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GETTING STARTED! – An Overview of your Science Fair Project STEP 1 - Choose a Topic: Decide what you are going to research and what question you are going to answer. You need to research it enough to complete a detailed research plan (pages 4-5 of this document) that explains what you intend to do.STEP 2 - Complete Your Paperwork: You are required to fill out the appropriate forms to ensure the safe conduct of your experiment. Everyone needs to complete Form 1, Form 1A, Form 1B, and a Research Plan. Additional plans may be required depending on your project.STEP 3 – Set up Your Logbook: This will be used throughout the process to record your progress.STEP 4 - Research: Gather information on your topic so that you can come up with a hypothesis. As required by the state, you must have AT LEAST 5 sources.STEP 5 - Develop a Hypothesis: Your hypothesis is based on the research that you did. It should state what you expect to happen and why.STEP 6 – Do Your Project: Give careful thought to experimental design. During experimentation, keep detailed notes of each trial including measurement data and observations in your logbook - do not rely on your memory. Remember to change only one variable when experimenting. All other factors must remain unchanged to ensure you have a controlled experiment. Make sure you conduct at least 3 trials to make your data statistically valid. Record your data using metric measurements! STEP 7 - Present Your Data: When you complete your experiment, you need to present your data in tabular (data table) AND graphical (graphs) format. STEP 8 - Draw Conclusions: Keep an open mind and never alter results to fit your original hypothesis. If your results do not support your hypothesis, you still have accomplished a successful project if you followed the steps of the scientific method. It is okay if your hypothesis was not supported. STEP 9 – Share Your Project: Your “board” should show all the steps you completed while conducting the project.STEP 1 – Choose a TopicChoosing your topic is an extremely important step in your project. If you choose a topic that you find uninteresting, you are in for a long few months!! Try to find something that meets the following criteria: There should be something to be learned from doing this project – Otherwise, why bother doing it? Generally, if a Google search can tell you the answer to your question, there’s no reason to do the project.Is it a problem you are interested in – You will be working on this over a long period of time, so make sure it is something that interests you.It can be finished in the time given – Make sure that you can finish the experimentation (including 3 or more trials) with enough time left to complete your project. Keep in mind that projects involving plants tend to take much more time.You can obtain the materials you need – You need to determine this right away so that you will have time to change topics if there are materials you cannot obtain. It should be grade level appropriate and fit into one of the categories listed on the form on the next page – Be careful about choosing something too simple or too hard.Engineering Project vs. Scientific Experimentation Project: These are two different things. An engineering project involves creating something original or modifying something that exists to perform differently. A scientific experimentation project involves testing how changing one variable affects other variables. Often you will need to build something to conduct a scientific experiment, but this does not mean it’s an engineering project. Projects that will NOT be approved include, but are not limited to, the following: Any COVID-19 related projectsmold and/or harmful bacteria without an approved facility weapons/explosives controlled or hazardous substances vertebrate animals 2. Once you have chosen a topic, you need to complete the Research Plan/Topic Selection. This needs to be as detailed as possible so that anyone who reads it understands what it is you are doing and the procedures you intend to follow. Remember, you need approval from your science teacher before you begin your project!!! Research Plan/Topic SelectionName: Period:School:Category:Science/Research Teacher:Individual or Team Project (List partners for team project):Question or Problem Being Addressed (Title):Rationale: Brief summarize background information that supports your research problem. Explain why this research is important scientifically and, if applicable, explain any societal impact of your research.Research Question/Hypothesis/Engineering GoalsMaterials List: List all items used in your research. Make sure to include concentration of all chemicals, source and amount of all living organisms, and all equipment used.Procedures (Research Methods): Describe in detail all methods/procedures, risks and safety precautions, and proper disposal techniques (if applicable).Data Analysis: Describe the procedures you will use to analyze the data to answer the research question, hypothesis, or engineering goal.Teacher Approval: __________________________________STEP 2 – Complete Your PaperworkAt this point, you need to fill out the required forms and submit them to your teacher. All forms can be found online at the following website: a minimum, you will be required to complete the following forms and have them signed and dated prior to beginning any experimentation: Form 1 – Checklist for Adult Sponsor Form 1A – Student Checklist Form 1B – Approval FormResearch Plan – This needs to be very detailed so anyone reading it can understand what the project entails.Forms 1, 1A, and 1B are editable PDFs. It is recommended that you complete them online, save them, and print them