science fair hypothesis questions

Do a Science Fair Project!

How do you do a science fair project.

Ask a parent, teacher, or other adult to help you research the topic and find out how to do a science fair project about it.

Test, answer, or show?

Your science fair project may do one of three things:

Test an idea (or hypothesis.)

Answer a question.

Show how nature works.

Topic ideas:

Space topics:.

How do the constellations change in the night sky over different periods of time?

How does the number of stars visible in the sky change from place to place because of light pollution?

Learn about and demonstrate the ancient method of parallax to measure the distance to an object, such as stars and planets.

Study different types of stars and explain different ways they end their life cycles.

Earth topics:

How do the phases of the Moon correspond to the changing tides?

Demonstrate what causes the phases of the Moon?

How does the tilt of Earth’s axis create seasons throughout the year?

How do weather conditions (temperature, humidity) affect how fast a puddle evaporates?

How salty is the ocean?

Solar system topics:

How does the size of a meteorite relate to the size of the crater it makes when it hits Earth?

How does the phase of the Moon affect the number of stars visible in the sky?

Show how a planet’s distance from the Sun affects its temperature.

Sun topics:

Observe and record changes in the number and placement of sun spots over several days. DO NOT look directly at the Sun!

Make a sundial and explain how it works.

Show why the Moon and the Sun appear to be the same size in the sky.

How effective are automobile sunshades?

Study and explain the life space of the sun relative to other stars.

Pick a topic.

Try to find out what people already know about it.

State a hypothesis related to the topic. That is, make a cause-and-effect-statement that you can test using the scientific method .

Explain something.

Make a plan to observe something.

Design and carry out your research, keeping careful records of everything you do or see.

Create an exhibit or display to show and explain to others what you hoped to test (if you had a hypothesis) or what question you wanted to answer, what you did, what your data showed, and your conclusions.

Write a short report that also states the same things as the exhibit or display, and also gives the sources of your initial background research.

Practice describing your project and results, so you will be ready for visitors to your exhibit at the science fair.

Follow these steps to a successful science fair entry!

If you liked this, you may like:

Introduction

1. get your idea and do some research, 2. ask a testable question, 3. design and conduct your experiment, 4. examine your results, 5. communicate your experiment and results.

Learning Space

Teachable Moments

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How to Do a Science Fair Project

To get started on your science fair project, you'll learn to observe the world around you and ask questions about the things you observe.

Observe the world around you and ask questions about the things you observe.

Develop your idea into a question you can test. Your question should follow the format, "How does [input] affect [output]?"

Design your experiment and keep track of the results. Remember to only change one variable and conduct your experiment multiple times for each trial. Each trial should be repeated in exactly the same way.

Now that your experiment is done, it's time to examine your results. You want to look for trends in your results and draw conclusions from those trends. You also want to examine your data for possible influences from factors you didn't consider at first.

Make a poster display that summarizes your experiment so you can share your results. Be sure to include the question you were trying to answer (your hypothesis), the steps you took to answer that question, your results and any factors that may have influenced your results. Your poster should be visually appealing, but also clear about what you did and why people should care.

Science Fair Wizard

• Pick a topic
• Determine a problem
• Investigate your problem
• Formulate a hypothesis

Experimenting

• Define the problem
• Select your variables
• Draft your hypothesis
• Write your procedure
• Get permissions
• Test your hypothesis
• Compile your data
• Write your research paper
• Construct your exhibit
• Prepare your presentation
• Show Time! Pre-science fair checklist
• Submit your paperwork

Step 5C: Draft your hypothesis

Your draft hypothesis statement should include the following:

• the question or problem you are trying to answer;
• how the independent variable will be changed;
• the measurable or testable effect it will have on the dependent variable ;
• and your best guess as to what you think the outcome will be.

Use the space on the Experiment Design Worksheet to draft your hypothesis statement.

Tip: A hypothesis problem can be stated in different ways.  Here are some examples:

As a question: Does temperature affect the rate of plant growth? As a statement: Temperature may affect the rate of plant growth. As an if/then statement: If temperature is related to the rate of plant growth, then changing the temperature will change the rate of plant growth.

A hypothesis is a statement that predicts the outcome of your experiment, and is informed by the research you have done on your topic.

The digital library project

Steps in a Science Fair Project

What are the steps in a science fair project.

• Pick a topic
• Construct an exhibit for results
• Write a report
• Practice presenting

Some science fair projects are experiments to test a hypothesis . Other science fair projects attempt to answer a question or demonstrate how nature works or even invent a technology to measure something.

Before you start, find out which of these are acceptable kinds of science fair projects at your school. You can learn something and have fun using any of these approaches.

• First, pick a topic. Pick something you are interested in, something you'd like to think about and know more about.
• Then do some background research on the topic.
• Decide whether you can state a hypothesis related to the topic (that is, a cause and effect statement that you can test), and follow the strict method listed above, or whether you will just observe something, take and record measurements, and report.
• Design and carry out your research, keeping careful records of everything you do or see and your results or observations.
• Construct an exhibit or display to show and explain to others what you hoped to test (if you had a hypothesis) or what question you wanted to answer, what you did, what your data showed, and your conclusions.
• Write a short report that also states the same things as the exhibit or display, and also gives the sources of your initial background research.
• Practice describing your project and results, so you will be ready for visitors to your exhibit at the science fair.

