Science Project Components
A Science Fair project is comprised of several parts. The terminology may be new to students and parents. The following is a list of definitions for all necessary parts of a Science Fair project.
1. Proposal
Written description of the experiment the student has chosen. This information helps the student pinpoint what they will be doing. The proposal also serves as a tool to let the teacher check that the experiment is safe, ethically sound, and that it is not a demonstration. The proposal does not go on the backboard.
2. Title
The name of the experiment. Can be in the form of a question, and should grab the attention of the judge.
3. Purpose
This statement describes what the student is trying to find out.
4. Hypothesis
This statement tells what you predict will happen in the experiment. It should be an educated guess based on some research, prior knowledge, and/or observation. It must be in the form of "If ..., then ...". For example, "If three brands of paper towels are tested for absorbency, then Bounty will absorb the most water."
5. Materials
A list of all equipment needed to conduct the experiment.
6. Procedure
This is a step-by-step explanation of how to do the experiment and should be very detailed.
7. Results
A paragraph stating what happened when the experiment was carried through. Result paragraph should be accompanied by graphs, charts, and/or logs that document data obtained during the experiment.
8. Conclusion
This paragraph tells if your hypothesis was correct and what your experiment proved. State what you learned and how this information is helpful in your everyday life. Information about how to improve the experiment can also be mentioned here.
9. Research Paper
A short (1-2 page) expository report on a topic related to the experiment. This report should not be attached to the backboard. Judges expect upper level students to have a report.
10. Bibliography/ References
An alphabetical list of books, articles, internet sites, and people you gained knowledge from. If a report was written, it should have a reference page of its own.
