This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American
Is a looming science fair project keeping you up at night? Has the teacher sent home an “informational packet” that requires your child to bring back a completed project? Does the teacher’s kid win the school fair every year anyway? Fear not – help is here! I have launched a new (and free) website/blog to help parents help kids complete exciting, enjoyable, and technically correct science fair projects – even if it is due… tomorrow. So let’s get started.
The first you thing you need to know is that a science fair project is different from a school report on a special topic like whales, planets, or climate change. It is also different from making a model such as a volcano or solar system. A science fair project involves conducting an experiment to answer a question or solve a problem. The key to a successful project is combining the correct use of scientific method with an original idea.
First, learn the basics of the scientific method
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STEP 1: Based on observations, ask a question
STEP 2: Predict the answer to the question (we call that prediction a hypothesis)
STEP 3: Design an experiment to generate data to test the hypothesis (easier than it sounds)
STEP 4: Analyze the data to determine if the prediction should be accepted or rejected
STEP 5: Ask a new question, based on the results. Repeat steps 2-5 for as long as you have time, resources, and interest.
Next, you have to find an idea. This is unquestionably the hardest part, so here are 3 strategies for finding an original idea, ranked from easiest (good enough) to hardest (best):
Find directions for a project online or in a science fair project book. Complete the project as it is because this is a good way to learn the scientific method. For your original project, you will need to change something about the one you found. For example: if the project was “what is the effect of pumpkin size (weight) on the number of seeds inside?” you could make an original project by asking any (or all) of the following questions:
What is the effect of pumpkin volume on the number of seeds inside?
What is the effect of pumpkin size on the average size of the seeds inside?
What is the effect of jalapeño pepper size on the number of seeds inside?
In all cases the independent variable (aka manipulated or explanatory variable) is the one you will manipulate (pumpkin weight, pumpkin volume, pepper size) and the dependent variable (aka response variable) is the one you will measure (number of seeds inside, size of seeds inside) in your experiment(s).
Find something to measure: You must measure something! Think about all the things you can measure:
For your DEPENDENT VARIABLE (must be quantitative), you could measure…
• size
• speed
• concentration
• frequency (how often something happens)
• angles and/or direction
The INDEPENDENT VARIABLE can be either quantitative (i.e. measurable with numbers) or qualitative (i.e. describable with adjectives).
Examples of qualitative variables would include:
• color: red, blue, green, yellow, orange
• gender: male, female
• size: small, medium, large
• age: old, young
Now that you have identified what you are able to measure, ask a question as to how that variable changes as a function of time (hourly, daily, weekly, etc.), or space (distance from something, distance along a path, within an area of interest, etc). Along the same lines, you could build a piece of equipment (just search for “how to build a” … thermometer, barometer, secchi disk, etc) as part I of the project and then use that equipment to answer a question as part II.
Find an observation: If you have a good understanding of the scientific method and are just searching for a creative idea, this is the strategy for you. Home remedies and “old wives’ tales” are a fantastic place to start. For example, I have too many spiders in my house and I once heard that spiders will not build webs near coconut oil.
This would be my observation. My question becomes: Do spiders avoid coconut oil? Can you make a hypothesis and design an experiment around this question? Try it before reading on.
Here are some hints: My hypothesis could be (I would have to pick one):
If there is coconut oil, then there will be fewer spiders
If there is coconut oil, then there will be more spiders
If there is coconut oil, then there will be no difference in the number of spiders
The hypothesis often yields clues about what the experiment will need to be. Here I would need well defined areas with and without coconut oil and then I would need to count the number of spiders that are in those areas. The details are up to you!
Along the same lines, you could also flip through your science text book and look for interesting relationships or factoids. For example: Does cricket chirping track with the phases of the moon? Try again to design this project before reading on.
Hints: My hypothesis could be (pick one)
As the phases of the moon change, crickets chirp more frequently
As the phases of the moon change, crickets chirp less frequently
As the phases of the moon change, cricket chirping does not change
For an experiment, I would need to monitor the phase of the moon (independent variable) and measure the frequency of chirping (count the number per unit time). Again the details are part of your project design.
Good luck and have fun! If you like what you have read, and want more tips and guidance, come visit my website and blog (http://science-fair-coach.com). It is designed to help parents, teachers, and other mentors (that are not scientists) help kids complete interesting, fun, and technically correct science fair projects. Although the information targets 3rd through 8th grade students, the details will be useful for all first time participants. It will also help those that don’t want to win the science fair, but rather desperately need the good grade or extra credit in science class.