INDEPENDENT PROJECT GUIDE

Jump to Getting Started
Jump to Moving Forward
Jump to Getting Messy
Jump to Learning from Fun

Design, build, and present on amazing science this summer!

This is a guide to help you complete your individual project with Project Exploration this summer.

The end goal is to present your experiment at the end of summer, so make sure to take as many photos, videos, and recordings of the project as you will need! We’re excited to help you with your projects and make sure to reach out to your facilitator if you want a helping hand.

Getting Started

Step One: Brainstorming a Topic

How To Brainstorm

Scientists ask lots of questions about the world around them. From plants and animals to gravity, space, and light, there are many topics to ask scientific questions about during your individual project!

What topics are you curious about?

Choosing a Topic
Possible topics include (but are not limited to) weather and the environment, technology, plant and animal life, space, physical science, psychology, and computer science. Think about your favorite activities at Project Exploration and be inspired from those.
Possible Ideas and Topics
Animals
Astronomy
Biology
Chemistry
Earth Science
Electricity
Inventions
Physics
Plants

Your turn!

Which topic did you choose? __________________________

Tip: if you’re not sure which topic to choose, think about the questions you have about the world around you. Are you fascinated by airplane engines? A technology project could be fun! Love to bike? Maybe explore friction through a physical science project.

Step Two: Asking Questions

Ask the Right Question

Now that you have your topic ready, it’s time to ask a question about it. This question will be your guide throughout the individual project, so make sure it’s something that really interests you!

Often, scientists’ questions begin with:

How, What, Which, Why, or Where

Examples of How Questions
  • How does soil pH affect flower growth?
  • How do projectors work?
Examples of What Questions
  • What is the strongest bridge that can be built with fewest materials?
  • What kind of yeast produces carbon dioxide the fastest?
Examples of Which Questions
  • Which water filter produces the cleanest water?
  • Which household cleaner fights bacteria best?
Examples of Why Questions
  • Why does humidity change fungal growth?
  • Why does guacamole go brown?
Examples of Where Questions
  • Where is the best spot to plant soybeans?
  • Where do worms move the fastest: dirt, cement, or grass?

Your turn!

Using How, What, Which, Why, or Where, ask a question about the topic you picked in Step 1.

My project is about _________________, and I want to answer the following question: ________________________.

Make sure to talk to your STEM Facilitator, teacher, or family about your project during Virtual Lunchroom!

Moving Forward

Step Three: Creating a Hypothesis

What is a Hypothesis?

In your hypothesis, you will predict what you think will happen when you test your question

Is a Hypothesis the same as a guess?

A hypothesis is based on outside information: you need good reasons to backup your hypothesis, but you don’t necessarily need reasons for a guess!
For example...
Mia’s question is “which water filter produces the cleanest water?” Her little brother guesses that the coffee filter will clean the water best
However...
Mia makes a hypothesis that it will be the Brita filter, because she researched Brita and knows that Brita is the most popular filter company in the U.S.

Your turn!

What do you think will happen in your project?

I hypothesize that the answer to my question is ___________________________ because of these reasons: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

Step Four: Assembling Materials

What counts as Materials?

Your materials include anything you will need to complete your project.
For example...
Mia’s question is “which water filter produces the cleanest water?” Let’s see what supplies she will need
Example Materials

5 water pitchers
5 different types of filters
pH test strips
Journal
Pencil

Your turn!

Make a checklist so you have everything on hand before you begin.

Step Five: Identify Variables

What is a Variable?

A variable is anything you can change that will affect the outcome of your experiment. You can sort these variables into three categories

 

  • The scientist manipulates the independent variable
  • The dependent variable is what the scientist measures or observes
  • The controlled variables stay constant throughout the experiment
Example One...

A scientist conducts an experiment to determine whether fuel types affect the engine’s performance in a car.

Independent Variable: fuel type
Dependent Variable: engine performance
Controlled Variable: car, driver, driving location and speed

Example Two...

A study was conducted to determine the effect of climbing to high altitudes on a climber’s memory.

Independent Variable: altitude
Dependent Variable: climber’s memory
Controlled Variable: the test used to measure the climber’s memory, location

Your turn!

