Science Fair Project Resource Guide

• 1. Getting Started
• 2. Choosing a Topic
• 3. Completing the Project
• 4. Displaying Your Project

Hints & Tips

Everyone can use advice once in awhile, so here is some advice on doing your Science Fair project and doing it well. Find out how to schedule your project and what the judges are looking for. Learn from judges and students who’ve been there. Be sure to look at the Sample Projects, too, so you’ll know what works.

Education Place
http://www.eduplace.com/science/profdev/science_fair/project.html
Need help getting organized? Here is a schedule for completing a project in 8 weeks.

EnergyQuest
http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/projects/advice.html
"What makes a good science project? Here's some advice from a science fair judge…"

Experimental Science Projects: An Introductory Level Guide
http://www.isd77.k12.mn.us/resources/cf/SciProjInter.html
An intermediate guide to experimental projects. It goes into detail about how to conduct an experiment, what sorts of errors you should watch out for – and why you shouldn’t panic if your experiment doesn’t turn out like you expected.

Science News for Kids
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/pages/sciencefairzone/studenttips.asp
Get tips from the kids who’ve been there! Middle-schoolers share their advice on every step of the project, from choosing a topic to preparing your display.

Science World: Winning Tips
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1590/is_n2_v55/ai_21196072
Get advice from experts: science fair judges and two students who presented winning projects. They’ll help you create a strong display and tell you how to make a strong impression when the judges reach your table.

Dr. Shawn's 4 Fundamental Rules
http://www.scifair.org/dr.shawns4fundamentalrules.html
Dr. Shawn tells you his 4 Most Important Secrets to Science Fair Success, starting with "Choose a Topic That Interest You!" and showing the difference between good research questions and bad ones.

Sample Projects

Example Science Project
http://www.isd77.k12.mn.us/resources/cf/ExmSciProj.html
Here’s an example of a completed project report. It describes the purpose, hypothesis, and procedure, as well as showing how the data is presented in both a table and a graph.

Twin Groves: Exemplary Projects
http://www.twingroves.district96.k12.il.us/ScienceInternet/SamplesTwin.html
You can see every detail of this excellent sample project: the hypothesis, the research, the data, the procedures, the conclusion, and more.