Once you have picked a topic and made a hypothesis that you wish to test for your science project you need to begin your research. The background research that you put into your project can make a world of a difference to the quality of project you finally end up with.

By writing a comprehensive background research plan you will save yourself considerable time and effort. This research will help you identify the techniques and the equipment that you can use in the topic that your science fair project is based on.

The actual reading you do during the research phase will also give you a better idea of the theory behind the topic that you have chosen for the hypothesis. It will allow you to make your prediction in the hypothesis better.

Another important part of research is networking with other people working on similar projects. You need to talk to others who are involved in experiments like the ones you are contemplating doing. Find out the practical problems that may crop up during the experiments and ask how they deal with them.

A general question does not lead to good research. Make your research questions as specific and graphic as possible.  That way you will probably have most of the answers even before you begin working on the actual science fair project.

If you are the kind of student who likes to prepare well in advance for any eventuality, you would like to go through this set of ten questions that you must ask yourself before you settle on a topic for your science fair project.

Question 1 – Is the topic interesting to you.

As you will be working on the science fair project for a fair amount of time the project needs to interest you.

Question 2 – Can the variables in the project be measured with ease?

As you will need to present your results in a tangible manner it is important that the variables be measured properly.

Question 3 – Is the equipment available?

Every experiment needs some equipment and you need to make sure that you can access the right equipment to conduct your experiments.

Question 4 – Is it safe to experiment without adult supervision?

Some experiments involving heat or electricity are best performed in the presence of a knowledgeable adult.

Question 5 – How much will the materials cost?

It may be a simple enough experiment but if you have costly materials involved it may be difficult to conduct repeat experiments.

Question 6 – how much time will the project need?

You need to have some schedule planned out for the successful culmination of the science fair project.

Question 7 – Is the project a common one?

Please do not do the ordinary projects. Pick one which is going to tell the judges that you enjoy being challenged.

Question 8 – Does the project follow the rules of the science fair?

Some materials or experiments, such as those on another human being, may be restricted in the rules of the science fair and now is the time to check this information out.

Question 9 – Do you have at least 3 written sources to read?

While it may be simple you will still need to quote some written sources for your hypothesis.

Question 10 – Will you have support?

It is often not possible to go solo on a science fair project so it would be a good idea to team up with someone.

If using the scientific method is becoming confusing as applicable to your science fair project, consider this the answer to your problem. These simple five steps are all it takes to apply the scientific method to your project.

Frame a Question

The question you ask will be the crux of this science project. So think deep before you stick with the one you are going base the project on. If it is something that interests you all the better.

Do some research

Check what you will need to do to answer this question. Is there a procedure that you can perform on your own? Do you need any specialized equipment, and if you do, can you get access to some?

Now make a hypothesis

A hypothesis is an educated guess. This guess is the supposed answer to the question that you framed at the beginning of the scientific method. The research you do will help make you form a good hypothesis.

Experiment to test the hypothesis

Once you decide how you are going to test the hypothesis get experimenting. Make sure you keep good records of all the experiments that you perform. This will help you prove or negate the hypothesis at the end of the science fair project.

Present your results

This is the final outcome which you bring to the science fair. You are able to answer the question that you asked through a hypothesis using the scientific method. Now you need to communicate just how you did that.

You have had an incredible journey making the science fair project that you will be about to put on display. The display board for the project gives you a great opportunity to share that journey of discovery with the judges and others who come to look at the project.

There are some things that the display board must have. These include the title of the project, the hypothesis that you worked on testing, the actual experimental procedures that you followed and the results that these gave you. These form the crux of the the science project.

Other than this required data you can always add more interesting tidbits of information to make the display board look more interesting. Give a list of all the materials you used, or share some photographs of how things went wrong during an experiment. It makes the process come alive for the people who are only being shown the final product.

Of course you need to be careful about what text you put up. The language should be appropriate, and the words should be proof read so as to avoid embarrassment at the last minute. The presentation of your science fair project can make the difference between winning and losing, so take some time to get it right.

Here we speak about who to best put together your display board for your science fair project.You should use the standard presentation boards that are readily available. They are self standing and can be set up easily in a few minutes.

There are different materials that the display boards are made up of. Some are made of cardboard, others have plastic foam, there is also corrugated cardboard and even thermacole available. So depending on what all you are planning on sticking on the display board pick the strength of the material you use for the display board.

