How to do

a Science Fair Project

You Can Do a Science Fair Project!

There are lots of websites with ideas for projects as well as really good, detailed instructions about how to do a science fair project. Links to our favorites are given at the bottom of this page. You may follow any of these guides or your teacher's instructions when preparing your project for the GATEway Science Fair.

Missed the workshops?

Here are some resources:

Workshop Slide Show Presentation

Presentation Handout - Reaction Time Experiment

Video of the 12/4/21 Zoom Workshop

Here are the general steps for preparing a science fair project:

1. Choose a topic that interests you, learn more about your topic, and form a question that you can test with an experiment

Example questions that you can test:

Does age affect memory?
Does a glow stick last longer if it’s cold?
What lubricant works best on a Pinewood Derby car?
Are two lemons better than one when making a lemon battery?
Does temperature affect how fast borax crystals grow?
Does soaking popcorn kernels in water make them pop bigger?
Do people remember pictures or words better?
What method is best for turning a nail into a strong magnet?
Does talking on a cell phone affect reaction time in the “ruler drop” reaction time test?
Does ice melt faster on a windy day?
Does storing helium balloons in a black plastic garbage bag make them last longer?
Do flippers make people swim faster?
What sum comes up the most often when rolling two dice?
Does forcing paperwhite flower bulbs in salt water stunt their growth?
How do household acids and bases affect the color of red cabbage juice?
Is it true that there are sounds that only young people can hear? How does age affect a person’s ability to hear tones in the 8 khz to 18 khz range?
Does temperature affect seed germination?

2. Write your hypothesis – your prediction of the outcome of your experiment.

3. Do your experiment at home and record the results. Take photos along the way to include on your display board.

4. Prepare a display board summarizing the steps and results of your experiment.

5. At the fair, use your display board to explain your project to reviewers who are science professionals.

Sample Project Display Board Layout

You can buy a tri-fold display board at an office store, hobby store, discount store, or make your own. For the Science Fair, the display board must be freestanding and fit into an area 3 feet wide by 1.5 feet deep.

This is just a suggestion for your project board layout. You can put things in different places, but it is best to label your sections. If you are doing your project for school, follow the format your teacher gives instead.

Make your display fun to see - with color and pictures. The most important thing is that your presentation is well organized and is easy to read!

(Left side)

Question: Describe the question or problem you are trying to answer.

Hypothesis: Write a testable explanation to answer your question.

Procedure: The step by step procedure you used and a list of your materials.

(center section)

Project Title

Your Name, School & Grade

Pictures

Data

Tables, Graphs, Charts

(Right side)