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Hypothesis Examples

A hypothesis is a prediction of the outcome of a test. It forms the basis for designing an experiment in the scientific method . A good hypothesis is testable, meaning it makes a prediction you can check with observation or experimentation. Here are different hypothesis examples.

Null Hypothesis Examples

The null hypothesis (H 0 ) is also known as the zero-difference or no-difference hypothesis. It predicts that changing one variable ( independent variable ) will have no effect on the variable being measured ( dependent variable ). Here are null hypothesis examples:

• Plant growth is unaffected by temperature.
• If you increase temperature, then solubility of salt will increase.
• Incidence of skin cancer is unrelated to ultraviolet light exposure.
• All brands of light bulb last equally long.
• Cats have no preference for the color of cat food.
• All daisies have the same number of petals.

Sometimes the null hypothesis shows there is a suspected correlation between two variables. For example, if you think plant growth is affected by temperature, you state the null hypothesis: “Plant growth is not affected by temperature.” Why do you do this, rather than say “If you change temperature, plant growth will be affected”? The answer is because it’s easier applying a statistical test that shows, with a high level of confidence, a null hypothesis is correct or incorrect.

Research Hypothesis Examples

A research hypothesis (H 1 ) is a type of hypothesis used to design an experiment. This type of hypothesis is often written as an if-then statement because it’s easy identifying the independent and dependent variables and seeing how one affects the other. If-then statements explore cause and effect. In other cases, the hypothesis shows a correlation between two variables. Here are some research hypothesis examples:

• If you leave the lights on, then it takes longer for people to fall asleep.
• If you refrigerate apples, they last longer before going bad.
• If you keep the curtains closed, then you need less electricity to heat or cool the house (the electric bill is lower).
• If you leave a bucket of water uncovered, then it evaporates more quickly.
• Goldfish lose their color if they are not exposed to light.
• Workers who take vacations are more productive than those who never take time off.

Is It Okay to Disprove a Hypothesis?

Yes! You may even choose to write your hypothesis in such a way that it can be disproved because it’s easier to prove a statement is wrong than to prove it is right. In other cases, if your prediction is incorrect, that doesn’t mean the science is bad. Revising a hypothesis is common. It demonstrates you learned something you did not know before you conducted the experiment.

Test yourself with a Scientific Method Quiz .

• Mellenbergh, G.J. (2008). Chapter 8: Research designs: Testing of research hypotheses. In H.J. Adèr & G.J. Mellenbergh (eds.), Advising on Research Methods: A Consultant’s Companion . Huizen, The Netherlands: Johannes van Kessel Publishing.
• Popper, Karl R. (1959). The Logic of Scientific Discovery . Hutchinson & Co. ISBN 3-1614-8410-X.
• Schick, Theodore; Vaughn, Lewis (2002). How to think about weird things: critical thinking for a New Age . Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education. ISBN 0-7674-2048-9.
• Tobi, Hilde; Kampen, Jarl K. (2018). “Research design: the methodology for interdisciplinary research framework”. Quality & Quantity . 52 (3): 1209–1225. doi: 10.1007/s11135-017-0513-8

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Elementary School Science Fair Project Guide

by Science Explorers | Dec 5, 2018 | Blog | 0 comments

Science fair projects are activities that are both fun and educational for students. They can pick topics that pique their curiosity, test their hypotheses by creating their own experiments and learn how to   use the scientific method   — a practice used by professional scientists around the world.

However, there are many steps to take to make this project a success, and we’re here to guide you through each one of them.

What Is a Science Fair?

A science fair refers to an event, often held in elementary schools, where   students share experiments   that they’ve conducted and the results that they have found. In some fairs, students will compete for prizes, while others are less competitive.

Science fairs in the U.S. can be traced back to the E.W. Scripps’ Science Service. The mission of this organization, which was established in 1921, was to increase interest and awareness of science by teaching scientific concepts in simpler, less technical terms. This organization was instrumental in organizing the Science Clubs of America, which in 1950 held a national science fair for the first time.

How to Make an Elementary School Science Fair Project

Follow these steps to get your scientific investigation underway:

• Pick a topic you love:   You’re much more likely to enjoy this process — and do it well — if you pick a topic you’re passionate about. Don’t limit yourself to scientific topics, but rather think of your most intense interests and   how they can be related to science . A science experiment can be created using practically any topic. For instance, if your passion is art, you could investigate the reaction of paint chemicals or how to make artificial colors. Choose a topic that is suitable for your age. While you can pick a topic that is challenging, you don’t want to choose a topic so difficult that you can’t complete it in time.   
• Think of a question:       Once you’ve decided on your topic, think of a question    that you can test   .   
• Formulate a hypothesis:     A hyp   othesis is an attempt to answer your question. 
• Think of a procedure:      A procedure is an experiment that can be conducted to affirm or deny your hypothesis.
• Acquire materials:      Once you know how you’ll conduct your experiment, start gathering materials you’ll need to do it.   
• Record r   esults:      By experimenting, you can see if your hypothesis was correct.   
• Arrive at a conclusion:       Take a good look at the result you got, and determine whether your hypothesis was right or wrong. Also, think of ways you could further explore the question.   As you’re doing your experiment, take notes so that afterward you can more easily share what you did and what you learned.   