so it is easier to make any necessary changes later.Later in the process, you will need to complete your abstract. It must be on the Florida SSEF form (NOT the ISSEF form) available on the website listed above.Students who are selected to compete in the regional science fair with also need to complete an application. This form must be filled out in blue ink. Additional forms that may be required include the following. Your teacher or science fair coordinator can help you determine which of these you need.Form 1C – Regulated Research Institutional/Industrial SettingForm 2 – Qualified ScientistForm 3 – Risk AssessmentForm 4 – Human ParticipantsForm 5B – Vertebrate AnimalForm 6A – Potentially Hazardous Biological Agents Risk AssessmentForm 6B – Human and Vertebrate Animal TissueForm 7 – Continuation/Research Progression ProjectsHuman Informed Consent FormVerification of Informed Consent for Sponsor FormSTEP 3 – Set Up Your LogbookYou are required to have a logbook which will be used throughout your project to document what you do. Spiral-bound notebooks or composition books are generally used for this purpose. It is not meant to be overly neat, yet it should be organized. Entries in the logbook can be handwritten. Write the date in the upper right-hand corner of each page when you begin a new entry. Some entries, such as the hypothesis/engineering goals, materials, and procedures, can be printed and glued in logbook. Write the title of your experiment on the first page of your logbook. The next few pages should contain the notes you take while doing your background research. On the first empty page after your research, write your hypothesis/engineering goal. On the next page, list your materials, where you will obtain your materials and any safety precautions you will need to take. On the page after your materials, list the procedures that you intend to use. These may be modified as you do the project.As you conduct the project, record your data and observations in the logbook. Remember to write the date in the upper right-hand corner of the page each time you add to the logbook. Describe everything you do relating to your project from the time you begin until you are finished. Write clear, detailed observations and record any problems you encounter along the way.STEP 4 – ResearchOnce you have determined the question that you are going to answer, you need to learn as much as you can about it by conducting your background research with a minimum of 5 sources. The purpose of the background research is to help you develop a hypothesis or to determine how you will build your product. A hypothesis predicts what will happen to your dependent variable when you change your independent variable. This prediction must be based upon the research you do, not just “what you think.” The following recommendations are intended to help you with your research:Keep track of the sources that you use. It is easy to find something useful but not be able to locate the source again if you don’t write it down.Talk to experts. Interviews are a good source of information. Check the internet. Make sure that the websites you use are reputable. Do NOT use Wikipedia as a source! When citing websites, you need the full URL of the page you used. For example, if you find a page on that helps you research hot dog eating, you can’t just cite , instead you should cite something like: 5 – Develop Your Hypothesis/Engineering GoalA hypothesis is a statement that predicts what the outcome of your experiment. Your hypothesis should have three parts:The first part explains what you are going to do. In other words, it explains how you will change your independent variable. The second part states your expected outcome (what you expect to happen to your dependent variable). The third part uses what you learned in your background research to explain why you think the dependent variable will change as you predicted. It is extremely important that this is backed up by your research. Otherwise, your hypothesis will just be a guess.As an example, if you conducted an experiment to determine whether using distilled water or regular tap water would make a plant grow the most, your hypothesis might be something like this:“If marigold plants are given either tap water or distilled water, then the plants that are given the tap water will grow taller because the tap water contains minerals that help the plant undergo photosynthesis more efficiently.”If you are completing an engineering project, your engineering goal should explain what you are planning on creating or how you are modifying an existing product. You should state what you are hoping your product will do when you finish.Step 6 – Do Your ProjectOnce you have finished researching and have developed your hypothesis or engineering goal, you are ready to begin. MaterialsYou need to develop a list of materials required for your project. This list must be specific and list everything you use, including the quantities. Think of this as a shopping list for someone who wants to replicate your project. Don’t forget to include items that you use for taking measurements such as a stopwatch, thermometer, or whatever else you needed. Your materials list may change as you do your project. ProceduresFor experiments, the procedures must also be very specific – another person should be able to replicate your experiment from them. List your procedures step by step, numbering each step. Each step should be brief and should begin with a verb. For example, you might have something like this:Place six similarly sized marigold plants in a sunny location.Number the plants from 1 to 6.Measure and record the height of each plant.Add 1 ounce of distilled water to plants 1, 2, and 3.Add 1 ounce of tap