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HOW TO GET STARTED:
Individual or Group Project :
First, you will nee to choose to work as an individual or a member of a team. Make sure that your teammates can meet to conduct your experiment.
Explore and Decide on a Topic Area :
Next, explore a variety of resources for cool and meaningful project ideas. Research in books, periodicals, on the Internet, look in your backyard, and garage. The more interested you are in your subject, the more likely you are to succeed.
Select a specific question to answer:
Then, you will need to read, research and search for ideas. Outline the project plan. For teams, decide how you will divide the workload. Write an investigative question or problem. Write a hypothesis that provides a question and basis for further investigation.
Turn your Project Selection form into your teacher!
Organize
The key to success is good organization. Use a calendar or create a schedule to organize your time. Work backward from the due date. Log all school projects, extracurricular activities and personal commitments on your project calendar so you know exactly when you need to have your project completed. The Science Fair is Wednesday April 22nd 2026 .
Design Methods & Gather Materials
List Materials and Methods used in your experiment. Think about the steps you need to test your hypothesis, write them down and walk through all of the steps to make sure that you haven’t missed anything.
Experiment and Document
Record all results and observations in a laboratory notebook. Design charts and graphs that help you analyze and display your data. Don’t forget to take pictures of your experiment in each stage!
Reach a conclusion
Write an explanation of your results. Relate your conclusions to your hypothesis. Write a conclusion statement and discuss whether or not you met your project objectives or if your prediction was right.
Create a Display
Design a 3-panel board. Outline the science fair report and display results. Design a display or model of the experiment. Make sure to put your NAME, GRADE, TEACHER AND ROOM NUMBER on the back!!! Include: Title, Names of scientists, Hypothesis / Problem, Materials, Procedure, Data / Results, Conclusion, pictures, charts, tables, graphs or samples.
Finish!
Finally, make sure that you can explain your experiment and you know what your hypothesis or problem was and be able to explain your experiment and conclusion.
Prepare to present it at the fair itself for the judges.
The 3 Categories of Science Fair Projects
Models, Collections, and Research Projects
Models, Collections, and Research Projects
Shows how something works in the real world or summarizes the information available about a specific topic.
Examples of research display or collection projects can be: “The Solar System”, “Types of Dinosaurs” , “Types of Rocks”, “Examples of models might be: “The solar system” or “How an Electric Motor Works”, “Tornado in a Bottle”
Experiment
Experiment
Lots of information is given, but also has a project that shows testing being done and the gathering of data.
Examples of experiments can be: “The Effects of Detergent on the Growth of Plants”, “Which Paper Towel is More Absorbent" or “What Structure can withstand the Most Amount of Weight”.
You can tell you have an experiment if you are testing something several times and changing specific conditions to see what happens.
Invention
Invention
Design an object or process which provides a unique solution to a real world problem.
Examples of inventions from students for science fairs: “Eco-friendly Bird Feeder”, “Simple Rain Gauge”, “Braille Typewriter”, “Popsicles”, “Water Purification System”, “The Flood Warning System” (These are REAL EXAMPLES of student led inventions!!)
While you can learn a lot from building a model or conducting a research project, we recommend that you do an experiment!!! Why? It’s the most fun and interesting, and most of all, takes you through the SCIENTIFIC METHOD, which is the way real scientists investigate in real science labs. Besides that, the scientific method is what the judges are looking for!!
Help Me Pick a Topic!
All Great Projects start with great questions but before you get started on a great question you need to pick a subject or topic that you like. Here are some options:
Earth and Space Science: This category is not only awesome but also vital for our planet. You can study Earth's weather, geology (rocks, fossils, volcanoes), or explore space, including stars, the sun, and planets. But here's the cool part: you can focus on sustainability and environmental stewardship! Find ways to protect our Earth and space.
Life Science: This category covers animals, plants, and the human body. Remember, be kind to animals and always get adult help if needed. You can also explore behaviors, like taste tests or training baby brothers or sisters!
Physical Science: If you're curious about how things work, this is the category for you! From matter to electricity and more, remember to ask an adult and have them around for experiments. You can even learn about acids and bases. Safety first!
Remember, don't just collect or model; conduct experiments that help our world. If you have chosen the invention track, you’ll want to look at the engineering design process (which looks a lot like the scientific method, but for creating innovative technologies). First, be sure to define the problem you are trying to solve. Don’t forget that sometimes it takes several rounds of testing before you might be ready to share your new invention!
**Please note that some our information was adapted from Holt et al. (2006), The Elementary Science Fair Planning Guide retrieved from: https://www.spps.org/cms/lib/MN01910242/Centricity/Domain/3019/science_fair_planning_guide.pdf **
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