So You Have To Do A Science Fair Project

* pick a project you'll enjoy
* create a great experiment
* organize your data
* design a winning backboard
* and more!

Your all-in-one resource for science fair success

Gearing up for your first science fair project? Looking for the perfect science fair survival guide? Well, now your search is over. So You Have to Do a Science Fair Project, written by an experienced science fair judge and an international science fair winner, walks you through the science fair process, one step at a time. Filled with lots of solid, practical advice and troubleshooting tips, this easy-to-use handbook covers:
* The basics of the scientific method
* How to find a good topic
* How to do thorough research
* How to create a successful experiment
* How to organize your data
* And much more!

There are also lots of helpful suggestions for polishing your final presentation, including putting the finishing touches on your display, dressing to impress on science fair day, and knowing how to talk with the judges. Whether you're a first-time participant or a science student looking to excel, you'll find yourself turning to this invaluable resource again and again for years to come.

Joyce Henderson is a freelance writer and experienced science fair judge. She is the author of three other books and many magazine articles.

Heather Tomasello is a science fair award winner and researcher. Joyce and Heather recently collaborated on Strategies for Winning Science Fair Projects (Wiley).

1. So You Have to Do a Science Fair Project.

Begin with a Question.

Get out Your Logbook.

Who Cares?

2. Where Do You Begin?: Project Ideas.

Biological Projects.

Physical Projects.

Environmental Projects.

3. Gathering Information: Think of It as a Treasure Hunt.

What Do You Already Know and What Do You Need to Find Out?

Where Should You Look for Information?

Think of Key Words.

Using the Internet.

Ask an Expert.

Organizing Your Information.

Write Down the Source of Each Piece of Information.

4. Guess What? The Hypothesis.

The Null Hypothesis.

Prove It or Not.

5. Test Your Guess: Experimentation.

A Recipe for Success: The Procedure.

Controls and Variables.

Safety.

Materials.

Just Do It!

What If You Encounter Trouble?

6. Write It Down: Recording Your Observations.

Tables.

A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words.

7. Get It All Together: Organizing Your Data.

Showing Qualitative Results.

Showing Quantitative Results.

What Is an Average?

Bar Graphs.

Line Graphs.

Pie Charts.

8. Pick up the Pieces: The Research Paper.

Title, Hypothesis, and Purpose.

Background.

Materials List and Procedure.

Results.

Conclusions.

The Bibliography.

Finishing Touches.

How Long Should the Paper Be?

The Abstract.

9. Show It Off: The Backboard.

The Display.

What Is a Backboard?

Cardboard Backboards.

Building Your Own Backboard.

Backboard Blues.

All That Space.

Putting It All Together.

Mounting Mats and Papers.

What Goes Where.

Titles.

Get Creative!

10. Make It Perfect: Finishing Touches.

Table and Cloth.

Photographs.

Drawings.

Your Research Paper.

Reprints File.

Resource Books.

Your Logbook.

Computers.

Models.

Effective Displays.

11. Give It Your All: The Science Fair.

Dress to Impress.

Know What to Say.

All Done?

What If the Judge Asks Me Something I Don't Know?

What Do Judges Want to See?

12. You're a Winner!

What's Next?

Beyond Your Local Science Fair.

Glossary.

Index.