the scientific method- guide for students and teachers

8/14/2019 The Scientific Method- Guide for Students and Teachers

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STEPS TO A SUCCESSFUL SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT

THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

The scientific method is a step-by-step approach that helps scientists

(AND STUDENTS!) fmd solutions to problems and explain things that

they do not understand. A scientist uses the same steps each time they want

to find an answer, no matter what type of problem it is.

These steps are as follows:1. PURPOSE - What do you want to learn?2. RESEARCH - Find out as much about your topic as you can.3. HYPOTHESIS - Predict the answer to the problem.4. EXPERIMENT - Design a test to confirm or disprove your hypothesis.5. ANALYSIS - Record what happened during the experiment.6. CONCLUSION - Was your hypothesis correct?These six steps are essential to completing a top-notch science fair

project. Without successfully completing anyone of these steps, your

project will be incomplete. Other concepts (e.g. procedure, problem, data,

material, results, etc.) can be used as sub-categories under these six main

headings. Let us now take a deeper look into each of these steps thatmake up the scientific method.



PURPOSE

All science fair projects begin with the question, "What do I want tofind out?"

Think about what it is that interests you. Science happens all day, everyday around

each and every one of us. Curiosity might arise from reading an article in a book or a

magazine. It could stem from something you noticed while hanging out at the bus

stop or in the lunchroom. There are two types of science that can be explored:

physical (chemistry/physics/etc.) or life (biology).

Use these guidelines to help choose your problem:

1. Keep the project specific and focused. General statementsmake it hard to find answers.

2. Rewriteyour statement until it saysexactly what you want it tosay.

3. When your statement isfinished, be sureit makes senseandmake sureyou can find enough research materials to answeryour question.

GoodQuestions: What causes a plant to grow? Can the sun be harmful to humans?

Bad Questions: Will a hurricane hit the coast of Florida in 2025? Which good luckcharm is the luckiest?

TAKE A MOMENT AND WRiTE DOWN A FEW THiNCS THAT YOU

WANT TO LEARN ABOUT ...

1-.

2.-----------------------3.



RESEARCH

Research is critical to the scientific method. Ask yourself, "Where

am I going to find the information on my topic?" This is where you have

to do a little detective work. Information can be found in all types of places.

A good place to start is the library. They have all kinds of books and articles

on more topics than you or I could ever imagine. There is probably a whole

bunch of people who have spent their entire life doing the detective work for

you. All you have to do is fmd where it is that they wrote the informationdown.

Have a fear of libraries? No worries. Here are a few other places to

gather clues:

1. Internet websites (try SCHOODOODLE.COM or

SCIENCEFAIRSANITYCOM)

2. People (those guys and gals that spent their entire life

investigating the same topic that you are using for yourproject did it because they have a love for it. They might like

nothing more than to share that passion with you! Give 'em acall or send a letter!!)

Where are you going to begin your search?

1.

2.

3.



HYPOTHESIS

After you have conducted thorough research, the problem can be

turned into an answer to your question. Construct a sentence that states,

"This is what I think will happen."

All hypotheses should include these parts:

1. the purpose of the experiment

2. what is being measured3. conditions

4. expected results

Try to form statements that sound similar to these:

1. "Water will evaporate sooner in the sun than in a shady

location."

2. "Fungus can be grown on household items, unassisted,under certain circumstances."

3. "Short-term memory varies based upon gender."

My Hypothesis: -------------------------



EXPERIMENT

This step is your actual science fair project! In this step you will be testing your

hypothesis to see if it is correct. Ask yourself, "What kind of test will I design to confirm

what I think will happen." In other words, "how am I gonna figure out if I'm right?" In

order to create a successful experiment, you will need to include the following steps:

1. Use instruments that measure: scales, thermometers,

stopwatches, yardsticks, gauges, or any instrument appropriate for

the experiment.

2. Decide which controls and variables should be used.Acontrol is a

standard that you can apply to all parts of an experiment. Avariable is the part of a test that you change. For example, if you

were studying shadows, the control would be the location you do

the test and the variable would be the time of day.

3. Determine the length of the experiment. Howlong should it last?

4. Use trial and error. A true scientist believes that all errors are

important.

5. Incorporate replication. The results must be repeatable if theyare to be trusted.

6. Be a good observer. If you do not pay attention to the entire

experiment, you might miss something important.

7. Measure exactly. Too much or too little could change all of theresults and make them inaccurate.

Instruments needed:



ANALYSIS

In this step ask the question, "What happened?" It is necessary to have a

notebook for a log so that you can record the following:

1. Data collected.

2. Observations made during the experiment (for comparison when

you repeat the experiment).

a. What steps were important for the experiment?b. What did I do that had the greatest effect on the experiment? Theleast? No effect?

c. What facts, numbers, or information developed from the experiment?

3. Events and any changes throughout the experiment.

4. Errors noted.

5. Tentative conclusions.

Jot Down A Few Notes Here: ~~ _



CONCLUSION

At the conclusion of the experiment, you should ask, "What did Ifind out?" Here

is a chance for you to tell what it is that you learned from the experiment. The

conclusion should be as brief as possible. Questions that a judge might ask you in order

to determine what you have learned are as follows:

• Did the results of your experiment confirm or deny your prediction?

• Are there any questions or issues that remain unanswered?

• Are there any changes that could have been made?

• As a result of the experiment, are there any suggestions or new questions to test?

• Was the experiment important? Why or why not?

• Didyou have fun?!?

Things I Want To Share With My Teacher, Classmates, or Judge:



JUDGING

You have now invested a lot of time and effort into your science fair project. You

think that it is great, but what will the judges and your teacher think? Here are a few

questions that judges ask themselves while evaluating your project.

./ Is the topic an original one?

./ Is the problem well defined?

./ Are the methods of experimentation clearly described?

./ Is the data displayed in a clear, concise manner?

./ Does the conclusion refer back to the hypothesis?

./ Is the presentation visually appealing?

./ How are the oral and written presentations? Does this student understand

their project or did they simply copy information out of a book?

Do not be afraid to share your information. You want people to experience all that youhave uncovered.

1) Write a detailed paper.

2) Display your information using various graphs and charts.

3) Acknowledge all of your sources.

4) Know your subject matter and give a confident oral presentation.

If you fully understand what it is that you studied, your presentation will be smooth and

easy. Have no fear, you will do great! P.s.... SMILE!

the scientific method- guide for students and teachers

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