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Sixth Grade
Science Fair Project
Due April 1
By following (or modifying) the steps any sixth grade student should be able to do a science fair project, from getting an idea to doing your presentation. There are also links to other science fair sites to help with things like report writing and data analysis!
Choosing a Topic
Probably the biggest mistake students make when they do a science fair project is that they choose something they do not like! Because these projects require a lot of effort, choose something you are interested in! How to find the science fair project that's right for you......
Choose a branch of science that you are interested in, Biology, Physics, Chemistry etc. Remember, your project might be a subcategory of a specific discipline.(like sports medicine is part of Biology!)
We've all seen television commercials right? Well, some of the claims they make can be put to the test.....remember, if you can test something, it may make an interesting science fair project! Keep in mind what you are trying to test!
What is going on around you? If you look around, you can probably find something that is happening in your environment . Local current events are often a good source of science fair ideas!
Also very important to keep in mind is that you have experienced certain things that not all people have. Use your own experiences to help come up with an idea!
Use your library to find science fair books!
Ask an older brother or sister, or your mother or father for some ideas.....but remember that what they like, you might not!
Use a search engine , and research your idea on the internet!
Try this link to some neat ideas and a printable form to help you!
The Scientific Method
Here's an overview of the Scientific Method as it applies to a science fair project.
Choose a Project ! (Did you read the first part?)
After you have chosen a project, do some research . Find out the science or scientific principles behind your project. This might involve doing research in your library, interviewing people or using the internet!
Develop a Hypothesis. An hypothesis is a statement that tries to explain what you think will happen when you test your project. It is an educated guess based on the research you've done on your topic. Generally, the hypothesis will answer this question: What if??? or What will happen when???
Design an experimental procedure . This is the meat of the science fair project. It is in the procedure that you decide how you will test your hypothesis. When you have come up with a procedure to test your hypothesis, write each step down in order. You should number them as well! It is very important that when you design your experiment, you test only the hypothesis, and not for something else. These are called uncontrolled variables.
Uncontrolled variables are bad, and usually indicate the procedure was not given enough thought or time! Sometimes however, the best scientists can't control all the variables, so don't be discouraged! Wait what's a variable?? The thing that you change on purpose to test your hypothesis is the manipulated variable . The responding variable is what changes when you change the manipulated variable. A constant variable is some part of an experiment that you must keep the same each time you change the manipulated variable.
Carry out the procedure, and record your results. Your results are the things that happened in your experiment. Don't try to explain your results at this point, just record them in the form of a data table. These are your observations only!
After you have collected your results, it is time to organize it and analyze it in some manner. Your data should be easily read, so its presentation is very important. Make a data table, a graph or chart to show your data. Also, diagrams and photographs can be quite useful in the data analysis. A computer can be a good tool when creating graphs. Spreadsheet programs can be used for simple statistical analysis and for producing graphs of your experimental data.
Finally, you make your conclusions . This is the point of the project where you look at your data and decide if your hypothesis is true or false. If you can think of a way this could be applied to a real life situation, include it in your conclusion! This is where you try to tie the entire project together!
Planning Your Project
The key to success in any project is planning ahead. Science fair projects take time. You should give a lot of thought to how you will conduct your experiment, collect the results and do your presentation. You may even have to do the experiment several times to get more accurate results. Try these general rules for planning:
Get a calendar or plan book that you can use as your log or journal.
Set goals and deadlines for your goals. Follow the procedures outlined above to help you.
DO NOT WAIT UNTIL A WEEK
BEFORE THE DUE DATE TO START!
Remember April 1
Make a checklist of what has been completed and what has to be done.....this will help you later in life too!
Give yourself about two extra weeks to complete your project.....just in case!
Check out these Practical Hints for doing a science fair project!
The Report
The science fair report is basically a written copy of everything you've done in your project. The report will be attached to your board.
The Presentation
When a science fair project is presented, is should follow some general rules:
The project should show the purpose, procedure, results (use tables and graphs) and the conclusion. Also include diagrams and photographs as needed.
The project should be self-supporting. Project boards will be provided.
Know your project...judges and spectators will ask you questions. Be polite and try to answer to the best of your ability. If you don't know the answer to a question someone asks you, just tell them you don't.....no need to panic!
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