What is a Science Project?


Since before the time of the Ancient Greeks, thousands of years ago, people have tried to find out more about the world around them, wondering how and why things work.

Scientists come up with many great ideas to show how things work, but for an idea to become accepted, it has to be tested.

The tool scientists use to test their theories is called the scientific method. Whether you are studying stars, caterpillars or medicines, this method remains the same.

If you have an idea, or a question, you have to be able to prove it and give evidence so that other scientists can check and test your results.

Here we are going to show you the best way to design and conduct a science project.

(Always check with your teacher exactly what needs to be included but if you follow the steps indicated below, you will not be far wrong)

The idea behind a science project is to see what happens if...

Here we are going to show you the best way to design and conduct a science project.

(Always check with your teacher exactly what needs to be included but if you follow the steps indicated below, you will not be far wrong)

The idea behind a science project is to see what happens if...

What happens to one thing if you change something else while you keep all of the other conditions the same? All of a sudden you're a scientist.

That's the heart of all research, and a science project is just another name for research.

One thing to keep in mind: science projects are not the same as science demonstrations. The idea behind a science project is to learn something new--through an experiment. You might guess the result before hand, but you won't know for sure what will happen until you try out the experiment.

A demonstration is different. It's fun to show that vinegar and baking soda together cause a reaction, for example. And if the reaction occurs like a volcano, you really do see the reaction explode. But that's all it is--a demonstration. No new information is discovered. You know exactly what the reaction is going to be. (Note: science demonstrations may be acceptable at some science fairs. Check with your teacher about the rules.)

So, to make things more clear, the objectives of a science project or as many call it “Scientific Research” is:

  • 1. to verify and test important facts
  • 2. to analyze an event or process or phenomenon to identify the cause and effect relationship
  • 3. to develop new scientific tools, concepts and theories to solve and understand scientific and non-scientific problems
  • 4. to find solutions to scientific, non-scientific and social problems.
  • 5. to overcome or solve the problems occurring in our everyday life.

Parts of a Science Project.


While your science project may be simpler than a scientist's, it still needs to follow the same basic steps that make up the Scientific Process.

The first step in any investigation is to research your topic. This can be done in a variety of ways.

The experiment you are trying to perform might be building upon ones you have done earlier or be a result of something you have noticed in everyday life.

You might, for example, have noticed that mold seems to grow quicker in hot temperatures and want to know if this is true.

You can use the internet, books, magazines or talking to knowledgeable people to try and find some details.

You can then do more research into the project because other people may have performed similar experiments. It is always a good idea to make a list of where you found each piece of information because you may need to use this in your report.

The Research Question


Now you must try to narrow down your research into one, easily testable, problem. For example, you might decide to find out whether mold grows quicker at higher temperatures. It is much easier to test one thing at a time.

If you wanted to test mold growth with different types of bread or varying amounts of light, it becomes complicated. The scientific way is to test one thing and get the results. Once you have the results for this experiment, you can always test other variables. (go to following page for definition of the different kind of variables highlighted in yellow)

Exactly what do you hope to figure out? What is the what if question? You should be able to write the research question in a simple sentence.

In fact, keep the whole project simple. This is important to the scientific process: the simpler the experiment, the easier it is to keep "all other conditions" the same and change only one thing. That's how you can be sure that the thing you are changing is actually causing any difference you measure.

The Hypothesis


This is where we really start going. The hypothesis is one statement of fact that you are going to try and prove or disprove. It could be

"Mold grows quicker at higher temperatures." (example) "More expensive paper towel brands absorb more water." (example)

It is always a good idea to say why you have picked this hypothesis.

Write down your hypothesis. This is what your experiment is designed around. It must never be changed even if it is wrong. Science is not about right and wrong, just coming to an answer.

Okay, but what does “Hypothesis” mean?

"Hypothesis" means "what do you expect to happen in your experiment?" Suppose your research question is, "what happens to seeds if I change the temperatures they are kept at before they are planted?" The hypothesis might be "the higher the temperature that seeds are kept at, the quicker I expect them to sprout."

It's important to word your hypothesis correctly. For example, don’t say "higher temperatures are better for seeds." "Better" cannot be measured. Decide on a hypothesis that can be proved in a measurable way. For example, "higher temperatures will make the seeds sprout faster."

