Step 1: Selecting a Topic

Start your project by brainstorming ideas.

Click here to get your mind moving!

Step 2: State the Purpose of the Project

What is it you want to accomplish?

Step 3: Research

No matter what the topic or purpose of your science project, the next step should be to find out more about the topic you have chosen. Look for books, magazines, and web sites about your topic.

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Your hypothesis is what you think the answer to your question will be. It usually includes your prediction about what will happen during your investigation.

A good hypothesis is:

• based on the information you gatered in research
• clear and breif
• "testable"

Write down:

Your purpose (why are you doing this experiment?)

Your procedure. Be sure to write down every step. You are writing a "recipe" for your experiment.

Variables. These are things that change.

Controls: These are things that stay the same.

Data: What happened.

Design your experiment before you perform it. Think about the factors that could change the results of your experiment ... light, heat, cold and humidity, for example. These are called variables. You want to control as many variables as you can. It's a good idea to ask your teacher, your parents or an older brother or sister to look over your experiment. They might see other variables that you can control better.

Step 7: Materials

Your materials. If you have to buy things, write down where you got them and what they cost. Often you can use materials you have at home, but you still need to list them.

Precise record keeping is essential for accurate results.

Your form should include a place for:

• date and time of entries
• measurements and observations
• notes and comments

A good scientist always double-checks results. This is especially important if your hypothesis is different from what most people think. It is also important if your research disproves your hypothesis (if the results are not what you expected). You may need time to do the experiment a second or third time. Follow the directions in your log. Does it turn out the same way? If not, what happened? Did you forget to write down one of the steps? Were there other variables that might have changed the results?

Results are what you find out. They are usually in the form of data. Data is another word for information. In research, data usually means numbers. Numbers can be turned into graphs and charts to make your results easier to understand. Good graphs makes an ordinary person say, "I see what happened."

In an experiment, you learn whether your hypothesis is true or false. But you always learn more. How can you put what you learned to work in everyday life?

Once you have reached your conclusion, you will want to write a report. Your report tells about your project in a way that an ordinary person can understand. It summarizes the entire scientific method.

What did you want to find out? What did you do to find it out? What happened? Where did you get your materials? How much did they cost? How much time did it take? These are things that people would like to know.

For the science fair, of course, your report becomes a display.

Get more advice from Busen Bob. Click on Science on Display on the menu bar on the left.

Projects:

You can find sample projects here.