What are the variables in your project?
Experiment: ______________________________________________
Independent Variable: _________________________________________________________
Dependent Variable: __________________________________________________________
Controlled Variable: __________________________________________________________

Make sure to talk to your STEM Facilitator, teacher, or family about your project during Virtual Lunchroom!

Getting Messy

Step Six: Writing a Procedure

What is the Procedure?

You’re almost ready to begin experimenting! Writing your procedure is all you have left. A procedure is the steps you will take to test your hypothesis and carry out your experiment.

Think of it like a recipe, or a to-do list, which somebody else could follow after you.

How many tests should you do?
You should aim for at least 3 trials–we don’t want to leave our results up to chance!
Example Procedure...
Here is an example of a procedure from a scientist who tested battery voltage longevity

  1. Number each battery so you can tell them apart.
  2. Measure each battery’s voltage by using the voltmeter.
  3. Put the same battery into one of the devices and turn it on.
  4. Let the device run for thirty minutes before measuring its voltage again. (Record the voltage in a table every time it is measured.)
  5. Repeat step 4 until the battery is at 0.9 volts or until the device stops.
  6. Do steps 1–5 again, three trials for each brand of battery in each experimental group.
  7. For the camera flash push the flash button every 30 seconds and measure the voltage every 5 minutes.
  8. For the flashlights rotate each battery brand so each one has a turn in each flashlight.
  9. For the CD player repeat the same song at the same volume throughout the tests.

Your turn!

Create a list of steps will you take to answer your scientific question
Tip: Make sure every item you use in your procedure is listed with your materials.

My procedure is as follows: _______________________________________

Step Seven: Collecting Data

How to Collect Data

Now you’re ready to test! Collecting data is important, because it helps scientists to keep track of many trials in one experiment.

Scientists often use tables, charts, diagrams, and graphs to conduct experiments. You might consider sketching your results, and make sure to take pictures of your project along the way!

Data tables will also come in handy. You probably need a row for each time you did the experiment, a column listing what the independent variable was (what you chose to test), and what happened in response (the dependent variable).

Table example

Chart Example

Your turn!

Create a chart, table, or graph to represent the data you’ve collected
Tip: Look back on your variables from Step 5 to set up your data

Make sure to talk to your STEM Facilitator, teacher, or family about your project during Virtual Lunchroom!

Learning from Fun

Step Eight: Finding a Conclusion

How to write a Conclusion

The conclusion is your space to tell us what happened. We’re dying to know!
Your Conclusion should say...
Here are some questions to answer in your conclusion:
Question 1
Was your hypothesis correct? Why or why not?
Question 2
Did your experiment work? If you built something, was it successful? If you measured something, did you achieve results?
Question 3
If you were to do this experiment again, would you change anything? Why?
Question 4
If your experiment was successful, can you think of a second experiment that would build on what you learned in this experiment?
Question 5
How could this experiment be used in a real-life situation? Why is it important?

Your turn!

Write one paragraph summarizing what happened in your experiment and
what you can conclude from those results.

Step Nine: Presenting the Idea

Time to Present what you've done!

Now that you’ve conducted your own experiment, we want to see the results!

There are countless unique ways to present your work. Get creative and showcase each step of this guide. Speak clearly and slowly to best display your hard work!

Option 1: Posters
Make a poster or board highlighting your project! Print, draw, cut, and glue each step and record yourself presenting in front of your masterpiece!
Option 2: Videos
If you like filming videos, consider using animoto, or biteable or wevideo to document your work in video format.
Option 3: Photos
Like photography? Make a collage through photocollage.com or befunky.com!
Option 4: Podcast
Maybe audio is your thing? Record yourself narrating your project, audio elements of your experiment, or any other sounds you’d like to share, and upload to an animoto, or biteable or wevideo file.
Option 5: Slideshow
Also check out Google Slides and Prezi to present your project in slideshow format

Your turn!

Create a 4 to 5 minute presentation about your project, using any option you’d like!
Tip: remember to include the information from each step on this guide

Amazing! You’re ready to present. Practice with your STEM Facilitator and present for all your friends and family at Project Exploration’s annual Reflection of Knowledge

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