Science Project

Where Do I Begin?

 

The RCS Science Fair, held in the spring during 2010 RCS Open House, is a way for you to conduct a true scientific experiment. The scientific method is the way you will conduct your experiment.  It is a step-by-step logical thinking process. 

 

FIRST STEP:

Statement of the Problem

This is a statement of what you hope to discover. What have you learned through your research and what problem do you hope to solve? 

Examples:

How does changing the concentration of aspirin administered to developing plants affect their growth?

Does a 2-pound test fishing line REALLY hold two pounds of fish?

 

 

SECOND STEP:

Hypothesis

A hypothesis is an educated guess about the outcome (results) of your experiment. It is what you think might happen when you do your experiments.  What affects or results do YOU expect, based upon your background research? The hypothesis usually is in the form of a brief statement. It can include a number or a percentage.

Examples:

Plants grown in green light will be 15% taller than plants grown in other colors.

Bubbles made with Factor X will have an average diameter of 5 cm greater than bubbles made with Factor Y.

Note:  A hypothesis does not have to be right or wrong. Just collect experimental evidence to determine if your guess is correct.

 

THIRD STEP:

Procedures and Design

Can you think of a way to test your hypothesis experimentally with measurable results? If the answer is no, you need to reword your hypothesis or choose another topic.

Your procedure is one of the most important parts of your project. The way you plan and design your experiment will make or break your project. Judges look closely at procedures to see if the experimental design (using the scientific method) really answered the question that was set out to be solved.

This can be a basic design that can be adjusted later. Write down all the steps of your procedure. Write down amounts used, how often you will run the experiment, number of subjects tested, etc. Someone reading your design should have a good idea of how you ran your experiment.

 

Fourth Step:

Variables and Controls

You should include the independent variables, the dependent variable, and the controls in your experimental design.

 

The independent variable is the variable that YOU change. 

Example:

The amount of aspirin to be given to plants is 0 mg, 2 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg, and 20 mg.  The amounts will be administered twice each day at the same time, after dissolving in 25 ml of water.

 

The dependent variable is the part of the experiment you want to know. This answers the question (title) to your project.

Example:

I will measure the resulting average growth following the aspirin administration after 3 weeks’ time. The growth rate is the dependent variable.

 

The controls are the aspects of the experiment that you don’t want to change at all and should be same for all tests. The control group is a separate experimental group which is in a “normal” condition in which you do not apply the independent variable.

Example:

All my plants are the same type.  I have 5 plants in each category.  All the plants are the same age, get the same amount of water, same room temperature, same amount of light, and same type of soil.  The control group is the group which never receives the aspirin.

 

Your experiment needs a dependent variable, an independent variable, and a control group.

Don’t get “controls” mixed up with the term “control group.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fifth Step:

Research Paper

Decide on the subject content for your research paper. There are three steps to the research paper.

  1. Chose main overall topic area with four subtopic areas.
  1. Find several research sources, using at least:

            a. one book

            b. one encyclopedia

            c. Internet site (not Wikipedia)

  1. Set up a works cited page (rough draft)

For example:

The experiment studies the effect of aspirin on geraniums plants.  The subject of my research is plants, specifically geraniums.

 

Sixth Step:

 The Experiment

Keep a scientific log of everything that happens with your experiment.  A log is like a diary-it is your day-to-day notes on how things are going.  It includes your observations, measurements, ideas learned from books, how your procedures change, sketches, and photographs.  Date every entry in your log. 

 

Results:  You will write out what happened during your experiment.  Tables, graphs, charts, photographs, sketches, statistical analyses, and general descriptions of observations are included.

 

Conclusions: You will draw your conclusions based upon the experimentally- collected data in your log and analyze the results. Your original hypothesis should be restated and the conclusions that were discovered through experimentation should be recorded.

 

Recommendations: Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of your experimental design and give possible explanations as to why the results occurred, and suggest future improvements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Science Project Worksheet

 

Name_______________________ Grade___________ Date______

 

1.a) What problem will you attempt to solve?(This is the title of your project.)

 

b) What was your resource for this project? (Internet, book, own idea, dad, ect)

 

2. State your hypothesis.

 

3. Explain the procedure you will use to test your hypothesis.

 

4. a) What is your control group?

 

    b)What are your experimental variables?

 

5. What subject will you cover for your research paper?

 

6. How will you measure and present your results: