Science Fair
Information for the Science Fair:
Pickett’s Mill Elementary School Science Fair
Rules and Guidelines
Congratulations on deciding to explore the wonderful world of science with a science fair project! Participating in the science fair will give you a chance to better understand the world around you. Your project can be fun and educational at the same time. Every participant receives a ribbon, certificate, and an invitation to a reception after the fair. Your participation alone proves your willingness to reach beyond your school’s class requirements, demonstrating the qualities of a winner.
Now that you have chosen your science fair topic, there are some guidelines you should follow in completing and presenting the results of your project. If you have any questions, contact
Pattie Hilty at pattiepta08@yahoo.com or cell 404-625-0868.
The results from your project should be presented on a poster presentation board. The display needs to be sturdy and capable of standing on its own. The actual materials used in the experiments do not need to be presented. Students in grades K-2 who choose to present a labeled collection or model must bring the actual collection or model for judging. A display board should also be used for collections and models so that a title and any discussion of the project may be displayed.
In order for your project to be considered for judging, an oral presentation to explain your project is required.
Your parents are encouraged to assist you, but you must be the main scientist. The role of your parent should be as an encourager, idea tester, and an extra set of hands and eyes if needed. Your understanding of the project will be very important during judging! A project doesn’t have to be complicated to be a good science fair project.
Date and Time
February 1st for K-2
February 3rd for 3-5
Projects are to be dropped off in the PTA Office the morning of your grade’s assigned date between the hours of
Displaying your project
Use a display board. These are available at office supply stores, Wal-mart, or educational stores (School Box).
Displays must be able to stand on their own and be no more than three feet tall, 3 feet wide, and 2 feet deep. Displays may only be on the front side of the board.
The title of the project must be clearly visible and in the form of a question.
All extra materials must fit on or in front of the display.
Oral Presentation
We recommend you practice explaining your project to family and friends. This prepares you for the explanation you will need to give to the judges.
If you choose not to give an oral presentation, your project will still be displayed and you will receive a participation ribbon and certificate.
Judging
Judging begins at
2-3 judges will ask a few questions about the project. This is your time to shine. Answer any questions and include any information you consider important. This interview will only last 2-3 minutes.
After the interview you will return to your class.
The areas of consideration by the judges include: knowledge of the subject, depth of study, creativity/originality, visual presentation, and oral presentation.
GUIDELINES:
In the past collections and models were allowed for the younger grades.
In an effort to support one of the main goals of the fair, learning The Scientific Method, all entries must be an experiment.
Steps of the scientific method
1. Present your topic as a question, e.g., “Does taking a shower use less water than taking a bath?” Your topic must be clearly visible on your display board.
2. After presenting your topic as a question, take a careful guess at what you will find out from conducting the experiment. This careful guess, or prediction, is called a HYPOTHESIS. A hypothesis is formed after researching the subject by asking experts questions or reading. This is a very important step in the scientific method, SO DO YOUR RESEARCH. A hypothesis for the question above might be “Showers use less water than baths”. A good hypothesis should clearly answer the question, be able to be answered with an experiment, and be brief and to the point. Your hypothesis should be clearly written on the display.
3. Now you are ready to plan your experiment. First you must create a shopping list of all the materials, with size and quantities of each; you will need for your experiment. For example, instead of simply listing a jar as a needed material, you should list precisely what type and quantity of jars you will need, e.g., three 2 liter, wide-mouthed jars. This list of materials should also be included on your project.
4. The next stage in planning your experiment is to write an experimental procedure. This is simply the directions you will follow when conducting your experiment. Your experimental procedure should also be included on your display. Directions should be detailed and in the correct order. To fairly test your hypothesis, the experiment must be controlled carefully. You should change only one thing at a time and observe and record results. Conditions that are deliberately changed in your experiment are called variables. For example, if you are testing which type of detergent cleans clothes the best, you should vary only the detergent and keep all other factors constant, or the same. The water you use, the type of stain you try to clean and the method you use to clean should all remain the same throughout the experiment. You may choose to use a control in your experiment. A control has no variables and is useful for comparison with other results. For example, a control in the experiment described above might be plain water with no detergent. A control is useful for deciding just how much of an effect your variables have.
5. Now you are ready to start your experiment! You must determine some way to measure the results of your experiment, by counting, measuring a distance or a weight, recording temperature changes, etc. Scientists use the metric system for measurement. All of the measurements in your science project should be in, or converted to, metrics.
6. Finally, you must present a concluding statement that will either support or not support your hypothesis. Don’t worry that your hypothesis turns out to be wrong; this is common in scientific research. If your results were inconclusive and didn’t prove anything, explain how you would change the experiment to get better results next time.
Final Checklist
1. Your topic must be clearly visible on the display. Present your topic as a question.
2. Include your hypothesis statement and research clearly on your display. It’s okay if your hypothesis was incorrect! That’s what experiments are all about- investigation to see what happens!
3. Include your materials list on your project.
4. List your experimental procedure. Pictures or drawings are helpful.
5. Show the measured results on your display using graphs, charts, or tables.
6. Provide a conclusion. This statement should not only explain what happened, but include what you learned.
7. Does the display stand on its own?
8. Attach a 3×5 index card on the back of your project with the following information: Your Title of the project, name of school, student’s name, grade, and teacher’s name
GOOD LUCK and remember to have fun!
The Science Fair committee is very proud of you!