water to plants 4, 5, and 6.Repeat steps 3-5 every 2 days for 4 weeks.Make sure to keep all of the following in mind when developing your procedures: How you will keep the controlled conditions the same?What device will you use to measure the data with and in what units? How will you measure the data using the device?When will you measure the data?How many trials will you perform? What safety precautions will you take? When designing your experiment, be careful to avoid experimental bias. Experimental bias is when one outcome is more likely than another outcome. This can lead to flawed data, leading your results being questionable at pleting the ProjectFor scientific experiments: You must repeat the experiment so there are at least 3 separate trials. If possible, more than 3 trials would be even better. This is so your data will be reliable. The more trials you conduct, the more likely that someone else repeating your experiment will get the same results. Make sure you have control variables in your experiment. These are the variables that should stay the same throughout the experiment. For example, if you are testing the effects of different types of water on the growth of plants, you need to make sure that the plants are the same type, that the plants all get the same amount of sunlight, that you give them the same amount of water, etc. Make sure you measure as carefully as you can and use the most precise (smallest) units possible. This makes your measurement data more accurate. Remember to use SI units! Set up your data table. Remember to have a title and label the variable and what measurements you used. You also need to include the units in your data tables. Systematically record all data in your logbook. Data could include numerical measurements, observations, photographs, drawings, etc. The date of all observations should also be recorded in your logbook. For engineering projects:Document in your logbook the steps you take to do your project. This should include what worked, what didn’t, and how you modified your design as you went along.Once you have finished your project, you should test it. In most cases, this will involve collecting data to demonstrate its effectiveness. Step 7 – Present Your Data Your data needs to be displayed in both tabular and graphical format. Tabular format means that your data should be put into data tables. These need to include the units that you used and should indicate that you conducted multiple trials.Graphical format means that your data is presented in the form of a graph. There are many different types of graphs that you can use, including pie charts, line graphs, and/or bar graphs. Bar graphs are appropriate when the independent variable is not continuous and is used to show comparisons. Pie charts are also used to show comparisons but are used when it’s appropriate to show percentages. Line graphs show change and are generally used when the independent variable IS continuous. When creating your graphs, make sure that you follow correct scientific procedures. Make sure that each graph has a title. Scale your axes so that they are fully utilized.Make sure that the independent variable is on the X axis and that the dependent variable is on the Y axis. Label each axis with what variable it is and the units used.Step 8 – Draw ConclusionsThe technique of drawing conclusions from a set of data is rarely as obvious as it may seem at first. No matter how carefully the conditions are controlled, variations might occur and lead to errors in the conclusion. Be sure and state what unexpected variations occurred. You should also address any possible sources of error to help explain your results. These can be design errors, experimentation errors, or other errors. Very rarely is an experiment ever done with no errors. It is understandable that they may have occurred during your project – you just need to acknowledge them here.Next, ensure you answer whether or not your hypothesis was supported or your engineering goal was met! Do not state that your hypothesis was “proven” correct as hypotheses cannot be proven, only supported.You can also include a section with recommendations on how someone could do your project more effectively and/or what someone could do to continue our project. Look back over the project and consider the following questions: What would you do differently if you were to do this project again (how could it be improved)?What new ideas have come from the project?What aspects of the project could be continued to add to the significance of the research?What, if any, new problems have arisen related to the topic? Step 9 – Share Your Project This year, you will not be creating a display board. Instead, you will create a virtual display board n PowerPoint using a template that will be provided to your school’s science fair coordinator. The design of this “board” should mimic a regular science fair board. The items on your “board” should be neat and well organized. The average person looking at your “board” should be able to quickly grasp what your project is all about without needing you to be present to answer questions or provide explanations. Display Board checklist: _____ Title On the left panel of the board:_____ Abstract on Official Abstract and Certification Form (should be on the lower portion of the left panel)_____ Background Research_____ Hypothesis _____ Materials_____ Procedures (can be shortened)On the center panel of the board (can continue onto the right panel):_____ Results (Data Tables/Graphs)_____ Photos/Pictures (optional)On the right panel:_____ Conclusions_____ Recommendations (if completed) NOTES:You must document the source of all your graphs, charts, and pictures. You can include a statement on the