Create an Award-Winning Science Fair Project with the Correct Steps

by Madeline Binder

For the student (and parent) faced with a science fair project for the first time, it is easy to to become side-tracked by the issues of how to go about the entire process. In many science classes students may be given a template to follow; however, this is not always the case. Steps need to be identified and carefully clarified so that any novice can understand what needs to be accomplished at each step. It is hoped that an explanation of the step-by-step process given here will help any student in creating an awesome science fair project which meets all of the criteria by which science fair projects will be evaluated. Getting an idea for a project must occur before any of the actual steps are implemented, so a look into fun kids science fair projects will give you lots of possibilities.

1. The first step is to identify something in which the student has an interest. Completing even an easy and fast science fair project will become drudgery if there is little to no interest in the subject matter.

2. Once an area of interest has been identified, what questions does the student have about this subject? If a child has observed ants carrying food around on the sidewalk, for example, how does the ant know the way back to the colony nest?

3. At this point, some research will most likely be necessary. What have other researchers learned about this question? It is always a good idea to summarize the research in writing to become a part of the final project. The point of the research, however, is to help the student develop a hypothesis.

4. Developing the hypothesis is nothing more than making an educated guess about why something happens or, in some cases, what will happen as a result of some experimentation. The hypothesis should be written simply and predict a definite outcome. For example, people who watch violence on television will experience an increase in their blood pressure and pulse rate. Note that the hypothesis is stated in a way that allows testing to determine if the hypothesis is correct.

5. Procedures and Materials: This is an important part of the actual science fair project because it must set up the experimentation in such a way that it is both valid and able to be replicated. The experimentation that is conducted must be as void of "nuisance factors," that is conditions which might affect the outcomes. For example, if one is testing the impact of observing television violence on blood pressure, the presence of loud noises from other rooms or outside could affect the results. The procedures must be listed carefully and in order. As the procedures are being designed, the scientist must identify all materials necessary for the procedures and any steps that will be taken to avoid any interference from outside the experimentation parameters. A crucial material will be the "manner" in which the data will be observed and recorded, for it must be accurate, systematic, and consistent. If you are unsure about the materials to gather for sample science fair projects, review the research or look into science kits

6. Performing the actual experimentation or observation is the "meat" of the best science fair projects. If the procedures have been properly designed, this becomes the fun and exciting part. The hypothesis is tested, and accurate and detailed data is recorded by the method determined in the former section. This can range from maintaining a detailed journal of observations to the actual implementation of an experiment, the results of which must be carefully recorded.

7. Summary of Results: In detail, explain what happened during your observations or experimentation. Graphing or charting the data can be very helpful in this step as it gives the evaluators and viewers good visuals. Photographs are also ofte used and can be excellent time-dated records of the process.

8. Analysis and conclusion are the final steps. What did your data show? Was your hypothesis confirmed? If not, why? What changes might you implement to improve the project next time? Does this completed science fair project present additional questions or hypotheses that could be the basis for future experiments for science fair projects?

Following these steps correctly will mean that you have designed and implemented an actual science fair project that has followed the scientific method used by every reputable scientist.

About the Author

Madeline Binder, M.Ed. has been interested in assisting kids and parents with sience fair projects for many years. To this end, she has developed procedures, ideas, and step-by-step instructions for projects from the quick and simple to the more complex, dependent upon age and interest of the student. Visit Madeline at Super Science Fair Projects and learn more!

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