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Science Fair Abstracts – How to Write an Abstract

admin — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:02:29 +0000

A science fair abstract is an abbreviated report or a summary in brief of the entire project. It is one of the last job of the science project but is of immense importance. It states the essential and most important things about the project. The science fair abstract in a clear and easy language gives the important outlines of the entire project. The abstract is generally around 250 words in length. It should appear at the beginning while preparing the project report and it should also be placed at the display board of the fair. The science fair abstract, when placed at the display board, gives the spectators the condensed version comprising the main elements of the project.

Science fair abstract helps people determine if they want to read the full report. Much more people will read the abstract as any other part of the work. It’s like an advertisement speaking for the work done. If one wants the jury and audience to be excited about one’s science fair project, then writing an exciting, engaging abstract is always suggested.

Since a science fair abstract is so short, each section is usually only one or two sentences long. Consequently, every word is important to conveying message. If a word is boring or vague, it will provide distraction. If a word is not adding something important it should be omitted But, even with the abstract’s brief length, don’t be afraid to reinforce a key point by stating it in more than one way or referring to it in more than one section.

The science fair abstract should always include the following parts -

* Introduction—This is your project’s purpose statement i.e. why was the project undertaken

* Problem Statement—It lays down the hypothesis of the project

* Procedure—give the description of your variables, your approach towards the investigation

* Results—give specific data and the synopsis of the results obtained

* Conclusion—state clearly the conclusion derived

While writing the abstract for the science project one should follow certain specific guidelines and avoid the following –

* Uncommon scientific terms which most people aren’t aware of

* Abbreviations and short forms

* Charts and tables

* Acknowledgements

Given below is an outline to write a science project abstract:

* Title

* Introduction (genera idea about the project)

* Problem statement and the hypothesis (what is that is to be established) Methodology (process employed, materials used etc.)

* Analysis of data (what indication does the data gives)

* Conclusion (what results were found)

* Application (how is the finding of help)

By: Jordan Matthews

Science Fair Projects For Students

admin — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 20:12:01 +0000

Of the many science fair projects for students, few really teach a student a new concept. This is because science fair project rules often suggest that students use science concepts and ideas that students have already learned. Doing a project using learned concepts helps students retain the concept and really understand what they have learned through tangible examples. While this is great for reinforcing learned lessons, more science projects should introduce new concepts to students in order to further interest them in science.

In the realm of physical science for example, the science projects for students learning centrifugal and centripetal force may just ask them to compare bucket rotations. Creating a roller coaster, on the other hand, will help teach students about centrifugal force, and you can further the physics lesson with a discussion on simple and complicated machines. Creating machines can really pique a child’s interest in physics, even if it is just a simple motor that can power the tree house!

A science project for students that tackle life science is a good way to begin introducing young children to biology or older children to molecular biology. Instead of a simple project that compares how plants grow, you can introduce your child to the concept of grafting plants together. Creating a two or three citrus fruit plant is not only useful to your household, but it is sure to garner attention and acclaim at a science fair! What’s more is that your child will learn about how plants grow and how they can survive.

Earth science projects for students can teach students about how to preserve the world they live in. Studies on alternative means of growing crops and how to prevent global warming may not be tackled in your child’s science class, but these concepts are just as important for a child to know. What’s more is that these concepts can lead to projects that introduce new and relevant science concepts to your child. This will put your child ahead of their class in terms of lessons, and with a good possibility of winning the science fair.

For this year’s science fair project, try convincing your child to go for a topic they have not studied yet. For as long as the rules do not prohibit it, it will lead to some great science discoveries between you and your child. Children who study and discover with their parents are likely to do much better in school. It is also a great way for you to spend time together!

By: Ethan Jeremy

Kids Science Projects Can Warm Your Heart

admin — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 07:07:54 +0000

Everyone talks about the greenhouse effect and how our Earth and its climate are having greenhouse type of effects. What does that mean? You can do a science project that will show this effect and what is happening to our Earth.

Go to your pantry and look for these items. If you do not have them you can go to your local store and get these items:

2 glass containers that need to be the same size and shape A 1 gallon plastic storage bag 4 cups very cold water Ice cubes

Fill each glass container with 2 cups of the cold water. Add ice cubes to each jar. You will want to put the exact same amount of ice cubes in each jar. I would suggest 6 ice cubes in each jar.

