Getting Started on your Science Fair Project

1.  Decide on the Topic

Deciding on a topic is often the hardest part of science fair for a student. It involves establishing a question that students can answer through experimentation. The experimentation must produce objective data - something that can be measurered.  Try to find something that interests you or questions you may have had about natural phenomena. Check out some science fair project websites or your local library will have some books with ideas.

2.  Background Research

Once you have decided on a topic, you need to do some background research.  For example, if you want to do a project on the effect of temperature on the rate of diffusion, make sure you understand diffusion and how temperature affects the movement of molecules.  This will give you the background you need ot effectively design your experiment and to make sense of the results.

3.  Experimental Design Worksheet

Once you decide on the question you want to answer and do the background research, you are ready to design your experiment.  Using an experimental design sheet will help you work through your project. 

4.  Collect All Needed Material for Experiment

This is an important step, because without the right materials and equipment, a student won't be able to follow through and actually carry out an experiment.  You have to keep this in mind when designing your experiment.  Some questions you need to ask yourself include, "Will it be hard to get the materials and equipment I need?  Will I know how to use any required equipment? Are the materials going to be expensive? Are there items I can use in the classroom?"  Once you know what equipment and materials you need, you have to actually get them!

5.  Perform the Experiment

Once the design of the experiment is finished and you have your equipment and materials gathered, you are ready to actually perform the experiment.  Have someone photograph the steps you are taking and the results.  These photos make great additions to a display board and provide documentation for what you did.

It's okay if your results are not what you expected, as long as you carefully followed the procedure.  After all, it's an experiment! 

6.  Analyze Your Data.  Determine if the Data Supports Your Hypothesis

Here you need to analyze your data and decide if your experiment supports or doesn't support your hypothesis.  Record your data in a table format and then graph it so you can easily see any patterns.

7.  Develop the Conclusion

The conclusion should always state whether or not the experiment supported the hypothesis.  You might also want to comment on a problem with this experiment, suggest further research, or say something about the scientific reason for the result.