Once you have got the board standing you need to begin the actual work of decorating it. White paper works best to set out any information on a display board. You can take print outs of what ever you want on A4 sized sheets and stick them onto the display board.

Keep plenty of adhesives handy to stick things on the display board showcasing your science fair project. A glue stick is good for thin paper, but the thicker ones may need sticky tape. A double sided tape works better when it comes to neatness. Other than that you can also keep a small tube of super glue handy for any last minute falls.

Each science fair project has different rules about certain details that you can add to the display board. So before you make the display board you should get an idea about what all you are allowed to add to it and what all you are prohibited from adding.

For instance some science fairs want you to add your name and picture to the board, while others may not want the project to be labeled by your name in case the judges get influenced. Check the rules before you decide to add your name to the display board.

If you are using pictures please see how you must accredit them. The captions will need to include the source of the picture as well. If you are planning to use pages from your lab notebook you will have to mention that clearly. Also have the original at hand for the judging.

Read through the rules to see what you can add to the board before you begin constructing it so that you don’t have to re- do the display board at a later stage. By sticking to the rules of the science fair you increase your chances of winning a prize.

In the last blog post we spoke of the different sections that you can divide your science fair display board into. Now we discuss the other elements that can make the display board more attractive and easy to read.

The first thing to consider is the font that you use. A fancy looking font which is difficult to read does not solve the objective. Use a regular font at a slightly large size. Usually Ariel or Verdana in size 16 work well. Play around with the font size for the section headings and the picture captions. These will be different sizes from the rest of the text.

Spend some time coming up with an eye catching title for your project. This should be printed in a nice large font that is visible from across the room. Remember just words can get boring, so add some pictures to the display board. The best pictures would be ones that you take as you conduct the science experiment.

That way the people can see just how you took each step in the science project that you made for the fair. If you did not take your own photos get some off the internet that are relevant. Even those will jazz up the display board.

Your science fair project can be very effectively showcased by the presentation of your display board. A good display board is neatly partitioned into different sections related to the project. Take a look at what these sections are and how you should display them.

Using a three sided display board works best. Divide each of the three sides into two sections. On the left side you can give your hypothesis and purpose for the experiment on the top section. At the left bottom section you can give details of the research methodology that you used for the project.

On the central section of the three sided board give details of the materials and procedures that you used. You can add visuals with charts and bar graphs per procedure that you carried out. The color will add to the beauty of the display board and make it more attractive.

The third side of the board can be used to display the results that the procedure you carried out gave. Give detailed information in form of easy to interpret charts. The last section on this side will be the conclusion of the science project.

Maintaining a science laboratory of any proportions is quite a challenge in logistics. Now add to that the inaccessible location of the laboratory in outer space and you have quite a tough project on your hands. So it was with some relief that the successful launch of the Russian Soyuz rocket on Wednesday was greeted.

This launch brings the crew of the International Space Station back to full manpower. A cargo launch accident in the month of August this year had made it impossible for flights to land. Now after the repairs have been completed the refreshed crew of three has rejoined old colleagues on the science laboratory floating in space around the planet.

Being an astronaut may sound like an exciting career option, but in truth it is no where near as glamorous as it sounds. You have to be in peak physical condition, you have to study specialized science subjects and you have to have enough of a risk taker’s profile to handle the months of self imposed exile from the earth.

The hard work that you put in will be far more than you have ever imagined when working on a space related science fair project. Of course if you are successful, the rewards will also be far better than you could have ever imagined! So if this is your dream, make sure you work hard to achieve it.

One of the most popular ways to study the history of the universe is astronomy. This science of the stars allows us to actually see what distant galaxies look like, both today and in the past. The more powerful your telescope the more likely you are to discover new astronomical phenomena.

The best know telescope would have to be the Hubble space telescope, but NASA’s Spitzer is also known to have discovered quite a few unknown bodies in space. By looking at the light from the most distant stars and galaxies it is possible for astronomers to predict just what the universe looked like at the dawn of time.

Each galaxy is constantly changing and evolving. Some new stars are being created while some old ones are dying down. Then there is the added aspect of wondering which stars could have life evolving on a planet around it, just like our life at Earth. Of course the astronomers are not just looking for aliens when they study the stars, although some alien activity properly documented would really be exciting.

Mostly, though it is a science of observation and recording. There are some flashes in the pan such as passing comets that crash through the sun and still don’t disintegrate, but on the whole its just a case of writing down more observations in a science project related to astrology.