Science Fair & Ideas On How To Research
By Jane Gnidovec
Science Fair Project Ideas, Research Tools, Online Resources,
Guidelines & MORE!
Do not confuse evidence, assumption, and opinion.
Evidence is something that you can prove.
Evidence- are facts that can be proved which are helpful in forming a conclusion or judgment.
Assumption is something that one can safely infer from the evidence at hand.
Assumption- is a hypothesis or something that is assumed to be true based on the facts [evidence] that are known.
Opinion is your own particular interpretation of the evidence.
Opinion- is a personal belief or judgment not based on any proof [evidence] but on what seems likely or probable.
District #124 uses APA Style for Science Fair
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District #124 Science Fair "Review of Literature" research papers are based on styles recommended by |
The following website is courtesy
of Davis Schwartz Memorial Library of the C.W. Post Campus
http://www2.liu.edu/cwis/cwp/library/workshop/citapa.htm
Need additional resources?
Search online to see if the Peru Public Library
may have a book for your science fair project.
Go to the Peru Public Library website and
click the Online Catalog to do a search.
Peru Public Library
Do you have all the required forms for your Science Fair project?
Go to the Official Website of the Illinois Junior Academy of Sciences.
The official Website of the
Illinois Junior Academy of Sciences:
https://sites.google.com/a/ijas.org/ijas/
Science Fair Project Ideas
1581 Science Project Ideas
Great list to get you thinking
Science Fair Project/Topic Ideas from Science Fair Central
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/sciencefaircentral/Getting-Started/idea-finder.html
All Science Fair Projects
http://www.all-science-fair-projects.com/category0.html
Discovery School Science Fair Central
http://school.discovery.com/sciencefaircentral/
Northern Illinois Region V IJAS Science Fair
http://www.niu.edu/clasep/fairs/science/research.shtml
Ticket login information available on student information desktop of LRC
Wilson Select Plus
Full-text periodical articles (1994 to the present) from over 2000 sources, including U.S. and international professional publications, academic journals, and trade magazines. Subjects covered include science, humanities, business, and education.
Ideas for Science Fairs
http://www.funsci.com/fun3_en/fair/fair.htm
National Student Research Center’s E-Journal of Student Research
http://youth.net/nsrc/sci/sci.index.html
Science Buddies
http://www.sciencebuddies.com/mentoring/project_ideas.shtml
Science Fair Project Ideas
http://www.education.com/science-fair/
Science News For Kids
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/pages/sciencefairzone/topics.asp
Science Project Ideas for Junior & Senior High School Students
http://www.imagineeringezine.com/e-zine/science.html
Successful Science Fair Projects
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/fair.html
Spike's Science Fair Projects
Over 400 projects, organized by category
Research Tools-Resources-Websites
Encyclopedia.com
http://www.encyclopedia.com/
Exploratorium Learning Studios/Science Fairs
http://www.exploratorium.edu/explore/index.html
How Stuff Works
http://www.howstuffworks.com/
Internet search engine links, Web guides for kids,
Specialized search engine forms and links, and more
http://www.ivyjoy.com/rayne/kidssearch.html
Maricopa Community Collegepresents: The webhound site
http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/webhound/index.html
National Student Research Center's E-Journal of Student Research
http://youth.net/nsrc/sci/sci.index.html
Science Learning Network Resources
http://www.sln.org/resources/index.html
The Scientific Methods Tutorial Page
http://www.panpipes.net/edit6200/index.html
Storm Encyclopedia
http://www.weather.com/encyclopedia/
Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online
http://www.m-w.com/
Language
http://www.bartleby.com/61/
Dictionary.com
http://dictionary.reference.com/
Conversion Tools: Convert to Metric
Also...Weight, Pressure,
Volume & Temperature Conversions
Measurements
http://www.sciencemadesimple.net/conversions.html
Metric Conversion Site
http://www.worldwidemetric.com/metcal.htm
Metric Conversion Site
http://www.onlineconversion.com/
Internet Searching
Helpful Tips and Guides for Searching
Seven Steps Towards Better Searching
http://edweb.sdsu.edu/WebQuest/searching/sevensteps2001.html
Specialized Search Engines and Directories
http://edweb.sdsu.edu/WebQuest/searching/specialized.html
Tips for Parents in helping with the science fair project
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/sciencefaircentral/
Ideas On How To Research
Define
Research begins with questions.
What is the purpose of your research? You will need to read your assignment carefully.
When is the final project due? What is your Timeline?
What type of final product will you do?
What type of information will you need?
How much information will you need?
What is your topic or essential question? You will need to define your questions.
What do you already know about the topic?
What new information will you need?
What are some related questions or subtopics?
Essential Questions
Defining your questions makes it easier to find what you need.
Big idea questions will get you to think. They also will ask you to make a decision or choose among many different plans, strategies, or courses of action.
Relate to the why and what if of your topic.
Example: "How does acid rain affect air quality and how can those effects be changed?"
Focus Questions
Supporting questions will help you look into your essential question.
Relate to the who, what, where, and when about your topic.
Example: "What is acid rain?"
Plan
What is your INFORMATION problem?
When you want to know about something, you will need to do some research. Good research requires a good plan, whether it is just for a quick answer or if it is for a major research project for a class assignment.
Plan your research, locate the best sources, and put it all together for a great presentation.
Begin Your Research Process
Gather your information: Collect what you may use.
Scan and Skim through material to identify relevant information.
Record information that answers your questions.
Evaluate the content of your sources:
Identify what is fact and what is opinion.
Is the information accurate?
Is the information biased?
Is the information current?
AND
Does this information answer your original questions?
As you need, revise and redefine your questions.
Go over your own information and digest it so that you know your material well.
Create Your Project
Putting It All Together
Create your presentation. Cite your sources appropriately. Check the Citing Sources for recommended formats. Record titles, authors, publishers, dates and other relevant information for citation purposes. Cite your sources and perhaps consider using a Citation Maker.
Prepare your presentation and evaluate your results. Prepare to present the results of your research to others. You may need to edit your work before you actually turn it in or present the project. Communicate what you have learned.
Double check the check list or rubric your teacher provided. If one was not provided, check out some points below.
Did you create a project that matches the assignment?
Does your essay meet the requirements?
Presentation
Type of presentation you need. Such as electronic, video, PowerPoint, webpage or Poster.
Speech
Do you have a presentation rubrics? Double check to make sure all elements are present if you have a rubric. Are all components of the assignment completed? Did you answer your own research question if open ended project?
Citing Your Sources
Do you have the correct number and type of sources?
Can you defend the authority of each source?
Final format
Is your source list in the proper format?
Due dates
Have all elements of project been completed on time?
Evaluate what you did and assess the results of your research.
How well did you do?
Does the final product answer your research questions?
Did your end product/project effectively inform, persuade, or entertain your audience?
Was your research strategy appropriate and efficient?
