How to get through your science fair project – Science Fair Session, part 2 {Episode 48}

The scariest part of the science fair project is usually the experiment. How do you design one to test your hypothesis? What information do you need to record? And what the heck are all those variables?

Hi, I’m Paige Hudson and you are listening to the Tips for Homeschool Science Show where we are going to chat about the answers to those questions as we work on breaking down the lofty concepts of science into building blocks you can use in your homeschool!

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Highlights

The third step of the science fair project is to formulate a hypothesis. Your students need to:

• Review the research.
• Formulate the answer.

The fourth step of the science fair project is to design an experiment. Your students need to:

• Choose a test.
• Determine the variables.
• Plan the experiment.
• Review the hypothesis.

A quick look at variables:

• The independent variable is the factor that is controlled or changed by the scientist performing the experiment. (What factor are we trying to test?)
• The dependent variable is the factor being tested in the experiment. (What factor will we use to measure progress?)
• The controlled variable is a factor that is not being examined in the experiment. (What factor will remain constant?)

The fifth step of the science fair project is to perform the experiment. Your students need to:

• Get ready for the experiment.
• Run the experiment.
• Record any observations and results.

Observations are the record of the things the scientist sees happening in an experiment.

Results are the specific and measurable data that he records in the experiment.

Takeaway Tidbits

The hypothesis is an educated guess at the answer to the original question you asked for your science fair project. (Pin this Tidbit)

Having more than one sample in your experiments helps to make your results verifiable.  (Pin this Tidbit)

A little bit of prep-work paves the way for a smooth experiment. (Pin this Tidbit)

Additional Resources 

See the full conference session - Eliminate your fears and doubts surrounding a science fair project.

Check out the following articles for more tips to help with your science fair project:

• How to write a science fair project hypothesis
• All About Experiment Variables
• Observations vs. Results

Or get the full book - The Science Fair Project: A Step-by-Step Guide.