1. Selecting A Topic
The first step in preparing a good science fair
project is to select a topic for your project.
Being the first 'hurdle' a student faces when
starting a science fair project and they are often
faced with quite a dilemma. Choosing a good project
is a very important because is can make the difference
between a good and excellent project. First of
all, you should pick a topic you are interested
in. Secondly, it doesn't have to be complicated.
Students often select complicated projects and
then end up not fully understanding the concepts
or even giving up on the project. The Ideas page
has a list of generic project ideas that can be
either simplified or expanded upon to fit your
needs.
2. Research your Topic.
After selecting your topic, learn everything about
it. Books on your topic can most likely be found
in your local library or bookstore. The best source
for information is here on the internet. You can
use the many search engines available to find
information or try our Science Links page with
a vast amount of links to various science related
sites on the internet.
3. Make A Plan
Once you consider yourself an 'expert' about your
topic, make a plan as to how you will conduct
your experiment. Your plan should include the
following:
The purpose of your experiment
The the variable(s) or the things that you are
going to change during the experiment.
Your Hypothesis or what you think the outcome
of the project will be.
A detailed procedure outlining how you will conduct
the experimentation.
4. Conduct the Experiments
The next step is to follow the plan that you have
written. While conducting the experiments make
your you keep detailed notes on everything that
you observe. You may even want to take pictures
or make sketches of your observations. These notes
are vital to your experiment because they are
needed when you write your report and make your
display.
5. Analyze Your Results
Once you are finished with the experiment, organize
your notes. You may want to re-copy your notes
so that they are more organized and can be easily
understood by others. Then, analyze them. Ask
yourself, what happened, did the results agree
with your hypothesis, and so on. Make graphs and
charts to represent the data to help you analyze
it.
6. Write A Report
Write a detailed report about your project. Tell
exactly what you did, how you did it, and what
you discovered. Be sure you write all about your
plan and your experiment. Include your data, and
perhaps some charts and graphs to help readers
interpret the information. Be sure you also include
some of the background information you learned.
For More information visit our Writing A Science
Fair Report page.
7. Make your Display
The Display crucial to your success at the fair
because it tells about your project. The display
must be neat and well organized. It should include
background information, the problem, your hypothesis,
your procedure, your results, your conclusion,
your report, and graphs and charts. You can also
include photos or drawings of your experiments.
For more information on creating your display,
see our Display Hints page.
8. Rehearse Your Presentation
When you make your presentation to the judges,
it is important that you are prepared and know
what you are going to say before you have to say
it. By rehearsing your presentation, you get an
opportunity to 'work the bugs out' and become
to feel comfortable talking about your project.
You should start out rehearsing by yourself and
then find volunteers to to be mock judges and
present it to them. You will calmer and more composed
on the science fair day if you are prepared and
know what you are going to say.
9. Do your BEST!
At the science fair, try to be as calm and professional
as possible. Know what you are talking about and
be confident, you will do fine!!