Put one of the jars in the plastic bag and seal it shut.

Put both containers in the sun together and let sit for at least an hour.

You are trying to create the greenhouse effect with the container in the plastic bag.

At the end of 1 hour or a little longer remove the jar from the plastic bag and immediately insert a thermometer to measure the temperature of the water.

After you record this temperature measure the degrees in the water that was not covered.

When you placed the jars in the direct sunlight the air inside the bag became very warm. When you have a greenhouse it lets light inside which allows the sun’s energy and also heat. Since the heat filters in but cannot escape because you have made a plastic barrier it stays in the enclosed area and increases the temperature. When you demonstrated the science project above you created your own greenhouse and showed how warm you could get the water. What if you left that for two, three or four hours?

Think about what is happening to the Earth. There are chemicals that are creating a type of plastic bag around the Earth and it causes our air to get warmer because of the energy of the sun creating heat and it being retained in this enclosed area.

Even though you did not heat the water to boiling think about your car in the hot summer. This is what happens when you go in to work and leave your car outside all closed up all day. When you return at 3pm the car is scorching hot. This greenhouse effect has caused your car to be so hot you sometimes cannot even touch the steering wheel.

This science project is a great idea about what we are doing to our planet.

By: Lesa Bolt

Amazing Science Project

admin — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 22:52:56 +0000

All you need for this science project are the following materials:

A glass bottle such as a beer bottle, a glass soda bottle or something like that. A piece of string big enough to tie around the base of the bottle into a knot. Acetone. This is the fingernail polish remover A Match or Lighter Rubber gloves. Protective eye gear such as goggles

Put on your safety glasses and rubber gloves.

Put about two to three inches of water into the bottle.

Take the string and put it in a capful of acetone. Let it soak just for a moment so that the string is wet with the acetone.

Tie the string around the top part of the bottle, just where the neck of it widens into the main part of the bottle body.

Make sure the string is tight around it, and in a straight circle and stays in that one place.

Light the string all the way around with the lighter or a lit match. The string may burn for a moment with the fluid that is on the string. Once the flame goes out place the bottle in a bucket or sink filled with water. Hold onto the bottle and hold it upright as it is submerged. The water should cover all the way past where the string was on the bottle but does not have to completely cover the bottle.

Now put one hand on the bottom of the glass bottle and the other on the top mouth of the bottle and pull your hands toward each other and it should break easily and in a complete ring around where the string was. Please be careful when breaking the glass to avoid getting cut by glass or any slivers that may fly away from the glass.

Your research for this project is how did the acetone and flame make the glass section have a weak area so that it could break?

This project is good to do as a demonstration at science fairs because it is a great science project.

By: Lesa Bolt

Science Project Safety 101

admin — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 02:01:11 +0000

Even the simplest science projects can be dangerous if you do not practice science project safety. Combining some very common household ingredients in the right way can cause serious health problems and even death. Children should be taught basic safety techniques and parents should be readily available for questioning or to directly observe more hazardous experiments. Below are some basic safety tips to follow when working on science projects. There is no comprehensive list that covers every potential hazard so it is important to use common sense.

• Always carefully and thoroughly read all directions before beginning any experiment.

• If you have purchased a science kit of some kind, make sure that you are only using the materials provided in the kit and that you do not combine foreign materials unless otherwise directed.

• When it doubt, do not be afraid to ask questions. Make sure that children know to ask a parent if they are not sure what to do next and that parents refer to the instructional guide of a help-line if they do not know how to resolve an issue.

• Any experiment that involves fire, chemicals, or anything else that could be potentially dangerous, should be supervised by a parent, teacher or other knowledgeable adult.

• Never mix chemicals. Only use chemicals in the specific manner directed. Never touch chemicals with bare hands.

• Make sure that if you do not complete your project in a single sitting, that you put it someplace out of the way so that others do not injure themselves or accidentally handle your pending experiment.

• Always clean-up the area that you have been working on. You do not want parts of your chemistry project left on the same counter that your mom is going to use later to cook diner on.

