Steam Fair

Step 1

Develop a Question/

Problem

• Explore several questions/problems within a topic. 

• Ex: Which heats up water faster–a stove or a microwave?

• Keep in mind the time commitment, equipment, materials and parent support needed .

• Most important–learn something from the experience.

Step 2

Develop a Journal

• The journal should be legible, have structure/organization and correct spelling and grammar.

• Journals can be a book or a binder/folder.

Step 3

Conduct Research on the Topic

• Write an opening paragraph in a journal on the selected question/problem and why that topic was selected and what you want to answer/solve.

• In a second paragraph, define 4-5 key terms/words that will apply to your topic.

• In the next two paragraphs, list the selected research on the topic–why, how, when, where and why. 

• Ex: Book Title, Author and the specific information needed for your experiment. If you copy from these sources, be sure to put quotations around the direct text. Include diagrams/pictures if appropriate. 

• The public library, science articles/textbooks and websites are good sources for conducting research.

• The final and fifth paragraph should include what you have learned from the research.

Step 4

Develop a Hypothesis

• Enter in the journal, one to two sentences about what you predict will happen and how it will be tested in your experiment to provide results to your question/problem.

Step 5

Design the Experiment,

Gather the Materials/

Supplies, and Procedures

• In your journal list all the materials/supplies needed for your experiment and their quantities.

• List the procedures you will take in a step by step explanation in conducting your experiment. It might be easier to use a numbered list, including the materials/supplies used in each step. Be as specific as possible in each step to include measurements, time, variables, etc.

Step 6

Conduct the Experiment

• Prepare any tables, charts, graphs, etc. in advance before you conduct the experiment, so you can input the data directly as you conduct the experiment.

• Take pictures at each step for use on your display board.

• Allow for time to conduct the experiment at least three times to collect reliable data.

• Record in the journal your observations, whether they were successful or not. Many hypotheses’ are unsuccessful. It’s part of the scientific process.

Step 7

Document the Data Collected

• In this section of your journal, have the results from your experiment in the form of graphs, tables and/or charts.

• Use the appropriate graph:

• Bar Graph: shares the relationship between data

• Line Graph: shows changes over time

• Pie Graphs: shows percentages

• Gather all the data from the separate tests/experiments/samples/trials and journal your results. 

• Do not evaluate or give explanation in this step

Step 8

Make a Conclusion

• Explain what the data means and how it measures the problem/question. It may disprove the problem/question and again, it’s just part of the scientific process.

• Briefly summarize the data so it validates what you have done. How did it align with your hypothesis?

• If the data did not support your hypothesis or answer the question/problem, explain what you might have done differently and why? What went wrong?

Step 9

Create a Display Board

• Display boards should be self standing

• This is where you can be creative with color, different fonts, pictures, illustrations, etc.

• Required board components:

• Problem/Question

• Research

• Hypothesis

• Materials

• Procedures

• Data 

• Conclusion

• Be sure to include your full name, grade and school on the bottom of your board.

Step 10

Prepare Oral Presentation

• Prepare a 1-2 minute presentation. It is preferred that you do not use notes, but note cards are acceptable.

• Sample Presentation:

Good afternoon, my name is _____________. Have you ever wondered why___________? Well, I have and that is why I chose this question/problem: ___________.  It is important to know that answer because _____________.  First, I researched and found ____________. Based on my research, I hypothesized that _________. In conducting my experiment/ trials, etc., I observed __________.  The data I collected from my experiment resulted in  _____________. I concluded that _____________. ( If the experiment was unsuccessful, share what you would have done differently). Thank you.