Preparing a
Project |
| The Scientific Method | First, it is important that the teacher explains
to the students what a science fair project is. Show
pictures of award winning projects, show a video, talk
about attractiveness and neatness, discuss the scientific
method and research and give suggestions to help the
students get started. Once the student chooses a topic, discuss it with him/her. Have the student explain what they are trying to show or prove. If it sounds like a viable project, encourage that they get some help from a parent, relative or friend. As a class lesson, discuss the scientific method - all the necessary components that must be dealt with and displayed on the finished project. The following is a guide to the scientific method. Each student should follow these as does every scientist when trying to prove something: PURPOSE: What is the purpose of this project? Does it ask a question that I would like to find the answer to? Would others be interested in knowing? TITLE: Have I chosen a title that relates to the purpose? Is it "catchy"? Will the judges stop to look at my project? HYPOTHESIS: What do you think the outcome to your problem will be? Remember, it's only a guess. You will find the real answer later. The purpose of a hypothesis is to keep you on track and focused on your project. It will give you some idea about what your project will show. REFERENCES: Gather all the necessary reference books and encyclopedias related to your topic. Use the Internet. Find web sites related to your subject. Send e-mail to people in field. These are all good resources. EXPERIMENTS: What types of experiments will I have to do in order to solve my problem? Will I be able to show this on science fair day or will I have to take photographs and display them. Be sure to allow yourself enough time to perform all the experiments and be sure to keep detailed notes. MATERIALS: It is important to list all the materials you will need in order to carry out the experiments. This will help in organization and planning. RECORD: Be sure you record the results of your experiments. Also, have you written a report from the research you did? Judges look for this. A report is your record of what you've learned from the research you performed. Now that you've complete this whole project, put it together on a display board. Make it attractive and eye-catching. You want to pull the judges toward your project. Use colors but don't be gaudy. Go over a checklist to see if you included the title, the purpose, the hypothesis, the references, the experiments, the materials, the report. Have I displayed photographs, drawings, charts, and graphs. Do I have my experiment ready for the presentation on the table in front of the display board? Does it look like an award -winning science fair project? If yes, good luck. |