How To Do A Science Fair Project
The goals of the Champlain Valley Regional Science Fair (CVRSF) are not only to promote inquiry based scientific investigation at the high school level, but also to encourage junior level students to become more engaged in the process of scientific reasoning and investigation with continued interest through high school and beyond. The Champlain Valley Regional Science Fair has two categories of student investigation: Demonstration Project (Junior Level) and Research Project (Senior Level).
Project Categories
I. Research Projects: Students design research projects that provide quantitative data through experimentation followed by analysis and application of that data. Students pursuing grade-level 9-12 science coursework are considered Senior Level science fair participants. 6 - 8 grade students not pursuing Senior Level coursework can carry out a research project if approved by the CVRSF committee. Students may choose to do an individual or team research project. It's recommended that two students make up a team. The Winners from the CVRSF will be eligible to participate in Science Congress in Syracuse.
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II. Demonstration Projects: Demonstration projects may include working models or demonstrations that can be used to clearly articulate a scientific concept. At CVRSF, only students in Middle School 6-8th grade course work are eligible to present demonstration projects. Demonstration projects provide opportunities for students to explore a particular topic of interest which in turn may stimulate further investigation at the Senior Level.
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All projects must have an adult sponsor. Each student project must be registered with CVRSF. Completed Student/School Registration Forms are due by the indicated deadlines. Each student project registration will be reviewed by the Safety Review Committee. You will be notified of any concerns about the project or of project approval.
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NO chemical or biological agents are allowed at the fair. Please see the SRC rules and guidelines for complete details.
Research Based Projects: Science Research and the Process of Science
Research is a process by which people discover or create new knowledge about the world in which they live. Questioning is probably the most important part of a scientific investigation and is often followed by an “if… then” statement. Students are encouraged to design ‘controlled’ experiments, ones that allow them to set up a standard and then change only one variable at a time to see how that variable might affect the original condition tested as the standard. Thus, questioning usually leads to experiments or observations.
Good scientists, both young and old, frequently use a process to study what they see in the world. This process has been referred as the ‘Scientific Method’ or more recently as the ‘Inquiry Cycle’. The following stages listed below will help you produce a good scientific experiment:
1) Be curious, choose a limited subject, ask a question; identify or originate/define a problem. 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.
2) Review published materials related to your problem or question. This is called background research.
3) Evaluate possible solutions and guess why you think it will happen (hypothesis).
4) Experimental design (procedure). In designing the experiment, it is critical that only one variable – a condition that may affect the results of the experiment – is changed at a time. This makes the experiment a ‘controlled’ experiment.
5) 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.
6) Draw conclusions based on empirical evidence from the experiment.
7) Prepare your report and exhibit.
8) Review and discuss the findings with peer group/ professional scientists
9) New question(s) may arise from your discussions. This sets the stage for another research project as new questions are raised from others and the process repeats itself. The hypothesis often changes during the course of the experiment. Supporting or not supporting your hypothesis is secondary to what is learned and discovered during the research.
Getting Started
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1) Pick your topic: This is perhaps the most difficult part. Get an idea of what you want to study or learn about. Ideas should come from things in your area of interest. A hobby might lead you to a good topic. What is going on in the world that you would like to know more about? Most importantly, pick a question or problem that is not too broad and that can be answered through scientific investigation.
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2) Research your topic: Go to the library or internet to learn more about your topic. Always ask Why or What if…. Look for unexplained or unexpected results. Also, talk to professionals in the field.
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3) Organize: Organize everything you have learned about your topic. At this point, you should narrow your thinking by focusing on a particular idea.
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4) Make a time table: Choose a topic that not only interests you, but can be done in the amount of time you have. Identify your ‘testable question’. Develop a time line to manage your time efficiently. You will need time to fill out the necessary forms and to review the Research Plan with your sponsor. Certain projects will require more time because they need prior Scientific Review Committee (SRC) or Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval. Allow plenty of time to experiment and collect data. You will also need time to write a paper and put together a display or ‘board’.
5) Plan Your Experiment: Give careful thought to experimental design. Once you have a feasible project idea, write a research plan. This plan should explain how you will do your experiments and exactly what will be involved. Remember you must design your experiment so that it is a ‘controlled’ experiment. This is one in which only one variable is changed at a time. The results are then compared to the ‘standard’ data you take originally before you change that one variable. Thus, you have designed an investigation with adequate control and limited variables to investigate a question. Also, in your experimental design, make sure you include sufficient numbers in both control ( if applicable) and experimental groups to be statistically valid. The experimental design should also include a list of materials. Once finished with the experimental design (called ‘procedure’) all students are required to fill out the appropriate forms.
6) Consult with Your Adult Sponsor and get Approvals: You are required to discuss your research plan with an Adult Sponsor and obtain a signature of approval. In reviewing your research plan, you should determine if additional forms and prior approval are needed.
7) Conduct your experiment: During experimentation, keep detailed notes of each and every experiment, measurement and observation in a log book. Do not rely on memory. Besides, judges love logbooks! Use data tables or charts to record your quantitative data.
8) Analyze Your Results: When you complete your experiments, examine and organize your findings. Use appropriate graphs to make ‘pictures’ of your data. Identify patterns from the graphs. This will help you answer your testable question. Did your experiments give you the expected results? Why or why not? Was your experiment preformed with the exact same steps each time? Are there other explanations that you had not considered or observed? Were there experimental errors in your data taking, experimental design or observations? Remember, that understanding errors is a key skill scientists must develop. In addition, reporting that a suspected variable did not change the results can be valuable information. That is just as much a ‘discovery’ as if there was some change due to the variable. In addition, statistically analyze your data using the statistics that you can understand and explain their meaning.
9) Draw Conclusions: Did the variable(s) tested cause a change when compared to the standard you are using? What patterns do you see from your graph analysis that exist between your variables? Which variables are important? Did you collect enough data? Do you need to conduct more experimentation? Keep an open mind – never alter results to fit a theory. If your results do not support your hypothesis, that’s ok and in some cases good! Try to explain why you obtained different results than your literature research predicted for you. Were there sources of error that may have caused these differences? If so, identify them. Even if the results do differ, you still have accomplished successful scientific research because you have taken a question and attempted to discover the answer through quantitative testing. This is the way knowledge is obtained in the world of science. Think of practical applications that can be made from this research. How could this project be used in the real world? Finally, explain how you would improve the experiment and what would you do differently.