Purpose & Hypothesis

Due November 10

Purpose: This should be one sentence that explains what you are trying to do. Make
sure to state your purpose clearly.

Use this sentence starter: The purpose of this project is

Hypothesis: A hypothesis is a prediction that can be tested or an educated guess.

You should write an educated guess about your project. What do you think the answer to
your question will be? You should answer that question and make a prediction of what
you think will happen during your investigation.

Example: My hypothesis is that flowers watered with cold water will grow faster than
flowers watered with warm water. I think the flowers watered with cold water will be at
least 3 inches shorter than the flowers watered with warm water after 3 weeks of
watering daily.
 Research and Reference List
Due November 17

As part of your science project, you will need to complete a research paper. To write this
paper, you will need to do some research on your topic to see what other scientists have
said about what you are planning to investigate. For example, if you are going to
investigate batteries, you should research things about batteries (how they work,
differences between types of batteries, etc.).

You must use FIVE different resources to complete your paper.

You may use two encyclopedias. You may NOT use Wikipedia.
You may interview an expert in the field you are investigating.
You may only use one internet resource.
The rest of your resources should be from books, magazines or journals.
**If you have access to online scientific journals that are in print, those may be used but
must be approved first**

You are not limited to five sources. You may use more than that if you wish!

Everything you use to write your paper needs to be listed in a reference list

This list should be:

In alphabetical order
Written in APA style (see attached for more information on APA)

You also must use APA style to give credit for things you use within your paper, like
quotes. (see attached for more information).
 Research Paper
Due December 14

When you finish researching, you will want to put together all of the information
that you found. Read over your notes and combine the information in a way that flows
well and makes sense to someone who might read it and want to know more about your
topic. It is important that you do NOT copy things that other people wrote word for
word. You should rewrite what you found from books and other sources in your own
words.
You may quote things that you think are really important, but you need to give
the author proper credit (see reference section). You also should not make your paper
from entirely quotes. Your own understanding of the topic should be obvious when we
read it.
Make sure you explain the meaning of scientific words that you use. This paper
should be one page in length (see technical requirements) but you are welcome to write
more.
 Procedure
Due December 20

You need to create a step-by-step list that someone else could follow if they
wanted to duplicate your experiment. This list should include descriptions of what each
step includes. Think of a lab that we do in class: they dont leave out things you will need
to complete the experiment, so you shouldnt either!
Here are some important things to consider:
1. Sample Size: You need a large sample size! You cant do an experiment once
on one subject and say that you proved your hypothesis!
2. Number of Trials: You need to perform a sufficient number of tests to make your
results more accurate. If you need help deciding how many trials to do, please
ask!
3. Control Group: If you are changing one variable to test its effect on your subject,
you will need to have a control group. This is a group that is identical to your
experimental group in every way except for the variable that you are testing. The
difference between the control group and the experimental group will show the
effect of the variable.

Materials List
Due December 20

Now that you have a procedure planned out with all of the specifics, you need to write a
complete list of materials you will use. This must include everything you will use. Even if
it doesnt seem important, include it anyway! Remember, this is important for someone
who might be trying to do your experiment.

You need to include the size, quantity, kind, and or temperature (in Celsius) of all items
on your list.

If there is something you cant explain very well, you will need to include a diagram or
photos.

If you build your own equipment for this project, include instructions for how to make
it.
 The Experiment
Must be Completed by Jan. 16

1. Identify and Write a Testable Question

2. Perform B ackground Research
a. This is your Research and Reference List
3. Formulate a Hypothesis
a. This is the Purpose and Hypothesis
4. Design the Experiment
a. This is the Procedure and Materials List
b. Other things to consider:
i. Make sure the quantity and quality of the data provides a
reasonable assurance that your research objectives will be met
ii. Identify all variables that could affect your results
iii. Include a control or comparison group in the design
5. Conduct the Experiment
a. Follow your procedure to collect data and make observations. Remember
that you need to have a way to represent the data (charts, graphs, etc.).
Make sure you keep a notebook of your data as you go along. This should
include data, problems you encounter, how you fixed the problem and how
the problem might have affected your data. When other people read your
final report, they will need to know these things.
6. Data, Analysis, and Error Analysis
a. If you get results that dont seem to add up, dont throw them out! Try to
figure out what happened to get these results. Maybe the data is right and
your hypothesis was flawed. Scientists have to repeat experiments many
times to get good results, so dont be discouraged!
7. Analyze Results and Draw Conclusions
a. This is the Conclusion
b. Make sure you include the things from the notebook you kept, including
problems you encountered.
 Conclusion
Due January 17

Congratulations! You have completed your experiment and organized your results. Your
results reported what has happened in your investigation. The conclusion is the written
statement of your analysis of these results.

This is the place you need to tell us what you learned from the trials and testing.
Compare the results with your original hypothesis and write about what you found. The
results may tell you that your theory is true or false. It also might not give you a clear
answer, and that is okay!

Look for patterns by looking at graphs and tables to see if a trend emerges. Write about
what you see. Make sure that you have a clear, obvious trend that you can point to in
your results and that others would be able to see too.

Finally, finish your conclusion with a discussion about any practical value that your
experiment might have. How can this information be helpful to other people?

Make sure that this is a thorough answer that answers all the questions fully. Dont leave
anything out!

Research Paper (Final Draft)

Must be finished by January 24

Now is the time to finish that research paper that you started way back in
November. Your sponsor (thats me!) will make corrections to your rough draft and give
it back to you to fix up and make nice for the final presentation. At this time you should
review the guidelines and make sure it meets all requirements.

This must be typed and include that reference list you made! Make sure you have
me look at it again before you say youre finished.
 Layout of Project
Must be finished by February 5

Your paper must include the following pieces, in this order. For further details, see the
attached sheets (pgs. 21-23):

Abstract
Safety Sheet
Endorsements (if applicable)
Title Page
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
Purpose and Hypothesis
Review of Literature (Research)
Materials list and Procedure
Results
Conclusion
Reference List

Practice Presentation
February 5-10

It is important that you practice your presentation for the judges on other people before
you go to the science fair. You should practice a minimum of three times on small
groups or individuals. Your family is a great resource for this!

Make sure you know what you are going to say and how you are going to organize your
presentation (what order will you do this in?) Also make sure you can answer any
questions that the judges may ask you about the project. Ask your practice audience to
give you feedback and to ask you practice questions.
 Final Details

Each of these pieces needs to checked over by me before you can check
them off your to-do list.
It is better to complete these pieces early if possible so that you have more
time to make changes if you need to.
I am more than willing to help you out if you are stuck. However, do not
wait until the day things are due or until they are late to ask. Be proactive!

Below are the dates for the conferences I will be having with you.

These are not optional.

First Conference: Friday, December 15

Second Conference: Friday, January 12

Third Conference: Monday, January 22

Fourth Conference: Wednesday, February 7