• You may find that you will be asked to use materials for a specific project that require special care for their disposal. Just some of the ways that a substance could be hazardous are that it could be flammable, reactive, toxic, radioactive, etc.

• Animals, people and regulated materials should all be handled with care. Remember that science can stop being fun if someone gets hurt.

• Parents, make sure that if any of your projects materials are accompanied by Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) that you take time to carefully read through the information provided. MSDS sheets provide valuable information regarding how to handle a chemical and how to get medical help if needed.

• Make sure that you wear protective equipment such as goggles, gloves, an apron, or a hat when necessary.

The science projects that your children will be asked to perform are rarely going to involve any chemicals or substances that could easily harm them so you do not need to be paranoid about any project your child brings home from school. At the same time it is unwise to let your guard down and make assumptions about safety without carefully examining the situation. After all, accidents happen when you least expecting them.

Be involved as your child chooses which science projects that he would like to try. Make sure that you make the time to supervise your child and encourage your child to ask questions. Practicing good science safety will allow you and your children to have an educational and uplifting experience together.

By: Chuck Lunsford

Biology Science Project

admin — Sat, 29 May 2010 14:39:57 +0000

There are many biology science project possibilities these days. Many of them focus on plants, and animals and how they grow. One project that has not been overdone, and can be done in many different ways is the biology science project that extracts DNA. Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA is the building block of any living organism. Each cell of every organism carries inside it the DNA of that living thing. This project shows students how to extract DNA, making it original each time because there are so many living things to choose from!

The simplest living thing you can extract DNA from is a fruit. Try getting a fruit that you can easily mash. A banana, a mango, or a papaya are some good examples of fruit that can be mashed. This project uses the knowledge that DNA is stored in the cells of a fruit, and that the DNA in the cells can be extracted once the cells are more separated or mashed up. The DNA from the fruit will be extracted by a mixture of liquid detergent, distilled water, and salt. Specifically, the mixture will be six grams of salt, twenty cc of liquid detergent, and one hundred eighty cc of distilled water. This mixture has to be prepared very carefully, making sure the salt dissolves in the water first and then the detergent is added and stirred in without making any bubbles.

For this biology science project, the pulp (about 200 grams) should be placed in a glass container that can be placed in a pot of water that’s been heated to one hundred forty degrees Fahrenheit. Before placing the container into the water, pour in the detergent, water, and salt mixture. This will help break down the cells even more. Make sure the temperature of the pulp is even the allow it to cool for a quarter of an hour. Once it is done with its cooling time, place the glass container in an ice bath. After five minutes of cooling bath, you can strain the pulp with a sieve and some filter paper, making sure only liquid is extracted from the now somewhat liquefied pulp. This liquid is what you will use to extract DNA.

The last step is to take five cc of the DNA liquid and mix it with one cc of freshly squeezed pineapple juice. Let this sit for about two minutes before carefully adding six cc of ice cold alcohol (previously put in the freezer overnight in an airtight container.) When you slowly put in the alcohol, you will see that the once clear mixture will now have a milky substance and will change color. The presence of color in this biology science project proves the presence of DNA! You have successfully extracted it!

By: Ethan Jeremy

Science Projects Should Be Fun and Informative

admin — Tue, 18 May 2010 06:41:06 +0000

It’s very difficult for a parent to stand on the sidelines and watch their child work on a complicated science project without trying to jump in and take over. Even though the temptation is always there, parents must only help; they should not get in the way. The key to a child’s successful learning about science, or anything for that matter, is for the parents to do their part to guide, not drive.

For basic elementary science projects, all that parents really need do is help the child get started, assist with the presentation and ensure that proper recording of events takes place. The presentation part is where a parent can really assist, but before that, a project really needs to be the child’s for the youngster to learn. Resist the urge to take over, but remain active.

Here’s how a parent can guide without getting too involved:

* The first step in any science project, elementary level or otherwise, is to come up with a project. Science projects don’t have to be earth shattering to be effective. The entire concept is to teach a youngster how to reason out a problem and come to a conclusion on his or her own. With this in mind, it’s often more than acceptable to recreate tried and true projects, such as seedlings’ responses to different types of light, what type of water enables better floating and so on. Let the child come up with the project, but guide him or her in a direction of one that you know he or she can handle. Too complicated and the child can become frustrated; too boring and the lessons won’t be learned.

