HN Future Sc i entist: Science Night

1. HN Future Scientist: Science Night 2012-1013

2. Approved Topics/Questions • Be testable • Be able to be completed in the time allowed • Materials can be obtained and will not cost too much • Meet safety requirements • Be something that you can understand and can be completed with little help

3. Fifth Graders must do an individual Science fair project!

4. Question • This is what your experiment will be answering. • It must be testable, meaning it can be answered through hands-on investigation • A good testable questions is always about changing onething and keeps everything else the same. • Example:

5. Research Find out all the information you need to complete the experiment. This will help you with your hypothesis.

6. Independent- the one thing you changed in the experiment • Controlled- the things that will stay the same throughout the experiment • Dependent- the things that will change due to the independent variable

7. Creating Variables From your Question

8. Hypothesis • What do you think the outcome will be based on your research. • Remember a hypothesis is not always correct. • Use the words “if” and “then” and “based on the research”.

9. Design Experiment • Clarify variables • List materials needed and how much of each • List detailed steps • Estimate the time it will take to complete each step • Check Your Work- Who will read and check your writing?

10. Materials List Stain Removal Investigation Materials • 3- 100% cotton cloth samples • Grass • Commercial detergent #1 - Tide • Commercial detergent #2 – Gain • Commercial detergent #3- Sun • Wash basin • Timer/stopwatch • Rubber gloves

11. Procedures Stain Remover Investigation Procedure • Place a grass stain approximately 4 inches in diameterrr on 100% on the cotton fabric. Prepare other identical stain samples in addition to the first sample. • Place 10mL of detergent on the grass stain sample. Wait 3 minutes. Scrub for 1 minute. Label this sample. Repeat this using the other 2 stain removers. • On the last sample, do not put on any stain remover. Leave the grass stain as is. Scrub for 1 minute. Use permanent marker to write the word grass on each sample. • Wash each sample using detergent and water in a basin. • Compare the samples to see which stain remover worked the best.

12. Data Collection • Detailed notes of what is happening with your experiment. • Can be shown in a chart, graph, or table. • You can create a key to help organize your data.

13. Take Pictures • Write a descriptive caption for each picture or set pictures in a table. • Pictures can be used to backup your data finding.

14. Write Your Conclusion • The conclusion should include the research, hypothesis, and outcome of your experiment. • Questions to ask yourself: • What can be learned from looking at the data? • How does the data relate to the original hypothesis? • Did what you changed (independent variable) cause changes in the results (dependent variable)?

15. Display Board …DO: • Sketch a rough layout on paper before pasting up your display. • Leave yourself plenty of time. • If you forgot to photograph each step of your procedure, consider re-staging it now for documentation. (Some are better than none!) • Come up with a catchy title and display it prominently. • Include all required categories and content on your display. • Arrange items from left to right, from top to bottom. • Mount black & white text blocks on construction paper for contrast. • Make type large enough to read from four feet away: As a general rule, use 24 pt type for headings, 16 pt type for text blocks. • Use subheads and bullet points rather than long paragraphs of dense text. • Make sure to label the X and Y axes on all graphs, charts, & tables • Write descriptive captions for photos.

16. Display Board cont…DON`T: * Leave your display until the last minute! * Forget to spell-check/proofread * Write or draw directly on the board *Use too many fonts or fancy fonts that are hard to read *Display photos without captions *Go crazy with colors. A few bright colors are good to accentuate key elements and add pizzazz, but keep it professional * Cover every inch of your display; remember to leave some breathing room (in graphic design called “white space”) between blocks of text or graphics *Glue any 3-D objects to the display board at home. Wait until you transport the board to school, and do it there

17. Final Check List Did you remember to… • Meet requirements for the Scientific Method? • Label every chart, graph, illustration, etc…? • Have captions for every photograph? • Proofread every word on your display? Ask yourself… • Is the type large enough to read from far away? • Are the lines straight? • Does the display look overly crowded? Did you add too much? • Are there any empty spaces? (Move things to balance it out.) • Did you follow all rules and guidelines? • Do you have everything you need to display your experiment?