Science research

We are going to walk through the steps of a Sample Project. You will learn how to turn a project idea into a unique project. During the phase of the actual experiment, you can use one of the data-collecting techniques or other ideas to design and develop your project. Even though science fair projects may have very different topics, the overall plan for doing them is mostly the same. These are the key steps:

Starting Your Project Procedures Results Explaining Your Results Problem and Hypothesis

Starting your Project

Once you have selected your subject, you are ready to get started. Here are some tips to getting you started on the right foot. This tips will include everything from gathering your materials to setting a schedule. All of these are essential steps in good science fair projects.

Project Journal
Your journal is an important part of your project. You will be recording the progress of the project. When the experiment has been completed, and the results recorded in the journal, you will find the journal to be very useful when you start you project report.

Title and Problem Question
The title and the problem question we are using on this sample project, will most likely not work for your own project. Below is the Title and the Problem Question.

HOW HIGH?
PROBLEM
When is the Sun at its highest altitude during the day?

Materials

All the materials you will need for the sample experiment can be found around the house or purchased without much money at a local store. You will need to collect all the supplies before you start the experiment. The experiment will go much more smoothly if you have all the materials you need before starting the experiment. If there is a material you can not find, ask an adult before you substitute materials. Different science fair projects will need different materials, but here is a sample list for one experiment:

Materials Example

Pencil 5 tablespoons (75 ml) plaster of Paris 2 tablespoons (30 ml) tap water 3 ounce (90 ml) paper cup Masking tape 30-inch (1-meter) piece of string Yardstick (meter stick) Protractor Helper

Make sure you have thought the experiment through and thought of all the material you will need to perform the experiment.

Six-Week Schedule

Starting on science fair projects can seem a bit of a huge task, but you can cut this huge task down to bite-size bits with a schedule. Make sure to follow your timetable so that everything gets done at a reasonable pace and not all at the last minute.

Procedure

The procedure is the steps needed to complete the experiment. In the procedure a variable is anything that has an effect on the experiment. In the sample project, the altitude of the sun must be measure during specific times during the day. This makes the time of day the independent or manipulated variable. The measure altitude is the dependent, or responding variable. All other variables like the latitude and season are the controlled, or constant, variable.

Results

First you must organize all the data you have collected during the experiment before you can actually say the results of your experiment. Number, which is called “raw data” have very little meaning unless you organize and label them. You will need to write down the data from each experiment in a neat and orderly fashion in your journal. A table is one good way to keep up and record the numbers of your results. There are several ways you can present your results data. However you decide to present you results data, be creative, but get make it easy to understand. Science fair projects that are easy for teachers and judges to understand usually do the best.

Explaining Your Results

To explain your results you will need to use any information you have gathered during your research and combine it with the results you found in your experiment. If necessary make a small model of part of the experiment. The sample project used the sun’s altitude and certain times of the day. You could make a small model of the earth and the sun to show the Northern Hemisphere’s location at a certain time of day to the sun.

Problem and Hypothesis

Now that you have collected and analyzed your project research, you should be able to identify the problem. In your hypothesis you should state the findings in your research and compare them to the findings in your experiment. Remember, science fair projects must always have a clear hypothesis that can be stated in just one or two sentences.

By: Aurora Lipper

Tags: Adult, Altitude, Day Materials, Different Materials, Good Science, Hypothesis, Local Store, Materials Science, Ml, Money Store, Much Money, Pencil, Plaster, Project Idea, Projects Science, Right Foot, Science Fair Projects, Science Journal, Science Project, Science Projects