* Make sure your youngster is following instructions. Ask to see the details of the assignment and guide the child along the path to getting this done. Oftentimes, school science teachers will ask for a child to first present a question and then seek to solve it. This involves setting up an experiment, watching it and recording it. Sometimes three repeats of the same project are needed to help prove or deny the theory the child sets forth. Remind the child here the hypothesis, or theory, is meant to be a guess and it’s OK for that guess to be proven wrong. That’s the whole point of science!

* Assist with the presentation. If your youngster has followed directions correctly, she will likely have a question formulated the project is supposed to answer, a guess at that answer and a series of recorded data that covers the extent of the project and possibly some pictures of the action. It is now time to create a workable visual presentation that shows what the project was about, gives the results in a nutshell and makes it easy for anyone to understand what was done and why. Follow school instructions here as they may vary.

The temptation to get in and take over a child’s project to ensure they have the “best” might be high, but that takes away from the valuable lessons a youngster learns through these efforts. Science projects not only teach lessons about science itself, they also help a child develop a sense of wonder, reason and an ability to question their surroundings.

Copyright (c) 2006

By: Aaron Vaughn

Science Project – The Rush For the Perfect Project

admin — Mon, 17 May 2010 02:15:38 +0000

Right now you may feel hurried because of the beginning of the year and your child now came home with the science project assignment due in just a few short weeks.

Everyone wants to do a unique project that no one has ever done or seen before because they feel it will give them an edge on the competition and ultimately a perfect score or grade of an A.

Some important things to remember when dealing with this is simplicity, ease of tasks and believable end product.

The old adage, keep it simple, is really true in this scenario. You do not have to complete an elaborate or complex project for it to be successful. There does not have to be 20 different steps in the science demonstration. What it does need to do is be believable and understood by the student.

The student needs a science project in which they understand what they are trying to prove and when they get the answer they understand why this happened. Do not fall into the trap of making things so complicated. If your child does not understand the project they will have a hard time convincing the judges and the teacher the theories behind the experiment.

Important things to remember:
Pick a project that is simple and does not require something that you must do. The student should be the one completing the project. They can have a little of your help but ultimately they need to do the project Do not make it beyond their level. Make it a challenge for them but not too complex they do not even understand it. Do something they can easily demonstrate at the fair. Let them have the success. The whole point of doing a science project is for kids to learn and discover how things work and why. Support their efforts and do not stress. If you stress about the project it will not be any fun for your child.

Look for a science project that can be completed in a day or a couple of hours. You can even do one that is an overnight project. These keep the child interested and they can have more time to work on a colorful poster and display.

One big thing is do not wait until the last minute to try to prepare the science project. If the idea is a flop you will be scrambling to find a new idea in a rush.

By: Lesa Bolt

Science Fair Project – 9 Must Know Tasks To An A Plus

admin — Sun, 16 May 2010 17:32:42 +0000

It is that time of the year and your teacher hands out a piece of paper to take home that states the next class assignment is a science fair project and is due in a few weeks.

You may have already picked out a project to do but if not try all the following steps:

1. Originality Is Key!

Your teachers or whoever judges the science fair projects will look for new ideas that are being presented to them. They do not want to see the old stale information from last year. You could definitely think of something that could fix a problem you have in your house or with a product.

2. Prepare

Now that you have the idea it is important to do the project good and you will not do it well if you do not prepare first.

3. Project You

This is one of my biggest pet peeves. The kids come home and hand their parents the paper and expect their mom or dad to give them an idea, get the materials, set up the experiment and do the project. They tell their child what happened and give them the experiment to take to school. No way! This is why you are doing a science project to learn something about science and what better way than to do the experiment yourself.

4. What Are You Doing?

If you have a good idea does your project have clear cut steps to prove your theory? If not you may just be treading water. Keep it simple and understandable and make sure it solves a question or solution.

