paper containing your text.

o Use borders to draw the audience's attention.

Display Layout

[pic]

Science Fair Project Display Board Checklist

|What Makes for a Good Science Fair Project Display Board? |For a Good Science Fair Project Display Board, You |

| |Should Answer "Yes" to Every Question |

|Does your display board include: |Yes / No |

|Title | |

|Abstract | |

|Question | |

|Variables and hypothesis | |

|Background Summary | |

|Materials List | |

|Experimental procedure | |

|Data analysis and summary including data chart(s) & graph(s) | |

|Conclusions (including ideas for future research) | |

|Acknowledgements | |

|Works Cited | |

|Are the sections on your display board organized like a newspaper so that they are easy to follow? |Yes / No |

|Is the text font large enough to be read easily (at least 16 points)? |Yes / No |

|Does the title catch people's attention, and is the title font large enough to be read from across |Yes / No |

|the room? | |

|Did you use pictures and diagrams to effectively convey information about your science fair project?|Yes / No |

|Have you constructed your display board as neatly as possible? |Yes / No |

|Did you proofread your display board? |Yes / No |

|Did you follow all of the rules pertaining to display boards for your particular science fair? |Yes / No |

| |15-20 Points |7-14 Points |1-6 Points |0 Points |

|Poster Due |Poster follows guidelines as |Poster is neat but has errors. |Poster has many errors or is |No poster completed. |

|1/21/14 |described by Sample Display in |Some elements may be missing, but |messy. Elements are missing. | |

| |this handout. Display should be |most elements are there helping to |Experiment may or may not be | |

| |neat, error-free, and visually |understand what was done in the |understandable. | |

| |interesting. All elements are |experiment. | | |

| |included. | | | |

DUE JANUARY 21, 2014

SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT LABEL

Cut out and Glue the label below to the BACK of your Science Fair Project.

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Example Report

On the following pages you will find an example report with all of the components required. Please refer to this example when writing your own report to make sure all of your requirements have been met (MLA formatting and sections).

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Place student label on the back upper right hand of your display. Here

**Pictures can be placed wherever you like. The above boxes are suggestions only.

Conclusion

Results Tables

Result

Analysis

Pic

Diagrams/Graphs

Materials

&

Procedure

Acknowledg-ments & Works Cited

Variables & Hypothesis

Background Summary

(multiple pages are stapled together)

Pic

Pic

Pic

Question

Abstract

Title

NAME: ______________________________

SCHOOL:

University Charter Middle School

TEACHER: ______________________________

GRADE:_______________________

PROJECT CATEGORY: ______________________________

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

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