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| Here are the steps in order: |
| 1. (Week 1 - Nov. 21- Dec. 1) Come up with a question that you can test. The first week of the project we will be working on this. I have books that have ideas for this project. (For example - Are safe homemade cleansers as effective as commercial cleansers?) |
| 2. (Week 1 - November 21-Dec. 1) Validate your topic - (Do I have enough time? - Can I afford the materials? - Do I understand the topic? - Will this be safe for me and others?) FAMILY APPROVAL REQUIRED. |
| 2. (Week 1 - Dec. 5- Dec. 8) Research your chosen topic to find out more about it. (For example - Go to the library, encyclopedia, or Internet to learn more about safe homemade, and commercial cleansers.) |
| 3. (Week 1 and 2- Nov. 21 - December 8) Form a hypothesis about your question. Make a prediction about how what the answer is to your research question. (For example - If we compare commercial cleansers and homemade cleansers then commercial cleansers will be more effective.) Your hypothesis will not change later EVEN if you turn out to be wrong. That is OK, scientists can be wrong. Mr. Schiller was too - once - a long time ago. |
| 4.
(Week 3- December 12-15) Design the experiment that will
test your hypothesis and answer your question. This is the step by step
things you will do to perform your experiment. In your experiment you
will need to identify the following: Independent variables - The part of your experiment you will change on purpose. Dependent variables - The part of your experiment you will measure or observe. Constants - The parts of the experiment you plan to keep the same, or will try to keep the same. Controls - This is usually a part of the experiment that receives no changes to compare with the other samples. (Sometimes you have this and sometimes you do not.) |
| 5. (Week 4, 5- January 3-12) Do your experiment and keep a log book of your experiment. During your research you will need to keep your research notes and observations in a log book. (each entry must be dated) You will turn this in at the end. This needs to be in a spiral notebook. |
| 6. (Week 6- January 16-19) Interpret your results. Draw some conclusions from your experiment. Was your hypothesis correct, or not? |
| 7. (Week 6- January 16-19) Write a report that describes your findings. More details will follow on the report when this is needed. |
| 8.
(Week 7- January 23-26) Create a display board to present
your findings. Your display board will have the following elements: - Title of your project. - The problem (your testable question) - The procedure of your experiment. (What you did to test your question) - Your hypothesis (your prediction of how your question would be answered). - Results (what happened - this needs to include a graph of your data.) - Your conclusion. (Were you right, or was your hypothesis wrong?) |
| 9.
(After Week 8) Share your experiment with the public
(and the judges) on Science Fair day. (Science Fair Day is - Friday, February 10, 2012) |