How to Prepare Your Poster

After you’ve finished your experiment and drawn your conclusions, the project is only halfway done — now you create a poster that provides a clear overview of what you did.

Creating Your Display Board

Elementary school students create posters with basically the same format as those presented by professional scientists at conferences.   In general, display boards at science fairs are tri-folds, meaning that they’re folded on both sides so that they can easily stand. It’s not uncommon for boards to measure up to 14 inches deep and 3 feet wide. You can find these boards at office supply, craft and drug stores, or you can make your own with cardboard or poster board.

If you decide to make one yourself, it’s probably best to create three separate pieces then attach them with duct tape so that they can easily bend.

Organizing the Display Board

When it comes to organizing your poster, you’ve got several options. However, no matter you decide to do the layout, make sure that it includes these key sections:

• Title:   When writing your title, you can simply go with your question or some other message that grabs your audience’s attention.
• Question:   Clearly state your question. Also, provide some background why this topic interests you and how you thought up the question.
• Hypothesis:   Tell your audience what you guessed the results would be before you conducted the tests.
• Procedures:   Clearly explain the steps you took to test your question and why you decided on that procedure.
• Equipment and materials:   Include a list of the things you needed for your test.
• Data and results:   Describe what happened when you conducted your experiment. Use graphs, charts or other visuals to help convey your results.
• Conclusion:   In your previous step, you just described the data. In this step, you want to make sense of them. Mention whether your hypothesis was correct or not, and explain why you think you got those results. Also, if you were to redo the tests, mention what you would do differently.
• References:   Include the resources you used, whether they’re websites, books or people.
• Your Name:   Also add your grade and the name of your teacher.

Below is an example of a science fair project, including a detailed account of the procedure, results and conclusions.

“Keeping Flowers Beautiful”

2. Question

“What Solution Can Keep Flowers Fresh for the Longest Period of Time?”

I chose this topic for several reasons. First of all, I love flowers, and I’m always trying to figure out better ways to keep them fresh for longer. Also, this issue is of great importance to many industries and consumers since they buy flowers for many occasions including weddings, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Christmas.

Flower shops often provide customers with an additive to put in the water in their vase, but I wanted to question whether this additive is the most effective solution and whether another could work better. In my project, I tested homemade solutions, commercial preservatives and old wives tales.

3. Hypothesis

I believe that some home remedies will be just as effective as the preservative provided by florists. I hypothesize that the most effective solution will be lemon-lime soda because it contains sugar as well as several chemicals that I believe will inhibit the growth of bacteria that could damage the plant.

4. Procedures

Follow these steps to test your hypothesis:

• Thirty (30) daisies (bellis perennis) will be bought from the same store at the same time to make sure they are all equally fresh.
• Using a lab coat, gloves and goggles, certain solutions will be mixed together in 10 one-pint jars with an 8-ounce measuring cup, a tablespoon and a teaspoon. To avoid contamination, wash hands after making each mixture.
• The solutions used are   tap water, distilled water, tap water with a teaspoon of salt, tap water with an aspirin pill, lemon-lime soda, tap water with 1 tablespoon of bleach, tap water with 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar, tap water with 1 tablespoon sugar, tap water with 1 tablespoon of mouthwash and tap water with 1 tablespoon of commercial preservative Floralife.
• The stems of the flowers will then be submerged in lukewarm water and clipped at a 45-degree angle. Afterward, they will be put into the solutions. Three specimens will be placed in each of the 10 solutions.
• Every other day, the stems will be cut again and put in fresh solutions. These are considered good florist practices.
• The state of each flower will be examined once a day until either 14 days have passed or nothing remains in the vases. The number of specimens remaining in every solution will also be documented every day, as will their color and droopiness.
• Once their state has been recorded, specimens that are wilting, drooping or browning at the edges will be removed so that the bacteria won’t harm the other specimens in the container.
• A chart that shows how long each specimen stayed fresh will be made, accompanied by photos of the changes.

5. Equipment and Materials

Here’s what you’ll need for this experiment:

• Ten 1-pint jars to contain the flowers in the solutions
• A teaspoon measure
• A tablespoon measure
• An 8-oz. cup measure
• A pair of gloves
• A protective lab coat
• Distilled water
• 30 cut daisies (bellis perennis)
• A 1/2 cup of cider vinegar
• 12 cans of lemon-lime soda
• A 1/2 cup of sugar
• A 1/2 cup of Floralife
• A 1/2 cup of bleach
• A 1/2 cup of mouthwash

6. Data and Results

• In the tap water, mouthwash and aspirin solutions, the flowers stayed fresh for seven full days. Every other homemade solution that I used in my project caused the flowers to wilt faster.
• By 14 days, the freshest specimens were the ones in the sugar water. One of the flowers in the lemon-lime soda solution browned in the middle, as did all of the Floralife specimens.
• By 21 days, the specimens in the sugar water still had not browned, although they had significantly wilted. The specimens in the soda had wilted. The Florarlife specimens still had the brown color, but no wilting of the petals occurred.

7. Conclusion

My hypothesis that the lemon-lime soda would be most effective was incorrect. The specimens in the soda, the floral additive and sugar water solutions all remained at Stage 1 for seven days and fresh enough for display for a full 21 days.

