Please join us for the Central School Science Fair occurring on Thursday, November 14th. You will have a blast!
IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GET STARTED:
- Participation in this non-competitive Science Fair is optional and open to all students (K-5).
- Students, working individually or in pairs, will conduct their own experiments at home using the
5 steps of the Scientific Method. - Complete the online registration form no later than Monday, October 21st to be eligible to participate.
GETTING STARTED:
First thing to do is to learn some basics about different types of science projects. For example, sometimes a science project is a model, while other science projects are experiments. Models (or displays) show how something works, but they don’t really test anything. Examples of models/displays are projects like “Types of Dinosaurs” or “Baking Soda & Vinegar Volcano.”
Even though you can learn a lot from building a model or researching for a display, we recommend that you do an Experiment!!! Why? Well, they are fun, they are VERY interesting and most of all, they take you through the SCIENTIFIC METHOD, which is the real way scientists do research. You can tell you are doing an experiment if you are testing something several times and changing a variable to see what happens. Examples of experiments include “The Effect of Detergent on the Growth of Plants” or “What Type of Shoes Are Best for Playing Soccer.” Just follow the instructions in this Planning Guide and you
will be a real scientist in no time! This planning guide will:
- Take you through the steps of the Scientific Method (everything you need to know to get through your experiment!)
- Help you come up with your Science Fair topic.
- Explain what you need to do to prepare your actual display for the Science Fair.
Have fun, be safe, and contact your Science Fair Committee at rachelschrier@hotmail.com, cahermann01@gmail.com, or beth@brouwer.com if you have any questions at all. We are here for you!
THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD:
Get ready to have some fun young scientists! Follow the 5 simple steps below and you will have completed an experiment using the Scientific Method.
Use the Scientific Method Worksheet at the end of this document to record your progress through each step OR use your own paper that can be pasted to the board for your display. Your final display should have at least 5 sections corresponding to the 5 steps of the Scientific Method (Question, Hypothesis, Experiment, Results, Conclusion).
QUESTION
Step 1. Ask a question What interests you? Do you have a question about something? What can you test? The question can be a simple one such as, “What kind of paper makes the best paper airplane?”
To give you an idea of what we mean, take a look at the types of questions below:
The “Effect” Question:
What is the effect of _______________ on ____________________?
sunlight the growth of plants / temperature the size of a balloon / oil a ramp
The “How Does” Question:
How does the ___________________ affect ___________________?
color of light the growth of plants / humidity the growth of fungi / color of a material its absorption of heat
The “Which/What” Question:
Which/What _____________________ (verb) ______________________?
paper towel (is) most absorbent / foods (do) mealworms prefer / peanut butter (tastes) the best
Now it’s your turn:
Create your Science Fair question. If it helps, try using one of the approaches above: “Effect Question”, the “How does” Question” or the “Which/What” Question.” If you need some extra help coming up with an idea, have an adult help you check out the online resources below, ask the librarian at the local library, or email your Science Fair Committee.
Once you’ve decided what your question will be, record it on the Scientific Method Worksheet (included at the end of this packet) or on a piece of paper of your own. You will also use this to come up with a title for your presentation, which should be included in the required registration form due Monday, October 21st. If you are still working on your idea, just enter “Scientist Still Thinking” in the title field.