Science FairThe Ins and Outs and Dos and Don’ts

Why do one?

• Discovering something amazing

• Developing Skills

• Cash and Prizes

• You’re Required!

What you’re doing• Be curious, choose a limited subject, ask a question. It is

important that this question be a 'testable' question - one in which data is taken and used to find the answer. A testable question can further be identified as one in which one or more variables can be identified and tested to see the impact of that variable on the original set of conditions. The question should not merely be an 'information' question where the answer is obtainable through literature research.

• Review published materials related to your problem or question. This is called background research.

• Evaluate possible solutions and guess why you think it will happen (hypothesis).

• Experimental design (procedure). In designing the experiment, it is critical that only one variable - a condition that may effect the results of the experiment - is changed at a time. This makes the experiment a 'controlled' experiment.

• Challenge and test your hypothesis through your procedure of experimentation (data collection) and analysis of your data. Use graphs to help see patterns in the data.

• Draw conclusions based on empirical evidence from the experiment.

• Prepare your report and exhibit.

In Short:

• Choose a topic and form a question.• Research the topic.• Design an experiment to test your

hypothesis to the question.• Record data.• Analyze the data and organize it.• Prepare a presentation in paper form

and on the backboard.

Tips and Advice

• Choose a topic that interests YOU!

• Check out sciencebuddies.com. Use the Topic Selection Wizard for help choosing a topic.

• Topics to Avoid handout• Follow guidelines provided by

your teacher.

Paperwork

• All paperwork can be downloaded

• Projects requiring the most paperwork are human projects, including anything with surveys, and projects with vertebrate animals.

Backboard• This is where you visually display what

you did.• Should include the following:

– Title– Purpose– Hypothesis– Materials and procedures– Results– Conclusion

• You must include pictures taken during your experiment.

Charts and Graphs

• Charts and graphs can be used to visually display your data and results.

• Examine the next few slides of charts and graphs. Determine what is wrong, if anything, with each of them.

Key Findings / Results 1

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Test 1 Test 2 Test 3 Test 4

First

Second

Third

Key Findings / Results 2

Item 1 Item 2 Item 3 Item 4

Key Findings / Results 3

Run number Description Result A Result B

1 Condition A True True

2 Condition B True False

3 Condition C False False

Project Notebook• It must be displayed with your project.• This is a journal of your research.• It should include:

– accurate records of dates – measurements taken– sources that you looked up or printed off– copies of instructions given by your

teacher– any pictures not included on the

backboard

Research Paper• This is the written version of your entire

project. It is extremely important that you follow the format provided to you by your teacher.

• Includes:– Title page– Abstract– Table of Contents– Introduction– Experiment– Discussion– Conclusion– Works Cited

Abstract• Although the abstract goes at the

beginning of your paper, it should actually be the last thing written.

• It is a short (less than 250 word) summary of the whole research experience.

• It can not be written until the end because it includes a brief summary of your results and conclusion.

MOSQUITO MISSILE-TOE : CAN MISTLETOE BERRY EXTRACT BE USED AS AN EFFECTIVE PESTICIDE THAT WORKS AS WELL AS OR BETTER THAN A CONVENTIONAL PESTICIDE?Name:

School: Hamilton High School, 211 Aggie Avenue, Hamilton, AL 35570

This experiment was conducted to see if mistletoe berry extract can be used as an effective mosquito pesticide that works as well as or better than a conventional pesticide called Agnique MMF. Forty mosquito larvae were divided into two equal groups in 200 milliliters of water. Each group was treated with one of the two pesticides with an amount that was 3 % of the water’s volume. After the pesticide remained in the water for 24 hours with the mosquito larvae, the number of live larvae was counted.

The results were that Agnique MMF killed 85%, or 17 out of 20 larvae, and the mistletoe berry extract killed 100%, or 20 out of 20 larvae. These results show mistletoe berry extract can be used as an effective mosquito pesticide that would be a safer, natural alternative to conventional pesticides.

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION…………………………..1

EXPERIMENT……………………………...4

DISCUSSION………………………………5

CONCLUSION……………………………..8

WORKS CITED

Introduction• This is the part of the paper that

includes all internet, book, and interview research you completed before you begin actual experimentation.

• You must have 5 sources used to develop your introduction. Wikipedia is not a reliable source!

• Do not copy and paste from the internet. This should be in your own words.

• The information you find out in your research should help you determine your hypothesis.

Experiment

• This is where you include your materials and procedures.

• It should be written in a way that anyone can understand and repeat the experiment.

Discussion• This is where you discuss the data that

you observed or collected in the process of your experimentation.

• Data should be organized in an easy-to-read format. It is good to include charts and graphs here.

• When running more than one trial, it is recommended to include individual and average data.

Conclusion• This is where you sum up all that was

discovered.• Individual data should not be included

here, only averages.• You should briefly discuss the

experiment, what happened, and whether your hypothesis was supported or not.

• Hypotheses CANNOT be proven or disproven, only supported or not supported.

Works CitedWORKS CITED

1. “Agnique MMF”. http://www.mosquitommf.com/. (January 30, 2008)

2. Kepner, John.“Pesticides and You”. Spring 2001. http://www.beyondpesticides.org/infoservices/pesticidesandyou/Spring%2001%20vol.%2021%20no.%201.pdf. (January 13, 2008)

3. Loeper, Margaret E. “Mistletoe(Viscum album L.)”. http://www.longwoodherbal.org/mistletoe/mistletoe.pdf. (January 13, 2008).

4. “Mosquito Information”. http://insected.arizona.edu/lessons.htm. (January 19,2008)

5. “Science News for Kids: Science Fair Zone”. February 23, 2005. http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20050223/ScienceFairZone.asp. (January 10, 2008)

6. Swain, Liz, and Frey, Rebecca J. “mistletoe:Definition and Much More from Answers.com”.http://www.answers.com/topic/mistletoe?cat=health. (January 13,2008)

7. “Why do mosquitoes bite?”. http://www.mosquitocontroltrap.com/mosquito_faq. (January 17, 2008)