Strategies for Winning Science Fair Projects

by Henderson, Joyce; Tomasello, Heather

• ISBN13: 9780471419570
• ISBN10: 0471419575
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-11-06
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass

Summary

Discover the Secrets of Science Fair Success with This Essential Guide . . .Written by a science fair judge and an international science fair winner, this must-have resource is packed with strategies and pointers for putting together a winning science fair project. Here you'll get the nitty-gritty on a wide variety of topics, from the fundamentals of the science fair process to the last-minute details of polishing your presentation, including: Choosing the right project for you Doing research and taking notes Using the scientific method Writing up procedures, data, and conclusions Creating eye-catching backboards Handling pre-contest jitters Dealing with difficult judges and much more With insider tips, checklists, and solid advice from people who've been there, Strategies for Winning Science Fair Projects is the one guide you'll need for science fair season and beyond.

Author Biography

JOYCE HENDERSON is a writer and experienced science fair judge. She is the author of two previous books and many magazine articles.

Table of Contents

Introduction	1	(5)
Why Do You Want to Be in the Science Fair?	5	(5)
What Is Involved?	5	(1)
The Benefits	6	(1)
Beyond the Local Competition	7	(2)
The Costs	9	(1)
Getting Started: Selecting a Research Topic	10	(7)
Narrowing the Field	10	(1)
Researching Possible Topics	11	(2)
Keep It Simple	13	(1)
Keep It Narrow	13	(1)
Cause and Effect	14	(1)
Pitfalls to Avoid	14	(3)
There's a Method to the Madness: Using the Scientific Method	17	(9)
Basic Elements of a Science Fair Project	17	(2)
Problem and Hypothesis	19	(1)
Purpose	20	(1)
Background	20	(1)
Materials and Procedure	21	(1)
Data and Results	22	(2)
Conclusion	24	(2)
Who? What? Where? When? and How? The Science Research Paper	26	(9)
Who?	26	(1)
What?	27	(2)
Where?	29	(2)
When?	31	(1)
How?	31	(2)
Putting It Together on One Page	33	(2)
Murphy's Law of Science Research: If Anything Can Go Wrong, It Will	35	(6)
Time Is of the Essence	35	(1)
Creating a Timeline	36	(2)
Time Management Tips	38	(2)
Be Prepared	40	(1)
Safety First: Safety Guidelines for Experimentation	41	(5)
Chemicals	42	(1)
Labs Are Dangerous Places	42	(1)
What's Green, Glows in the Dark, and Is Growing on My Project?	42	(1)
Sterile Technique	43	(1)
Sterilization	43	(2)
Better Safe than Sorry	45	(1)
Data, Not Just a Star Trek Character: How to Interpret and Display Data	46	(9)
Making a Data Table	46	(1)
Mean, Median and Mode: The ``Three Musketeers'' of Statistics	47	(2)
Would You Like That in a Pie, Bar, or Line?	49	(4)
Measuring the Range of Your Results	53	(2)
Misteaks, Mistaxe, Mistackes, Mistakes: Sweating the Small Stuff	55	(8)
Catching Spelling and Grammatical Errors	55	(1)
Common Spelling and Grammatical Errors	56	(1)
Where It's Ok to Make Mistakes	57	(1)
Preventing Plagiarism	57	(1)
Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due	58	(1)
Bibliography	59	(4)
You Only Have One Chance to Make a First Impression: Your Backboard	63	(11)
Assembly Required	64	(2)
Mats and Lettering	66	(3)
What Should Go Where?	69	(3)
The Finished Product	72	(2)
`Twas the Night Before the Fair	74	(4)
Keeping Your Cool: The Big Day	78	(7)
The ``What If'' Kit	78	(2)
Dress for Success	80	(1)
Meeting and Greeting	80	(1)
The Main Show	81	(2)
The Ugly Judge	83	(1)
Relax!	83	(2)
``Your Honor...'': Who Are the Judges and What Do They Want?	85	(5)
Who Are the Judges?	86	(1)
What Do Judges Want?	86	(2)
What Can You Learn from Your Judges?	88	(1)
Meeting Face-to-Face	88	(2)
Is There Life After the Science Fair?: After the Big Day	90	(5)
Defining Personal Success	90	(1)
Your Science Fair Project: The Sequel	91	(1)
Publishing and Patents	92	(1)
After the Last Fair	92	(1)
Returning as a Judge	93	(2)
A Letter to Parents	95	(4)
Get Involved Early	95	(1)
Assist with Time Management	96	(1)
Assist with Research and Experimentation	97	(1)
Be a Proofreader and Audience	97	(1)
Be Your Child's Cheerleader	97	(1)
You Can't Relive Your Youth	98	(1)
Appendix A: Researching Online	99	(4)
Ask Jeeves	101	(2)
Appendix B: References for Studying Statistics	103	(2)
Glossary	105	(2)
Index	107