Transcript Science Fair is Coming - Nova Scotia Department of Education

Science Fair is Coming
Are you Ready?
How to Start Your Science Fair Project
Step 1: Curiosity
Pick a topic, ANY TOPIC, you are interested in. (nature, music, sports, mechanics,
computers, medicine etc.) By exploring your scientific interests, you will develop
a passion for discovery, making the process much more exciting.
Step 2: Gather
Learn as much as you can about your topic. Ask your teachers, librarian, and
family; look in books, newspapers, magazines, encyclopaedias, and the internet;
watch documentaries, news broadcasts and TV shows like “Mythbusters”, “How
It’s Made”, and anything on the National Geographic channel.
Step 3: Predict
Come up with questions you want to answer about your topic. Avoid “why”
questions! Try to come up with a “how” or “what” question because these
questions can be tested
Science is All Around Us
•The beauty of science lies not only in what we have discovered
but in what we have yet to find! Everyone can be a scientist- even
young people. As students we are not only the scientists of
tomorrow; we are the scientists of today.
•Science fairs are not about repeating popular projects (NO
VOLCANOES !) . They are not a competition to see who can paint
the prettiest Jupiter Styrofoam ball. The idea of a science fair is to
try and answer unsolved questions.
•Therefore, a science fair project is not just a research paper. From
research we develop an idea, we test that idea, analyze the results
and draw conclusion.
See a need, Fill a need
Look at the world around you and
see what needs to be fixed, or
improved. Then find a way to do it
Research
Idea (focus question)
Experiment (Test)
Analyze
Draw Conclusions
•On a sheet of paper, write down one
thing that interests you.
•Write down a few things that you
already know about this topic.
•Now try to come up with a focus
question.
Example:
•I am interested in learning more about the
different types of picks used to play guitar.
•I know there are many different sizes, colors and
thicknesses of picks. I also know that using a pick
makes the guitar sound louder.
•I wonder what affects the sound of the guitar
more, the thickness (flexibility) or the size.
Focus Question
How does the thickness of a guitar pick affect the volume of the
notes played?
What can I do to test this?
What materials will I need?
What do I already have?
Monday’s Assignment
Topic proposal, explanation and focus question
1.
Topic Proposal and Explanation
Include the name of your topic (ex. Friction, sports, ecology, music etc.)
along with an explanation of why you choose this topic. This explanation
should be at least a paragraph (5 sentences).
2.
Focus Question (“How” or “what”)- Remember this question must be
testable!
Ex. What is the effect of a full moon on the decibel level in a school?
How does sleep affect school performance?
Does the surface of a road affect the speed of a vehicle with rubber
tires, wooden tires, plastic tires etc.?