board that states: “All graphs/charts created by researcher” if you made them all. If you are using graphs or charts that you didn’t create, you need to include a source for them.If you are including pictures on your board (which is a good idea), you need to give credit for each picture. This can be a source such as a website URL. If the pictures are original, they should be credited with a caption such as “Photo taken by Phineas Fletcher.” Please note that the faces of any people pictured on your display board should be covered up. You should also NOT include brand names of products used. Instead, refer to them as “Brand A” or “Brand B.” Appendix 1 – Completing Your Abstract The purpose of an abstract is to provide a 250-word summary of your project. It should be written AFTER the project is completed, therefore, it MUST be written in past tense. The abstract should be placed on the Florida “Official Abstract and Certification” form. This form should also be placed on your display board. The body of the abstract will summarize the following information. It should be written in the same order listed below, but NOT separated into sections. Purpose: The purpose is a statement about what you are attempting to find out by doing the experiment. A good format is to start out with “The purpose of my project was to answer the question……….” And then restate the problem. Hypothesis: State your hypothesis. Experimentation: Summarize your procedures; explain how you kept the conditions controlled; identify the variable and control; explain how data was collected and measured; state how many trials were conducted; and identify any safety precautions taken. Results: The results should explain your data and observations. Conclusion: The conclusion should compare your hypothesis and results. State your conclusion then restate the hypothesis and whether or not it was supported. Sample Abstract Brand of Fertilizer vs. Height of Bean PlantsThe purpose of my project was to answer the question, “Do bean plants grow taller with ACME or Generic brand fertilizer?” I predicted that bean plants given ACME fertilizer will grow taller than bean plants give Generic brand fertilizer. I tested each brand of fertilizer on a group of 5 bean plants. I also tested a control group of 5 bean plants that received no fertilizer. The amount of fertilizer, amount of sunlight, amount of water, type of soil, temperature, type of plant and starting size of plants were all kept the same for all 15 plants. The only factor that was changed on purpose was the type of fertilizer. The height of each plant was measured in centimeters using a ruler and recorded every other day for 28 days. My results showed that on average the ACME group grew the tallest at 26 cm, while the Generic group grew 23 cm and the control group only 20 cm. My conclusion was that I had correctly predicted that ACME fertilizer would make the plants grow the tallest. The ACME group grew an average of 3 cm taller than the Generic and an average of 6 cm taller than the control group. Judging Criteria for Science ProjectsResearch Question (10 points)___ clear and focused purpose___ identifies contribution to field of study___ testable using scientific methodsDesign and Methodology (15 points)___ well-designed plan and data collection methods___ variables and controls defined, appropriate, and completeExecution: Data Collection, Analysis, and Interpretation (20 points)___ systematic data collection and analysis___ reproducibility of results___ appropriate application of mathematical and statistical methods___ sufficient data collected to support interpretation and conclusionsCreativity (20 points)___ project demonstrates significant creativity in one or more of the above criteriaPresentation (35 points)Poster (10 points)___ logical organization of materials___ clarity of graphics and legend___ supporting documentation displayedInterview (25 points)___ clear, concise, thoughtful responses to questions___ understanding of basic science relevant to project___ understanding interpretation and limitations of results and conclusions___ degree of independence in conducting project___ recognition of potential impact in science, society, and/or economics___ quality of ideas for further research___ for team projects: contributions to and understanding of project by all membersJudging Criteria for Engineering ProjectsResearch Problem (10 points)___ description of a practical need or problem to be solved___ definition of criteria for proposed solution___ explanation of constraintsDesign and Methodology (15 points)___ exploration of alternatives to answer need or problem___ identification of a solution___ development of a prototype/modelExecution: Construction and Testing (20 points)___ prototype demonstrates intended design___ prototype has been tested in multiple conditions/trials___ prototype demonstrated engineering skill and completenessCreativity (20 points)___ project demonstrates significant creativity in one or more of the above criteriaPresentation (35 points)Poster (10 points)___ logical organization of materials___ clarity of graphics and legend___ supporting documentation displayedInterview (25 points)___ clear, concise, thoughtful responses to questions___ understanding of basic science relevant to project___ understanding interpretation and limitations of results and conclusions___ degree of independence in conducting project___ recognition of potential impact in science, society, and/or economics___ quality of ideas for further research___ for team projects: contributions to and understanding of project by all membersThis page shows the judging criteria used to evaluate your project: ................
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