A science fair project is a student directed scientific study. The student has complete control over their project and complete control over the quality of their results.
What is so intriguing about science fair projects is that they serve multiple functions. They inspire students to be innovative, they educate students about the scientific method and they excite students about science.
So what exactly makes up a science fair project? The answer can be found in the following steps.
Find a Topic
The first thing that a science fair project is, is an exploration of a specific science topic. This topic can be related to anything that interests the student. Topics can be found by paging through textbooks and magazines, watching science news stories or by creating a list of things that you are interested in.
Develop a Hypothesis
After a topic has been selected the student needs to develop a hypothesis. The hypothesis is a prediction that relates to the topic that was selected. It needs to focus on one independent variable and one dependent variable.
If the topic is extremely complex then several hypotheses can be developed. Each hypothesis will focus on only one set of variables. The hypothesis is the foundation of the science fair project.
Design an Experiment
An experiment is another fundamental part of a science fair project. The experiment has one role, to test the hypothesis. In order to test the hypothesis effectively it will need to isolate the variable being tested.
It is important to include a control experiment in the design of your overall experiment setup. The control experiment will be used to establish a baseline of data for comparison.