It is perfectly fine for your experiment to disprove your hypothesis. If something unexpected happens during your experiment, the project doesn't need to be trashed. You just discovered something new and showed that what we expect is not always what we get.

That is why it is important that you do some background research as indicated in the previous section, before you decide on your hypothesis. Again, sources of information include school and public libraries and the Internet. Also, once you have some background, you might consider writing, telephoning or e-mailing a scientist who works in the field you've chosen for your project.

The Procedure or the Experimentation Phase


The procedure is how you plan to do things: how you are going to conduct your experiment, including the list of tools or laboratory apparatus you will use.

An experiment can only have one variable. That means you can only change one condition in each experiment.

For example, with the seed-sprouting experiment, if you vary the temperature at which the seeds are stored before you plant them, keep each group of seeds at that temperature for the same amount of time. And make sure all of the seeds get the same amount of light and water after you plant them.

If there's more than one variable, the experiment becomes flawed. It can be hard to figure out what other conditions must stay the same. But it may help to think it through before you start your experiment.

Also think about how long your experiment will take before you decide on your procedure. If you only have a few weeks to do your experiment, don't decide on a procedure that will take months to carry out.

Think about your "sample size." How many seeds will you test at each temperature? Allow a big enough sample so you can have a few duds in each group.

Once you decide on a procedure, write it down step by step. That way, you can prove what you did and can follow the same procedure if you need to repeat the experiment.

There are three important variables you have to remember when you are designing your experiment.

Independent variable - this is what you change in order to provide a result. In the case of the mold bread experiment, it is temperature. In the case of the paper towel experiment it is the brand.

Controlled variables - these are the things that never change.

Dependent variable - this is what you are measuring, how much water the towel absorbs or how much mold grows on the slice.

It is important to make sure that you perform experiments in batches. One result can always be an accident but if you have 3 or more samples for each test under the same conditions then you can take a mean or average for your results.

As much as is possible, you must try and keep everything else the same. The bread you use for the mold bread experiment should be from the same loaf. The plastic bags should be the same. Be careful to make sure that you keep a list of the exact details of everything you use.

For experiments where you took samples outside, it is a good idea to give a map reference and even draw a small map, or use Google maps. Photographs of your methods and apparatus can also be excellent ways of describing your experiment.

The Results


Here is where you show your results and let the whole world know what you found at the end of the experiment. This is where you collect the information or data. Your data should be in numbers, not just what you see. For example, say that some of your plants grew 1 centimeter the third day. Don't say that the plants "look bigger today than they did yesterday." Words like "bigger" mean different things to different people, so reporting your results using only words can lead to confusion. You want to tell people exactly how much your plants grew.

You do not need to show all of your calculations; most people know how to take a mean, but you must make it clear that you did use a mean.

In this section describe what you found. Graphs and tables (show a sample of different graphs and tables as illustration) are good ways to present your findings. Other scientists find it a lot easier to study your data by looking at diagrams than at huge blocks of text.

Graphs and tables are fine with pen and paper if they are neat. If you know how to use computer programs to draw these, even better.

Keep all your initial research findings, observations and results in one notebook. The Science Project record book is an important tool, with which you can go back and recall what you did to arrive at the results you obtained.

The Discussion & The Conclusion


It can be hard to understand the difference between results and conclusion, but the two are very different.

Results are the specific data collected during the experiment. The conclusion is what you learned from doing the experiment, and what the results mean. You might also think of the conclusion as a summary. In just a few sentences, you need to explain what happened in your experiment and whether it agreed with your hypothesis.

Did your data (the measurements you took) support your hypothesis? If not, that's a result, too. It doesn't mean that the experiment didn't work. Also, consider other possible explanations for your results. Did your treatment kill your plants or was it that you left them outside and some insects ate some of the leaves? You're not out to "prove" your hypothesis but to test it. Think more along the lines of "here's what I thought was going to happen and here's what actually happened." Then go on to explain why you think things happened the way they did.

So again, in the discussion, you assess how the results answer the hypothesis and discuss its relevance to the existing knowledge in the field.

When writing a conclusion, you should try to answer your hypothesis, as succinctly as possible.

You will have already answered some of these in your discussion, but the key is to leave some questions that another can expand upon for their research project.

Now genius, it is time to write the Report of the science project you have just finished. This next stage is about taking all of your results and constructing a report paper. This is where you will appreciate the fact that you have put some effort in creating a detailed Science project Record Book.

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