The Fulbright Science Fair will be held on Thursday, January 5th, 2017.

The LRSD Science Fair will be held on Saturday, January 21, 2017.
Students are responsible for creating a science display board using the
following
guidelines:

Science Journal-Students will need to keep a composition book or

report folder containing notes and information recorded during the
entire process. This will be the Log Book and counts toward 10 points
of the final grade.
Science Fair topics must fall under the following categories:
Zoology, Medical Science, Particle Physics, Mechanical Physics,
Earth/Space Science, Behavioral Science, Consumer Science, Chemistry,
Engineering, Environment Science, Botany.
Photographs of the experiment, students working on the
experiment, etc. can be added to enhance the display board. However,
faces of the student will not be allowed.

 The top Science Fair projects from the 5th grade will move on to
the LRSD Science Fair. Fifth graders are required to keep a logbook,
write an abstract, and a report with a bibliography.
DO NOT use first person narrative anywhere in your project. If
you have trouble wording something, ask an adult.
The Science Fair will be judged by impartial LRSD staff members
and volunteers. The attached scoring sheet will be used as TWO (2)
science grades (200 points.)
Below is a list of assignments and when they are due. Each
individual assignment will be worth 10 points for effort and will move
the student closer to completion of the project.

Problem/Purpose

____________________________

Student will decide on a problem (or question) to be answered by

following the scientific process.

State the problem that you were originally concerned with and
explain why you selected the topic you did.

Background Information

____________________________

This should is basic information the student will need to research

to help make informed predictions, analyses, conclusions, and

recommendations.
Information needs to be at least one paragraph in length, but may
be longer.
Resources used should be included in the bibliography.
Students may choose to include this on the display board, in the
report, or both.

Hypothesis and Variables

____________________________

Student will create a hypothesis based on what they think the

answer to their questions should be.
The hypothesis must be stated in an If.then format.
The hypothesis page should also contain the independent and
dependent variables for the experiment.

Materials and Procedures

____________________________

Student will provide a list of materials needed to perform the

experiment.
State the procedures followed. What experiments were
performed and why?
List the steps.
Materials are ONLY what you need for the experiment. This does
not include items needed for the display board.

Data

____________________________
Draw a data table in your logbook OR create a data chart in
Google Sheets and glue it into the logbook to enter data as the
experiment is conducted.
As the student conducts the experiment, data should be recorded
in the log book.
Please note that DATA and GRAPHICS are two DIFFERENT THINGS:
Data contains numbers.

Graphics

____________________________

Present any significant graphs in this section.

Please note that DATA and GRAPHICS are two DIFFERENT
THINGS::Graphs are visual images of the data.
Visual representations of your results, if done effectively, are
worth thousands of words.

Results

look

____________________________
Students should discuss the results of the experiment.
What does the data say? Explain as if there is no data or graph to
at
Facts.

Conclusion

____________________________

 Was the hypothesis right or wrong?

Discuss why you think your experiment was successful or not
successful. Can you now make a new hypothesis to test?
Did you notice something during the experiment, that you didnt
think of before you started, that might skew your results?

Recommendations

____________________________

Based on what was learned, what can be done to change the

experiment to make it better or more accurate?
Different variables?

Report/Bibliography/Abstract (fifth grade)

_________________________

The report is all the work done to date, plus a cover page (no
name), a table of contents, an abstract, and a bibliography all rolled
into one report folder (or stapled together).
The bibliography should contain ALL sources (2 or more) used for
information - especially the background info.
More information will be sent home regarding the abstract..

Final Board Display

____________________________

Students must use a 36 tall tri fold display board for the project.
The project should have a title header (but no header boards.)
Students will display boards in various locations based on grade
level.
Students should be prepared to discuss and answer questions
regarding the project.
Creativity and neatness should be evident in the board
presentation.

Abstract: a short summary of your project. It is usually a separate page and includes
the project title or questions, your purpose for completing this project, the hypothesis, a
brief description of the procedure you followed, and the results of your experiment.
Conclusions: Your conclusions will summarize whether or not your science fair project
results support or contradict your original hypothesis. If you are doing an Engineering or
Computer Science programming project, then you should state whether or not you met
your design criteria. You may want to include key facts from your background research to
help explain your results. Do your results suggest a relationship between the
independent and dependent variable?
If the results of your science experiment did not support your hypothesis, don't change
or manipulate your results to fit your original hypothesis, simply explain why things did
not go as expected. Professional scientists commonly find that results do not support
their hypothesis, and they use those unexpected results as the first step in constructing
a new hypothesis. If you think you need additional experimentation, describe what you
think should happen next.
Conclusions Checklist
What Makes for Good Conclusions?

For Good Conclusions, You Should

Answer "Yes" to Every Question

Do you summarize your results and use it to support the findings?