Although Floralife research suggests that it is more effective than any alternative, my results showed that both lemon-lime soda and sugar water can help keep flowers fresh for the longest time. This suggests that florists and consumers could save by using sugar water instead of the more costly floral preservatives.

Science Fair Project Ideas

If you’re having trouble coming up with a topic that interests you, below are some science fair ideas for inspiration:

• Soaking pennies:   A long-time favorite of elementary school students, dirty pennies are collected in this experiment and soaked in a variety of acidic liquids such as lime juice, lemon juice, vinegar and salsa. This experiment is best for kindergartners or first graders.
• Creating circuits:   Students interested in technology can make simple circuits using everyday objects. This is also most suitable for kindergartners or first graders.
• Rainbow rubber eggs:   This fun experiment involves submerging eggs in vinegar, adding a few drops of food coloring and waiting a few days to see some cool results.
• Teleidoscopes:   These objects are like kaleidoscopes but do not have an end, allowing you to view anything you want. Looking through one of these is a fantastic experience. This project is most appropriate for kids between second and fourth grade.
• Density tower:   This experiment involves layering liquids of different densities on top of one another without having them mix together.
• Growing salt crystals:   Salt crystals can be grown overnight in the fridge.

General Tips

In addition to the necessary steps mentioned above, we’d also like to share some general tips to boost the quality of your presentation.

• Document everything:   Through the entire process, record all your activities, thoughts and findings in a journal. Some science fairs actually request that you include your notebook as part of your presentation. For professional scientists, keeping a detailed log of their experiments is critical.
• Write on separate pieces of paper:   It’s much easier to write all titles and other text on pieces of paper and then glue them to your board than to write directly on the board. You can also type them out with a computer and use attention-grabbing colors and fonts — just make sure that the font and font size are easy to read from a few feet away.
• Take photos:   One of the easiest ways to help explain the process is with pictures, so remember to keep a camera nearby and take photos throughout the experiment. Then, print out your best photos and include them on your board — breaking up the text with pictures will make your project easier to digest.   
• Make it colorful:   If your teachers allow it, consider buying a colorful board. Other ways to add color include printing out your titles and text on colored construction paper, scrapbook paper or cardstock. You can also make your project pop with stickers, cut-out letters or colored paper.
• Lay everything out before pasting:   Before grabbing the glue, first lay everything out that you want to include on your board. The hypothesis, procedures and materials should be on the right, the data and results should be in the center, and the conclusion, personal information and resources should go on the right. Depending on how much you include for each section, you may need to adjust this layout. Once you’re happy with the placement of everything, paste it to the board.
• Use glue dots or glue sticks:   These two types of glue are the easiest to use. You can use regular glue as well, but it sometimes causes wrinkles in the paper and can be difficult to change the position of things after the glue has dried.
• Limit parental involvement:   Parents should give their children the opportunity to do as much of the work as they can for their age. Although requirements vary from school to school, parents are usually allowed to type up the notes their children have made — just make sure that your child is telling you what to write. Your child should be able to explain every step of the process to the panel of judges. It’s a good idea to have your kids practice explaining what they did to you or other members of your family.

How Does the Judging Work?

Some science fair projects are assessed by a panel of judges and the winners may advance to regional or state levels. At elementary school science fairs, however, it’s less common to award placements. Instead, judges may point out the best parts of each project, award ribbons and leave commentary. At the elementary level, the objective is usually to just encourage students to continue participating in these events.

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The Ultimate Science Fair Project Guide – From Start to Finish

When our daughter entered her first science fair, we kept seeing references to the Internet Public Library Science Fair Project Resource Guide .  However, the IPL2 permanently closed… taking the guide with it.  Bummer !  After now participating in over a half-dozen elementary school science fairs (including a first-place finish!), we created our own guide to help other students go from start to finish in their next science fair project.  If this is your first science fair, have fun!  If you’ve done it before, we hope this is your best one!  Let’s science!

*Images from Unsplash

How to Use the STEMium Science Fair Project Ultimate Guide?

If you are just starting off and this is your first science fair, here’s how to get started:

• Start with the STEMium Science Fair Project Roadmap . This is an infographic that “maps” out the process from start to finish and shows all the steps in a visual format.
• Getting Started – Why Do a Science Fair Project . Besides walking through some reasons to do a project, we also share links to examples of national science fair competitions, what’s involved and examples of winning science fair experiments .  *Note: this is where you’ll get excited!!
• The Scientific Method – What is It and What’s Involved . One of the great things about a science fair project is that it introduces students to an essential process/concept known as the scientific method.  This is simply the way in which we develop a hypothesis to test.
• Start the Process – Find an Idea . You now have a general idea of what to expect at the science fair, examples of winning ideas, and know about the scientific method.  You’re ready to get started on your own project.  How do you come up with an idea for a science fair project?  We have resources on how to use a Google tool , as well as some other strategies for finding an idea.
• Experiment and Build the Project . Time to roll up those sleeves and put on your lab coat.
• Other Resources for the Fair. Along the way, you will likely encounter challenges or get stuck.  Don’t give up – it’s all part of the scientific process.  Check out our STEMium Resources page for more links and resources from the web.  We also have additional experiments like the germiest spot in school , or the alka-seltzer rocket project that our own kids used.

