Science
Title: I have a science fair project to prepare. Where do I get started?
Information: 1. What's it all About? Whether you are a research scientist working on a cure for cancer or a kindergartner getting ready for your very first science fair, you use something called the Scientific Method. It's not as intimidating as it sounds, it's just a way of organizing and explaining your work. The following sites will help you understand the Scientific Method and learn how to use it well. Scientific Method from Biology4kids http://www.biology4kids.com/files/studies_scimethod.html Scientific Method from Science Fair Central http://school.discovery.com/sciencefaircentral/scifairstudio/handbook/scientificmethod.html A Review of the Scientific Method http://www.sciserv.org/isef/teachers/scientific_method.asp 2. Choosing a Topic So many ideas! So many possibilities! How do you choose? Here are some sites that will give you some new ideas and help you decide which is right for you. Got a subject you're interested in but no specific experiment in mind? There's help for you too! Ways to find a science fair project idea http://www.isd77.k12.mn.us/resources/cf/ideas.html Agricultural Ideas for Science Fair Projects http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/kids/fair/ideasframe.htm Project Ideas from Science Fair Central http://school.discovery.com/sciencefaircentral/scifairstudio/ideas.html ScienzFairTM Project Ideas http://members.aol.com/ScienzFair/ideas.htm Getting Started http://www.woodrow.org/teachers/chemistry/seminar/research/start.html 3. Hit the Books and Surf the Web This step is where many projects get into trouble. It can be frustrating and seem to take forever, but it is just as important as the experiment itself. You need to understand and be able to explain what's going on in your experiment! You will often find reports written by other students or scientists on similar experiments, and get some good ideas to improve your own work. There are 2 very important things to remember about this step. Do it well! Take lots of notes! Here are some sites that will help you get started. Resources: Tools for your Research http://www.ipl.org/youth/projectguide/resources.html The Research Department http://www.scifair.org/research/index.shtml Project Research http://school.discovery.com/sciencefaircentral/scifairstudio/handbook/projectresearch.html The Science Page http://www.sciencepage.org/ 4. Design an Experiment or Plan a Project Now you know what you want to do, so how are you going to do it? Careful planning will save time later on and help avoid mistakes. Here are some sites that will help in your planning, and some examples of other students' work. A Sample Project http://school.discovery.com/sciencefaircentral/scifairstudio/handbook/sampleproject.html Design an Experimental Procedure to Test Your Hypothesishttp://www.isd77.k12.mn.us/resources/cf/SciProjIntro.html#Procedure Designing Your Experiment - Some Tips http://cusef.byu.edu/Science%20Fair%20Resources/Expdesign.htm 5. Doing the Experiment or Project This is the fun part, so take your time and be sure to write everything down! Here are some sites that will help. Data and Observations http://www.isd77.k12.mn.us/resources/cf/SciProjIntro.html#Data Method http://sciencefairproject.virtualave.net/method.htm Lesson 2: Methods of Analysis and Evaluation http://www.woodrow.org/teachers/chemistry/seminar/research/analysis.html (Scroll down to Tutorial for Scientific Measurement and Analysis ) 6. Writing the Report Help!! I'm surrounded by piles of paper! Don't panic, help is on the way. Here are some sites that will help you organize all those notes, and some examples of reports by other students. The National Student Research Center E-Database of Student Research: Science Index http://youth.net/nsrc/sci/sci.index.html Project Report http://school.discovery.com/sciencefaircentral/scifairstudio/handbook/projectreport.html Science Fair Paper http://www.isd77.k12.mn.us/resources/cf/paper.html 7. Presenting After all the work you've put in you want your project to shine, so here's help. Stage fright is much less of a problem when you know exactly what you're doing! What will the Judges be Looking for? http://members.aol.com/ScienzFair/judge.htm Display Boards http://www.scifair.org/articles/display.shtml The Display http://school.discovery.com/sciencefaircentral/scifairstudio/handbook/display.html Science Fair Judging Sheet http://sciencefairproject.virtualave.net/judging_sheet.htm Presentation and Evaluation http://school.discovery.com/sciencefaircentral/scifairstudio/handbook/presandeval.html Oral Presentation http://www.twingroves.district96.k12.il.us/ScienceInternet/OralPresentation.html 8. Hints and Tips from the Pros. If you really want the perfect project, this section is for you! From start to finish they've got it covered. Here is the inside scoop from scientists and science fair judges. Science Fair Project Tips http://www.meteor.dotstar.net/science_fair_project_tips.htm What Makes a Good Science Fair Project? http://www.usc.edu/CSSF/Resources/Good_Project.html Making Your Project a Winner http://members.aol.com/ScienzFair/winner.htm Good luck!
Category: Science