Yes / No

Do your conclusions state that you proved or disproved your hypothesis? (Engineering
& programming projects should state whether they met their design criteria.)

Yes / No

If appropriate, do you state the relationship between the independent and dependent
variable?

Yes / No

Do you summarize and evaluate your experimental procedure, making comments

about its success and effectiveness?

Yes / No

Do you suggest changes in the experimental procedure and/or possibilities for further
study?

Yes / No

Control Variable: Controlled variables are quantities that a scientist wants to remain
constant, and he must observe them as carefully as the dependent variables.

Dependent Variable: The scientist focuses his or her observations on the dependent
variable to see how it responds to the change made to the independent variable. (the
effect) This is the part of the experiment that is changed by the independent variable.

Data: the information collected from the experiment often some kind of measurement

Display Board: Trifold display boards may be purchased at most craft and office supply
stores. A variety of colors are available so you will want to think about the theme and
topic before you choose your color; however, white is fine.

Graphs: Graphs are used to give a picture of your data.

For any type of graph:
Generally, you should place your independent variable on the x-axis of your
graph and the dependent variable on the y-axis.

Be sure to label the axes of your graph don't forget to include the units of
measurement (grams, centimeters, liters, etc.).
If you have more than one set of data, show each series in a different color
or symbol and include a legend with clear labels.

Hypothesis: an educated guess what you THINK will happen when you conduct the
experiment

Independent Variable: The independent variable is the one that is changed by the
scientist. To insure a fair test, a good experiment has only one independent variable.
(the cause)

Materials: a list of ALL materials and equipment needed to perform the experiment.
Make sure you have everything you need to perform the experiment before you start.

Procedures: a complete list of ALL the steps needed to perform the experiment. These
should be planned in advance so that the experiment will not be jeopardized by time,
temperature, etc.
Variable: A variable is any factor, trait, or condition that can exist in differing amounts
or types. An experiment usually has three kinds of variables: independent, dependent,
and controlled.
Science Fair Project Variables Checklist
What Makes for Good Variables?

For Good Variables, You

Should Answer "Yes" to
Every Question

Is the independent variable measurable?

Yes / No

Can you change the independent variable during the experiment?

Yes / No

Have you identified all relevant dependent variables, and are they all caused by and dependent
on the independent variable?

Yes / No

Are all dependent variable(s) measurable?

Yes / No

Have you identified all relevant controlled variables?

Yes / No

Can all controlled variables be held at a steady value during the experiment?

Yes / No

www.sciencebuddies.org is just one website that contains a wealth of

information to help you make your project a success.

You may create your graph using Create A Graph at

http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/graphing/classic/
Or you can create great graphs using Google Sheets.

 You will need to first enter your data into a chart on a Google
Sheet. It would be best to create your spreadsheet BEFORE you
execute your experiment, print it, glue it in your logbook, and enter
your data by hand. Once you have completed the experiment, add the
data to the spreadsheet on the computer.

Ph Levels in Water

Next, highlight your entire data chart and title.

Click on INSERT and CHART

Choose the chart that will best convey your data. You
may choose and change your mind if something doesnt work properly.
You may also show your data in more than one type of graph. You may
want to show graphs for individual results, averages, or both.

 Click on the CUSTOMIZATION TAB and rename your chart. You

may need to rename your x- and y- axises if you did not label them
well on your data chart. Notice that the labels above match the data
table.
You may now customize your graph choosing background colors,
and graph colors colors should coordinate with the theme of your
board.
Click insert to add data to your spreadsheet. Once it is there,
click on the dropdown arrow in the top right corner of your graph - click
move to own sheet or copy chart it paste it to a Google Doc.

Judges Score Sheet

Science Display Board # _______

Category ______________________________

Judge #

______
Title
______________________________________________________________________________________
High Quality
Log book entries are dated, legible,
and organized.

10

Report shows written evidence of

experimentation and analysis, with
abstract and bibliography included.

10

Topic is original.

10

Acceptable
7

Low
Quality
4

Not Evident

1
9

3
1

3
1

Project demonstrates the use of the

scientific method.

10

Visual display includes all required

elements of the scientific method:
title, problem/purpose, hypothesis,
materials, procedures, data, charts or
graphs to represent data, results,
conclusions, and recommendations.

10
9
8
(must have
independent
and dependent
variables)

Scientific data is presented in a wellorganized manner demonstrating 3 or

more trials.

10
9
8
(must have 3
trials)

Conclusion is supported by the data.

10

3
1

3
1

3
1

3
1

Science Fair submissions have

correct spelling, punctuation, and
grammar.

10

Display is visually appealing and

creative.

10

Student sufficiently explains process

of research during interview.

10

3
1

3
1

3
1

TOTAL

Abstract Form - an editable copy will be provided to 5th graders.