Getting Started – Why Do a Science Fair Project

For many students, participating in the science fair might be a choice that was made FOR you.  In other words, something you must do as part of a class.  Maybe your parents are making you do it.  For others, maybe it sounded like a cool idea.  Something fun to try.  Whatever your motivation, there are a lot of great reasons to do a science fair project.

• Challenge yourself
• Learn more about science
• Explore cool technology
• Make something to help the world! (seriously!)
• Win prizes (and sometimes even money)
• Do something you can be proud of!

Many students will participate in a science fair at their school.  But there are also national competitions that include 1000s of participants.  There are also engineering fairs, maker events, and hackathons.  It’s an exciting time to be a scientist!!  The list below gives examples of national events.

• Regeneron Science Talent Search
• Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair
• Google Science Fair
• Conrad Challenge
• Microsoft Imagine Cup
• JSHS Program
• Exploravision

What’s the Scientific Method?

Before we jump into your project, it’s important to introduce a key concept:  The Scientific Method .  The scientific method is the framework scientists use to answer their questions and test their hypothesis.  The figure below illustrates the steps you’ll take to get to the end, but it starts with asking a question (you’ve already finished the first step!).

After we find a problem/idea to tackle, and dig into some background research, we create a guess on a potential solution.  This is known as our hypothesis.

Example of a Hypothesis

My brother can hold his breath underwater longer than I can (“our problem”) –> how can I hold my breath longer? (“our question”) –>  if I drink soda with caffeine before I hold my breath, I will be able to stay underwater longer (“our solution”).  Our hypothesis is that using caffeine before we go underwater will increase the time we hold our breath.  We’re not sure if that is a correct solution or not at this stage – just taking a guess.

Once we have a hypothesis, we design an experiment to TEST our hypothesis.  First, we will change variables/conditions one at a time while keeping everything else the same, so we can compare the outcomes.

Experimental Design Example

Using our underwater example, maybe we will test different drinks and count how long I can hold my breath.  Maybe we can also see if someone else can serve as a “control” – someone who holds their breath but does not drink caffeine.  For the underwater experiment, we can time in seconds how long I hold my breath before I have a drink and then time it again after I have my caffeine drink.  I can also time how long I stay underwater when I have a drink without caffeine.

Then, once we finish with our experiment, we analyze our data and develop a conclusion.

• How many seconds did I stay underwater in the different situations? 
• Which outcome is greater?  Did caffeine help me hold my breath longer? 

Finally, (and most important), we present our findings. Imagine putting together a poster board with a chart showing the number of seconds I stayed underwater in the different conditions.

Hopefully you have a better sense of the scientific method.  If you are completing a science fair project, sticking with these steps is super important.  Just in case there is any lingering confusion, here are some resources for learning more about the scientific method:

• Science Buddies – Steps of the Scientific Method
• Ducksters – Learn About the Scientific Method
• Biology4kids – Scientific Method
• National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences – Scientific Method

What Science Fair Project Should I Do?

And science is no different.

Just know that if you can get through the idea part, the rest of the science fair is relatively smooth sailing.  Remember to keep an open mind and a positive outlook .  Each year 100s of 1000s of kids, teenagers and college students come up with new projects and ideas to test.  You’ve got this!

What Makes a Great Science Fair Project?  Start with a Problem To Solve

As we discuss below, good science experiments attempt to answer a QUESTION.  Why is the sky blue?  Why does my dog bark at her reflection?  First, we will step through some ways to find TESTABLE QUESTIONS.  These questions that you create will be what you work on for your science fair project.  Pick something fun, something interesting and something that you are excited about.  Not sure what that looks like?  Step through some of the tips below for help.

Use the Google Science Fair Idea Generator

Are you surprised Google made a tool for science fair projects??  Our post called the low-stress way to find a science fair project gives a more in-depth overview about how to use it.  It’s a great first stop if you’re early in the brainstorming process.

Answer your own questions

• What type of music makes you run faster?
• Can boys hold their breath underwater longer than girls?
• How can I be sure the sandwich I bought is gluten free?
• If we plant 100 trees in our neighborhood, will the air be cleaner?

Still stuck? Get inspiration from other science fair projects

Check out the Getting Started section and look at some of the winning science project ideas, our STEMium experiments and our Resource page.  We’ve presented a ton of potential idea starters for you – take time to run through some of these, but our suggestion is to give yourself a deadline to pick an idea .  Going through the lists could take you longer than you think, and in many cases sometimes it’s just better to pick something and go for it!  The next section will take you through how to create testable questions for your project.

Starting Your Project: Find A Testable Question

The best experiments start with a question.  Taking that a step further, the questions you useyou’re your science fair project should be ones that are TESTABLE.  That means something you can measure.  Let’s look at an example.  Let’s say I’m super excited about baking.  OH YEA!!  I love baking.  Specifically, baking cakes.  In fact, I love baking cakes so much that I want to do a science project related to cakes.  We’ve got two questions on cakes that we created.  Which question below could be most useful for a science fair project:

1)  Can eating cake before a test improve your score?

2)  Why isn’t carrot cake more popular than chocolate cake?

The second question isn’t necessarily a bad question to pick.  You could survey people and perhaps tackle the question that way.  However, chances are you will get a lot of different answers and it will probably take a lot of surveys to start to pick up a trend.

