Basic Requirements for DMHS Science Fair Projects Displayed for Judging
General Information:
· All projects need to be on display by Advisory, June 1st. The DMHS Science Fair will run June 1st -4th in the Library.
· 1-4 members are allowed in a group.
· Science Fair projects will be judged in your discipline only. Medals will be given to the winners.
· See your science teacher if you need to check out science materials for your project.
· You are not allowed to work on vertebrates in your science experiment. This means no fish, mice, rats, frogs, etc. Invertebrates are okay. If you have questions, ask your science teacher.
· Your culminating project should revolve around a Science Standard(s) of your science class.
Your Project Will Include These Items:
1) Log Book/Project Notebook:
· Should be hand-written description of all work done on the project such as notes on research, project design, changes to procedure, data conclusion, and a rough draft.
· Each entry should be dated and show the progression of work done on the project.
· Logs should not be written after the project is completed.
· Students are not allowed to type logs.
2) Project Board
· Project Title: Title of the project should be clearly written.
· Project Question: State the Scientific question that is being investigated.
· Standard(s) Addressed: List the standard addressed. Also, include the class.
· Hypothesis: Student makes a prediction as to the outcome of the project using the IF ----- and -----THEN format.
· Materials: List the materials used
· Methods or Procedures: Briefly list the steps taken to design or carry out experiment; can be written in steps or paragraph form.
· Results of Data: Record observations in the form of data tables, charts, or drawings. Create graphs with Excel program. Sentences should be used to describe any trends. Also, include pictures (can be digital or film photos)
· Discussion or/and conclusion: Explanation of results, errors, possible improvements, and limitations, supports/contradict hypothesis
· References: Bibliography of books, journals and websites; should not be exclusively Internet sites. Use standard format like MLA.
Other Project Board Information:
àYour project board should be free of grammatical errors.
àYour project board should be easy to read (please choose appropriate font size).
à Everything should be typed on your project board (no hand writing)
à Names of the group members should go on the back of the board, NOT ON FRONT. You should also include the name of your teacher and the class you are enrolled in.
3) Lab Report
Requirements: Typed, 12 pt font, Arial or Times New Roman.
Need to Include:
1. Title of Experiment
2. Background: Describe background knowledge on the subject. Include past literature on the topic.
3. Purpose and Objectives: Why are you doing this experiment?
4. Materials: Listed
5. Hypothesis: In an “if, then…” form
6. Procedure: Detailed step by step process.
7. Data: Tables and graphs must be included
8. Conclusion: What did you learn? Explanation of results, errors, possible improvements, and limitations, supports/contradict hypothesis.
9. Works Cited: Bibliography of books, journals and websites; should not be exclusively Internet sites. Use standard format like MLA. Use the website www.citationmachine.net for help.
Other Report Information:
à No models are required. There is limited space in the library. The only items that should be in front of your board are the report and the log notebook.
à Your lab report should also be free of grammatical errors. See your Science/English teacher if you need help!