Science Fair Goals

1. Promote science education by hands-on exploration of scientific principles.
2. Promote an understanding of, and creativity in applying, the scientific method of investigation.
3. Stimulate and nourish an interest in science.
4. Promote the self-discipline necessary to accomplish a task within a given time frame.
5. Provide an opportunity for public speaking in an encouraging environment.
6. Increase public awareness of home-educated students and their capabilities.
7. Have a fun time sharing ideas and learning about science!

Steps for a Fun and Successful Project

1. Become familiar with the scientific method.
2. Select a topic that interests YOU. Your topic should be stated in the form of a question, which you'll answer through experimentation. For example, "What effect does the size of a hole in a parachute have on its rate of descent?"
3. Research your topic and form a hypothesis (guess the answer to your question).
4. Original projects: Based on background research, design preliminary experiments to narrow the question or understand how to gather, measure or categorize your data.
5. Design one or more main experiments to answer your question.
6. 7th grade and above: Fill out all the required forms BEFORE you start your main experiment. Your research plan should be as detailed as you can make it at the time of filing. If there are a couple of different options, list them. It can be changed later as long as no new hazards are introduced.
7. Conduct your main experiments and record the results.
8. Interpret the data. Put the results in charts and graphs. Match the results to a mathematical model or simulate your experiment on a computer to see if the data match a model (original: design your own math or computer model). Draw a conclusion about your hypothesis.
9. Design and conduct follow-up experiments or simulations if your conclusion needs clarafication or is confusing.
10. Make a display and write a short report covering all the points of the scientific method.
11. Practice your presentation to the judges using your display to remind you.
12. Come to the science fair and have fun!