Although, the first question might be a little easier.  How would you test this?   Maybe you pick one type of cake and one test that you give people.  If you can get five people to take the test after eating cake and five people take the test with no cake, you can compare the test results.  There might be other variables beyond cake that you could test (example: age, sex, education).  But you can see that the first question is probably a little easier to test.  The first question is also a little easier to come up with a hypothesis.

At this point, you’ve got an idea.  That was the hard part!  Now it’s time to think a little more about that idea and focus it into a scientific question that is testable and that you can create a hypothesis around .

What makes a question “testable”?

Testable questions are ones that can be measured and should focus on what you will change.  In our first cake question, we would be changing whether or not people eat cake before a test.  If we are giving them all the same test and in the same conditions, you could compare how they do on the test with and without cake.  As you are creating your testable question, think about what you WILL CHANGE (cake) and what you are expecting to be different (test scores).  Cause and effect.  Check out this reference on testable questions for more details.

Outline Your Science Project – What Steps Should I Take?

Do Background Research / Create Hypothesis

Science experiments typically start with a question (example: Which cleaning solution eliminates more germs?).  The questions might come up because of a problem.  For example, maybe you’re an engineer and you are trying to design a new line of cars that can drive at least 50 mph faster.  Your problem is that the car isn’t fast enough.  After looking at what other people have tried to do to get the car to go faster, and thinking about what you can change, you try to find a solution or an answer.  When we talk about the scientific method, the proposed answer is referred to as the HYPOTHESIS.

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The information you gather to answer these research questions can be used in your report or in your board.  This will go in the BACKGROUND section.  For resources that you find useful, make sure you note the web address where you found it, and save in a Google Doc for later.

Additional Research Tips

For your own science fair project, there will likely be rules that will already be set by the judges/teachers/school.  Make sure you get familiar with the rules FOR YOUR FAIR and what needs to be completed to participate .  Typically, you will have to do some research into your project, you’ll complete experiments, analyze data, make conclusions and then present the work in a written report and on a poster board.  Make a checklist of all these “to do” items.  Key things to address:

• Question being answered – this is your testable question
• Hypothesis – what did you come up with and why
• Experimental design – how are you going to test your hypothesis
• Conclusions – why did you reach these and what are some alternative explanations
• What would you do next? Answering a testable question usually leads to asking more questions and judges will be interested in how you think about next steps.

Need more help?  Check out these additional resources on how to tackle a science fair project:

• Developing a Science Fair Project – Wiley
• Successful Science Fair Projects – Washington University
• Science Fair Planning Guide – Chattahoochee Elementary

Experiment – Time to Test That Hypothesis

Way to go!  You’ve found a problem and identified a testable question.  You’ve done background research and even created a hypothesis.  It’s time to put it all together now and start designing your experiment.  Two experiments we have outlined in detail – germiest spot in school and alka-seltzer rockets – help show how to set up experiments to test variable changes.

The folks at ThoughtCo have a great overview on the different types of variables – independent, dependent and controls.  You need to identify which ones are relevant to your own experiment and then test to see how changes in the independent variable impacts the dependent variable .  Sounds hard?  Nope.  Let’s look at an example.  Let’s say our hypothesis is that cold weather will let you flip a coin with more heads than tails.  The independent variable is the temperature.  The dependent variable is the number of heads or tails that show up.  Our experiment could involve flipping a coin fifty times in different temperatures (outside, in a sauna, in room temperature) and seeing how many heads/tails we get.

One other important point – write down all the steps you take and the materials you use!!  This will be in your final report and project board.  Example – for our coin flipping experiment, we will have a coin (or more than one), a thermometer to keep track of the temperature in our environment.  Take pictures of the flipping too!

Analyze Results – Make Conclusions

Analyzing means adding up our results and putting them into pretty pictures.  Use charts and graphs whenever you can.  In our last coin flipping example, you’d want to include bar charts of the number of heads and tails at different temperatures.  If you’re doing some other type of experiment, take pictures during the different steps to document everything.

This is the fun part….  Now we get to see if we answered our question!  Did the weather affect the coin flipping?  Did eating cake help us do better on our test??  So exciting!  Look through what the data tells you and try to answer your question.  Your hypothesis may / may not be correct.  It’s not important either way – the most important part is what you learned and the process.  Check out these references for more help:

• How to make a chart or graph in Google Sheets
• How to make a chart in Excel

Presentation Time – Set Up Your Board, Practice Your Talk

Personally, the presentation is my favorite part!  First, you get to show off all your hard work and look back at everything you did!  Additionally, science fair rules should outline the specific sections that need to be in the report, and in the poster board – so, be like Emmett from Lego Movie and read the instructions.  Here’s a loose overview of what you should include:

• Title – what is it called.
• Introduction / background – here’s why you’re doing it and helping the judges learn a bit about your project.
• Materials/Methods – what you used and the steps in your experiment. This is so someone else could repeat your experiment.
• Results – what was the outcome? How many heads/tails?  Include pictures and graphs.
• Conclusions – was your hypothesis correct? What else would you like to investigate now?  What went right and what went wrong?
• References – if you did research, where did you get your information from? What are your sources?

The written report will be very similar to the final presentation board.  The board that you’ll prepare is usually a three-panel board set up like the picture shown below.

To prepare for the presentation, you and your partner should be able to talk about the following:

• why you did the experiment
• the hypothesis that was tested
• the data results
• the conclusions.