6. Do You Know It?

When you present the experiment and its outcome to your teacher are you knowledgeable? If they ask a question can you tell them the answer without being goofy? You need to know the information about your project. Your teacher will be impressed and you will actually learn something if you truly know everything about your science experiment. Make sure to do a project that you will be able to understand. If it is really complicated and you still do not understand the concept when you are done then maybe it is too old for you. You need to understand the science level you are trying to accomplish.

7. Answer The Question

Did you answer the question you determined in your hypothesis? If you have shown a science project make sure it works and proves the hypothesis or disproves it.

8. Documentation and Evidence

Give all informational support about the answer you generated in the experiment. You have to prove what you are saying and doing is correct so have back up information to show them.

9. Do Something You Like and Put Yourself Into It

You need to pick a topic that you like and put enough time into the project. If you quickly jot down the science information it will show so pick something you like and will spend time doing and researching to prove a point. Your teacher will see your hard work.

Hope your next science fair project is successful when you follow these steps.

By: Lesa Bolt

Easy Elementary Science Projects – Doing Tests With Yeast

admin — Sat, 01 May 2010 12:32:55 +0000

In this easy elementary science project we are going to experiment with yeast. I wonder if you know what yeast is? Well, it is a type of fungus that lives on the skins of many fruits. A spoonful of yeast contains millions of little single-celled organisms (it is very simple organisms.) These organisms work like tiny factories to by taking sugar and making alcohol and carbon dioxide gas. This is the process that turns the mixture of grain and water into beer and the bubbles it produces are used to make bread light and fluffy. We are going to have a look at the conditions that are necessary for the yeast to grow.

This is one of our easy elementary science projects where adult supervision is vital as we are going to use hot water. Ask an adult to help you with the boiling of the water.

The purpose of this science project is to find the ideal conditions for yeast to grow in.

What you need for this experiment:

A kettle A measuring jug Water 4 Small glass jars Dried yeast 2 Heatproof bowls A teaspoon Dried yeast granules Clear film 3 Elastic bands 4 Colored stickers, green, red, blue and yellow Sugar Ice cubes Scissors Pen

How to do this easy elementary science project:

Fill the kettle about half full with water. Boil the water to kill any organisms that might interfere with the working of the yeast. Now place the stickers on your glass jars. For safety’s sake also mark the stickers a (green), b (red), c (blue0 and d (yellow). With a teaspoon, place a level teaspoon of yeast into each jar. Now you place the same amount of sugar in each jar. Place the jar with the yellow dot (d) away in a warm place. In the remaining jars, pour about 2/3 cup of the cooled, boiled water in each of the remaining bottles. Cut a piece of clear film for each of the remaining 3 jars that is about twice the width of the jars. Stretch one piece over the neck of each of the remaining jars and secure it with a elastic band. Place the jar with the green dot (a) in a warm place. Pace the jar with the blue dot (c) in one of the bowls and put some cold water and ice in this jar too keep it cold. If the ice starts to melt, add more ice to keep the water cold all the time. Now you place the jar with the red dot (b) in the other jar and pour some very hot water in the bowl. Ask and adult to help you with this. The water must be very hot but, not boiling as that may cause the jar to break. If the water start to cool down, add extra hot water to keep it hot all the time. Check on your jars regularly for the next 2 hours, keeping the conditions for each jar as it started. Make meticulous notes of everything that happens. Can you explain why it happens? How do you think this knowledge can be used in baking bread?

If you did this easy elementary science project correctly, the following will happen:

The yeast in the jar that was kept in the hot water (red, b) lies in a cloudy layer at the bottom of the jar as the yeast was killed by the hot water. In the jar that was kept in the cold water (blue, c) there is only a little froth at the top of the jar as the cold slowed down the yeast. (I wonder if you can think how this information can be of some use to a baker.) In the jar that was kept in a warm place (green, a) the yeast has fed on the sugar and water and the resulting carbon dioxide should be pushing up the clear film already. The yeast in the last jar (yellow, d) shows no sign of any activity as the dry yeast is hibernating and will only become active in the presence of water, sugar and warmth. (Not too hot, because we have already established that overheating will cause the yeast to die.)

This easy elementary project is proofs that even doing the simplest experiments can teach us all something of value. How do you think what we learned today can be of practical use to us? In fact it has been used for years in the process of baking bread, making wine and making beer.

By: Magrietha Du Plessis