Science

Fair
Essentials
 Keeping a
Logbook
(a.k.a. Project
Data Book)
 Logbook
• The first thing you need to do
is to begin writing in a log
book.
• It is a record of everything
you think and do as you work
on your science fair project.
 Logbook
• Find a durable hard-bound
composition notebook.
• Label with your name, phone
number, email address, and
research adviser's name in
pen (not in pencil).
 Avoid spiral-bound logbook .

Papers are too easily

removed or torn from
them, and before
realizing it, important
items are missing.
 Logbook

•Number the pages in

your logbook before
using it, unless already
numbered.
 Logbook
• Your log is like a diary or
journal of your progress in
your investigation.
• Keep everything you write in
your log even if you change
your mind or start over.
 Log book
You can also write
what you know,
think, and wonder
about science
fair.
 Log book
•The log book IS the
project. It is an evidence
of your work from day 1
until you present your work
to the public (science fair).
 Logbook
•Each entry should be
dated.
•Research notes,
measurements,
observations, and test
results should be included.
Entries should be brief and concise. Full sentences are not required.
 Logbook
•Don't worry about
neatness. It's a
personal record of
your work, do not re-
write your logbook.
 Logbook
•It should be used
during all phases of
your project.
Glue, staple or tape
any loose papers,
photocopies of
important items.
Loose papers or other
unsecured items are
prohibited as they
tend to fall out and
can end up missing.
Organize your logbook. Make a table of contents, index,
and create tabs for different sections within your logbook.
This helps keep you organized for different activities.

Table of Contents Tab color Page #

Deadline Schedule Red 1
Daily Notes & Reflections White 2
Background Research
Library & Internet Blue 20
Information
Contacts, Supply sources Green 26
Experimental Setup Yellow 35
Data collection Purple 40
Results (pictures,
graphs, summary
tables) Orange 50
Reflections Light Blue 60
 Logbook
•Include a reflection
section in your logbook.
What if anything would I do
differently next time? What
part of the experiment could
be changed to improve the
experimental procedure.
 Logbook
•ALWAYS include
any changes made to
procedures, failures
or mistakes. As
human beings all of
us makes mistakes.
Always include any changes made to procedures,
failures, or mistakes. As human beings, all of us
make mistakes!
1/4/05 my cat, Sheba scratched the pots of soil, and ate 4
of my 12 plants. I will have to replant everything! I need
to protect plants from the silly cat. Maybe i should try
putting a screen around the pots or keep cat outside!

2/5/05 Disaster in the lab this morning. Setup manure

digesters last night in incubators, temperature was set at
25°C but came into a real mess, samples heated up too
much and caps blew off. I will need to try a lower
temperature to avoid this accident from happening
again!!!! HUGE MESS TO CLEAN UP.....
REMEMBER,
keeping up a great
logbook throughout
the entire duration
of the science
project really pays
off later!
Not only will a nicely
maintained logbook
impress your teacher and
the judges at the fair, it
will also help you stay out
of trouble later when you
need to look back and
provide details of what
you did.
Selecting
Topic
 Brainstorming Topics
• Make a list of things you are
interested in.
• The things you like do not need to
have anything to do with science or
school
it’s just a list of things you like.
• Can you think of 20 or more?
 Think of as many questions as you
can about the things you listed. A list
might look like this one:
Things I Like Questions
Baseball Does a baseball roll farther on
artificial grass?
Paper Airplanes How does the shape of the wing
affect how far a paper airplane glides?
Rocks Do most rocks erode in the rain?
Can some rocks float?
Playing outside What are good ways to cool
off when you are hot?
 Choosing Topics
“Wonder Wall” ACTIVITY
Write your questions on the
chart.
What is a Good
Question for
Science Fair?
A good question cannot be
answered yes or no.
(There are exceptions to this rule)
• Good: How does the type of
water affect the growth rate of a
plant?
• Bad: Can plants grow in water?
A good question tells you
what you need to
measure.
• Good: How does the species
of the orange affect the
amount of juice it has?
• Bad: Are oranges juicy?
 You can investigate the
question yourself.
• Good: How do shade trees affect
temperature of areas on our playground?
• Bad: What are the temperatures on
Venus? (though you can look it up, you
cannot build a rocket, go to Venus and
study this on your own and get back
before the due date)
 The answer is a fact,
not an opinion.
• Good: How does the brand of
soap affect the amount of
bubbles produced?
• Bad: What kind of soap smells
the best?
 What is a Good Question?
A good science investigation question:
• Can not be answered with one word such as
yes or no.
• Tells you what you need to measure.
• Is something you can investigate yourself.
• Is answered with a fact, not an opinion.
 Example of log entry for question:
July 20, 2012
I saw a picture of icebergs floating. They look really
cool and pretty. Ice floats in a glass of water too. I
wonder if ice is lighter than water.
My question is: Does the mass of water change when
it goes from a liquid to a solid. No, How does going
from a liquid to a solid affect the mass of ice? is
better.
The boat in the picture floats too. Is the boat wood or
metal? I think metal sinks, but metal boats float. I
know wood will float..
Choose a question from
your list that fits the
science fair question
criteria and explain why
you chose the question in
your project data book.
Research Involving
Animals

• Human/Animal Research form

MUST be filled out prior to the
beginning of the project.
• No surgery or dissection may
take place
• Neither physiological or
psychological harm to the
animal can result
• Must be supervised by an adult.
 Objectives
of the Study
 Objectives
The objectives of the project study should tell
what you want to find out.