It’s totally OK to not know an answer.  Just remember this is the fun part!

And that’s it!  YOU DID IT!! 

Science fair projects have been great opportunities for our kids to not only learn more about science, but to also be challenged and push themselves.  Independent projects like these are usually a great learning opportunity.  Has your child completed a science fair project that they are proud of?  Include a pic in the comments – we love to share science!!  Please also check out our STEMium Resources page for more science fair project tips and tricks .

STEMomma is a mother & former scientist/educator. She loves to find creative, fun ways to help engage kids in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and math).  When she’s not busy in meetings or carpooling kids, she loves spending time with the family and dreaming up new experiments  or games they can try in the backyard.

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Okay, this is the hardest part of the whole project…picking your topic. But here are some ideas to get you started. Even if you don’t like any, they may inspire you to come up with one of your own. Remember, check all project ideas with your teacher and parents, and don’t do any project that would hurt or scare people or animals. Good luck!

• Does music affect on animal behavior?
• Does the color of food or drinks affect whether or not we like them?
• Where are the most germs in your school? ( CLICK for more info. )
• Does music have an affect on plant growth?
• Which kind of food do dogs (or any animal) prefer best?
• Which paper towel brand is the strongest?
• What is the best way to keep an ice cube from melting?
• What level of salt works best to hatch brine shrimp?
• Can the food we eat affect our heart rate?
• How effective are child-proof containers and locks.
• Can background noise levels affect how well we concentrate?
• Does acid rain affect the growth of aquatic plants?
• What is the best way to keep cut flowers fresh the longest?
• Does the color of light used on plants affect how well they grow?
• What plant fertilizer works best?
• Does the color of a room affect human behavior?
• Do athletic students have better lung capacity?
• What brand of battery lasts the longest?
• Does the type of potting soil used in planting affect how fast the plant grows?
• What type of food allow mold to grow the fastest?
• Does having worms in soil help plants grow faster?
• Can plants grow in pots if they are sideways or upside down?
• Does the color of hair affect how much static electricity it can carry? (test with balloons)
• How much weight can the surface tension of water hold?
• Can some people really read someone else’s thoughts?
• Which soda decays fallen out teeth the most?
• What light brightness makes plants grow the best?
• Does the color of birdseed affect how much birds will eat it?
• Do natural or chemical fertilizers work best?
• Can mice learn? (you can pick any animal)
• Can people tell artificial smells from real ones?
• What brands of bubble gum produce the biggest bubbles?
• Does age affect human reaction times?
• What is the effect of salt on the boiling temperature of water?
• Does shoe design really affect an athlete’s jumping height?
• What type of grass seed grows the fastest?
• Can animals see in the dark better than humans?

Didn’t see one you like? Don’t worry…look over them again and see if they give you an idea for your own project that will work for you. Remember, find something that interests you, and have fun with it.

To download and print this list of ideas CLICK HERE .

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4th Grade Science Fair Projects

• Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville
• B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College

Great 4th-grade science fair projects involve answering a question, solving a problem, or testing a hypothesis. Usually, a teacher or parent helps work out the hypothesis and design the project. Fourth graders have a good understanding of scientific concepts, but they may need help with the scientific method and organizing a poster or presentation. The key to developing a successful project is finding an idea that is interesting to a 4th grader.

Experiment Ideas

The best experiments usually begin with a question to which you don't know the answer. Once you've formulated a question, you can design a simple experiment to help figure out the answer:

• Do cockroaches have a preference for direction? Catch and release cockroaches. Which way do they go? Is there a common trend or not? You can try this project with ants or other crawling insects as well.
• Do colored ice cubes melt at the same rate as clear ice cubes? Add food coloring to an ice cube tray and compare how long the colored cubes take to melt compared to the regular ones.
• Does magnetism travel through all materials? Put different materials between a magnet and metal. Do they affect how strongly the magnet is attracted to the metal? If so, do they all affect the magnetic field to the same degree?
• Do all crayon colors last the same? Draw a really long line with one color, then draw the same length of line with another color. Are both crayons the same length?
• What is the effect of microwaving seeds on their germination rate? Test seeds that sprout quickly, like radish seeds, and different microwave times, such as 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 30 seconds, one minute. Use a control (no microwave) treatment for comparison.
• Will seeds germinate if you soak them in a liquid other than water? You can try milk, juice, vinegar, and other common household liquids. Alternatively, you could see if plants will grow if they are "watered" with liquids other than water.
• Make a simple homemade windmill. What is the best number of blades for the windmill?
• How much salt (or sugar) can a plant tolerate? Water plants with a different solution of salt or sugar. How high of a concentration can the plant tolerate? A related question would be to see if plants can survive if they are watered with soapy water such as leftover dishwater.
• Do birds have a preference for birdhouse material? In other words, do they seem to care if the birdhouse is made of wood or plastic or metal?
• Do worms react when they are exposed to light? Do they react differently when they are exposed to different colors of light?
• Do ants prefer different types of sugar? Test using table sugar, honey, maple syrup , and molasses.
• Can you taste the difference between foods that contain fat and fat-free versions of the same product?
• Compare the water filtration rate of different brands of coffee filters. Take one cup of liquid and time how long it takes to pass through the filter. Do the different filters affect the flavor of the coffee?
• Do white candles and colored candles burn at the same rate?
• Write messages using different types of invisible ink . Which was the most invisible? Which method produced a message that was easy to read after it was revealed?
• 10 Examples of Heterogeneous and Homogeneous Mixtures
• 5th Grade Science Fair Projects
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Do a science fair project!