The objectives of my project is to find out…

It is really just restating the

question.
Research
 Research
• Before you can begin your project, you
need to learn more about the topic.
• You will write the information you
learn in your science fair log book.
• You will use this information to make
your hypothesis.
Statement of
Hypothesis
 Hypothesis
• The hypothesis is what you predict will
happen when you perform the experiment
based on your research.
• It doesn’t matter whether you are right or
wrong; in your conclusion, you will tell if
your hypothesis was correct or not.
• It is what you think the results of your
experiment will be and WHY you think
that.
 Hypothesis
In your log book write what you think the results
of your experiment will be and WHY you think
that.
Based on my research, I think…
will happen because ...
Remember to use the information
from your research to explain why
you think this will happen!
Variables
 Variables
There are 3 kinds of variables. You
will list the variables for your
science fair project today.
1. Manipulated (Independent )
What you are changing on
purpose.
2. Responding (Dependent )
The changes you are measuring.
3. Held Constant (Control)
Everything that stays the same.
 Examples of VARIABLES:
Question Manipulated Responding Constants
(Independent) (Dependant) (Controlled)
Variable Variables (What you keep
? (what You (What You Will the same)
Change) Measure)
Do all
brands of
paper
towels
absorb
the same
amount
of water?
 Examples of VARIABLES:
Question Manipulated Responding Constants
(Independent) (Dependant) (Controlled)
Variable Variables (What you keep
? (what You (What You Will the same)
Change) Measure)
Do all •Size of paper towel
Brands of Amount of • Amount of water
brands of
paper
paper water that is poured on each
paper towel
towels towels absorbed by • Temperature of the
water used
absorb each towel • Container towels
the same are placed in
amount • Method of pouring
of water? • Amount of time
paper towel remains
submerged
 List your VARIABLES:
Question Manipulated Responding Constants
(Independent) (Dependant) (Controlled)
Variable Variables (What you
? (what You (What You keep the same)
Change) Will Measure)
Does the
concetrati
on of
pellets
affect the
survival
rate of
fishes?
.

Materials and
Equipment
The materials to be used
in the study include:
clear plastic cups, tap
water, Thermometer,
ice from cafeteria ice
maker.
 The materials to be used in
the study include two (2) 16-
ounce clear plastic cups,
130mL tap water, 1
Thermometer, 100g of ice
from cafeteria ice maker.
Materials/Equipment
 This is a list of ALL the materials
you need to perform your
experiment.
You must also include how much.
.
Materials/Equipment
HOW, WHEN, and
WHERE will you get you
materials?
Explain in your log book.
Procedure
 Examples of Directions
1. Gather materials and equipment.
2. Fill cup to ½ way mark with ice.
3. Add 130 mL of tap water
4. Swirl cup for 1 minute. (hold by top edges of
the cup)
5. Record water temperature. (Keep
thermometer in water, look at eye level)
6. Add 2 more ice cubes.
7. Repeat steps 4 and 5
 Step by Step Directions –

•These are like a recipe.

Anyone who reads them will
be able to duplicate the
investigation and get the
same results. The only
difference is that you should
write it in the past tense and
in passive voice.
 Step by Step Directions –

• The experiment needs to be

done 5 or more times so
they will have sufficient data
to make an accurate
conclusion.
• The initial step number is
always, “Materials and
equipment were gathered.”
 When you write your directions,
REMEMBER TO:
 Write them clearly so someone
else may follow them and get
the same (or similar) results.
 Be very specific and to the
point.
 When you write your directions,
REMEMBER TO:
 Indicate how many trials are
necessary.
 For Example: “The above steps
were repeated four more times for
a total of five trials”
 Make sure to indicate when data
should be collected and what kind
of data.
DATA AND
RESULTS
Quantitative and

Qualitative data
 DATA AND RESULTS
• Data refers to the information
gathered in the investigation
• This is in the form of tables,
charts and graphs.
• You can also use photographs or
drawings to show the information
you gathered but pictures do not
replace the data.
 DATA AND RESULTS
•To collect your data, follow your
step by step directions exactly.
•With at least 5 trials, record the
information gathered in your log
book.
•Use the data to create a data
chart.
 DATA AND RESULTS
The more trials you do the
more accurate the results of
your experiment will be.
Scientists often repeat
experiments thousands of
times.
Distance a toy car will Roll in Meters
Tile
Trial Carpet Sidewalk
Floor
1 4.3 2.4 2
2 4.4 2.7 2
3 3.5 1.8 1.8
4 4.5 2.8 2.5
5 4.8 2.5 1.6
Average 4.3 2.4 2.0
Graph
 Graph

Use a bar graph or line graph to display

data.
This is the same information
gathered and already
recorded on your data chart.
 Graph
•A bar graph – shows comparative data
•A line graph – shows data over time. (such as
growing plants)
•Horizontal Axis: The manipulated variable (what you
changed on purpose) is displayed on the horizontal
axis.
•Vertical Axis: The responding variable (what
happened as a result of what you changed) is
displayed on the vertical axis.
 Distance Toy Car Travels When Rolled Down
Ramp Onto Various Surfaces

Key
Distance (m)m

Trials
CONCLUSION
 CONCLUSION
My hypothesis was supported (or
not supported) by the data.
(Explain)
It is found out that…
If I were to do this project again, I
would change…because…..
The way this is connected to
the real world is…
 CONCLUSION
A problem I had or unusual event was….
Describe your data in detail. What does
your data mean?
Compare the results with you background
information.
Explain why the experiment is
important.