Test, answer, or show?

Your science fair project may do one of three things:

Test an idea (or hypothesis.)

Answer a question.

Show how nature works.

Topic ideas:

These are just the beginning of ideas. Ask a parent, teacher, or other adult to help you research the topic and find out how to do a science fair project about it.

Measure the cloud cover in the sky.

Test the effect of a mild acid on sea shells. (Test lemon juice or vinegar, for example.)

Demonstrate how Earth's water cycle creates fresh drinking water from sea water.

Investigate the greenhouse effect outdoors, over one week using two thermometers, two shallow open boxes lined with soil, with one covered tightly with clear plastic wrap, and a notebook for taking temperature readings through the day and night. Or use a different, but well-controlled method of comparison.

Make a do-it-yourself rain gauge. Measure the rainfall during one storm or over several days.

Make a cloud in a bottle.

Demonstrate why the equator is warmer than other parts of Earth (unequal heating of Earth's surface) using a flashlight, graph paper, a ruler, and masking tape.

Compare the freezing point of fresh water with the freezing point of seawater or salt water, with varying amounts of salt.

By the way, what is science anyway?

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Science Fair Visit #1- Question and Hypothesis

Experimental Design

Today, students learned about the importance of experimental design. Starting with the steps of the Ruler Drop Experiment which we can use to test reaction times, students came up with their own hypotheses about what variables might affect people’s reaction times. Then they came up with their own experimental plans to test these hypotheses. Students learned that it is important that a good hypothesis makes a claim about the relationship between two variables, and that this relationship is specific and testable in a measurable way. Students also learned that only one variable—the independent variable—can differ between test groups. Finally, we talked about how it is important to have more than one test subject so that an average can be taken.

Students discussed their science fair projects and worked to make sure their hypothesis is both testable and measurable.

Diseño Experimental

Hoy los alumnos aprendieron sobre la importancia del diseño experimental. Hoy, los estudiantes aprendieron sobre la importancia del diseño experimental. Primero seguimos los pasos del “Ruler Drop Experiment” (experimento de la caída de la regla), el cual podemos usar para evaluar los tiempos de reacción de cada persona. Los estudiantes presentaron sus propias hipótesis sobre qué variables podrían afectar los tiempos de reacción de las personas; y luego idearon sus propios planes experimentales para probar estas hipótesis. Los estudiantes aprendieron que es importante que una buena hipótesis estipule la relación entre dos variables, y que esta relación sea específica y comprobable de una manera medible. Los estudiantes también aprendieron que solo una variable, la variable independiente, puede diferir entre los grupos de prueba. Finalmente, hablamos sobre la importancia de tener más de un sujeto de prueba para poder tomar un promedio. ¡Pídale a su estudiante que mida sus tiempos de reacción!

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MPS showcases young scientists at the 17th annual STEM Fair

Today at the 17th Annual STEM Fair, young people are telling me this is the best part of the school year!

"This definitely creates opportunities for students' futures," said Willie Jude II, Executive Director of the MPS Foundation.

Over 600 students from more than 50 MPS schools displayed their science and engineering expertise in downtown Milwaukee.

The MPS STEM Fair showcases the best STEM projects from across the district. Most of these student submissions have already participated and done well at their school-level STEM Fairs. Volunteers from the community, representing educational partners, businesses, and higher education institutions, collaborate to judge the students.

Patience is Key!

"My hypothesis is that the water fountain will work without power," said Mahesh Thomas, a student at Goodrich Elementary. "I learned a lesson while working on my project – patience! It takes a lot of work to do. It took me two times to make this, but on the second try, I got it," said Thomas.

Students from four-year-old kindergarten through 12th grade shared their projects with pride on the exhibit floor.

"Trying to have a fully electric city by having solar panels, hydroelectric dams, and wind turbines," said Luke Reiser, a 13-year-old student.

Luke and his team built a futuristic city. "For our city, we prioritized green space, so our people can just have a good time and go outside," said Reiser.

STEM: Solving Problems with Imagination

Student projects use mathematics and engineering to solve everyday problems around scientific questions.

"As a student at Golden Meir and Samuel Morse Ave. in Madison, these exhibits take me back to those days when I was trying to do some of those projects," said Willie Jude II.

Investing in the Future

Willie grew up on the Northside. He emphasizes the importance of preparing young people for the future with all the tech investments in Wisconsin.

"Investments in our students are worthwhile investments. When you're investing in knowledge, when you invest in them, you will see the returns because they would be more productive in class. They will increase their attendance. They'll be excited to be in school and then they see that there's hope," said Jude II.

Sparking a Passion for STEM

"We're hoping that it triggers our students to think about STEM fields for their college and careers," said Dr. Abe El Manssouri, Science Curriculum Specialist.

Dr. Abe El Manssouri, the Science Curriculum Specialist, says this event will make Milwaukee students more competitive.

"We have to expose more students to STEM fields so we can close the gap that exists between us and the suburbs," said El Manssouri.

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