Organizing Your Science Fair Project

Budget Your Time and Projected Expenses

Realize what you are getting into. Most science fairs are held from late February through late April. If you have been assigned to a science fair project by your teacher, you probably will know about the assignment as early as the preceding fall semester. That means you will have four or five months to do your project. However, keep in mind that due to the Scientific Rule Committee (SRC) guidelines that almost all state and regional science fairs follow, you will need to have your project proposal and description forms filled out and ready for submission as early as the November or December prior to the science fair in order to get approval for the work you are planning to do. If this is the case, then you will need to have your project topic and plan for experimentation worked out well before the SRC deadline. When selecting a topic, be sure that you can reasonably make the contacts you need, perform your research, obtain the necessary materials and carry out your experimentation, and analyze your results within the amount of time you have.

You should also look at the expenses that may arise for the type of project you have selected. You may be able to borrow various supplies, materials, and equipment from your school, or you may be eligible to work at a university or laboratory that will donate their equipment and supplies; however, there are some supplies that you may have to purchase. Consult with your parents, teacher, or mentor first to see how much can be budgeted for your project and if it is affordable prior to settling on your topic. For a list of scientific supply companies that can provide an estimate of costs for some of the supplies you may have to purchase, see Appendix C in the back of this book.

Project Limitations and Required Forms

First and foremost, rules established by the Intel ISEF will govern your research on your topic and experimentation. The Intel ISEF’s Scientific Review Committee (SRC) continuously reviews and updates its rules out of concern for the safety and protection of student researchers and their advisers, as well as to comply with local and federal regulations governing research. Some of the areas in which strict rules apply involve vertebrate and nonvertebrate animals; human subjects; recombinant DNA; human and animal tissues; pathogenic agents, including bacteria, fungi, and molds; controlled substances and chemicals; mutagenic agents; carcinogenic agents; infectious agents; and hazardous materials or devices. For projects involving those areas, you are required to complete additional forms for the prescreening of your project and approval by an Institutional Review Board authorized by your state or regional science fair prior to the start of your research. You should contact your state or regional fair director for a copy of your fair’s specific rulebook and forms. (See Chapter 4 in this book for more information about getting your project approved. And see Appendix D in the back of this book for a list of science fairs across the United States and worldwide that are charter affiliates of the Intel ISEF. A copy of the Intel ISEF rule book can be obtained from Science Service, Inc., at the address listed in Chapter 1 of this book.)

Make Connections and Contacts

A good way to begin work on your topic is to check all relevant periodicals and scientific abstracts at your local library and on the Internet. Look for the names, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of resources with whom you can get in touch before you begin to work on your project. The contact information you find may also supply cross-references and referrals to key people and places, such as scientists, engineers, technicians, universities, organizations, laboratories, and businesses. Take advantage of these helpful references because they are your best source for learning what you may need to do, where to go, and who to meet before you do anything else.

As soon as you think you have located some useful physical or e-mail addresses, write a letter to the sources you have found. State that you are a student working under a deadline, discuss the plans you have in mind for your project, and describe the information you will need to gather. Ask for all the available literature that your referral might be able to recommend on your topic, along with any suggestions or advice for your experimentation. Ask for additional references of people in your area who are working in this field and who might be able to serve as mentors or offer you a connection to an institution. Ask your referrals if they know of an institution that might be able to assist you by donating their facilities or equipment to help you carry out your research or experiment.

Make several copies of this letter and send them to the people, organizations, and businesses who may be able to help you. Many will be glad to help, especially if your topic relates to their own products, technologies, or ideas. Not only does it benefit then by fostering good public relations, but also, it may help to get their business name and products out in the public eye. Sending out such letters enables you to save time by eliminating useless searches and honing your information down to the details that you need. Remember, you can always refer to textbooks, periodicals, and scientific abstracts when you need additional information later on.

Included below are two letters. One was sent by a student requesting information on alcohol as an alternative energy resource. This letter resulted in four informational guides that helped the student through her entire project. Along with the guides, she received lists containing the titles of exclusive literature on her subject and the address of an alcohol fuel producer who lived in her own county who served as a good mentor. The other letter was sent out by another student requesting information on x-raying corked baseball bats. This letter also helped the student make contact with a helpful mentor, which is perhaps the best way to get started on your project. The last section of this chapter discusses the benefits of working with a mentor.

Find a Good Mentor

One of the best-kept secrets of students who have had a very successful science fair project experience is their affiliation with a mentor. These students have had the opportunity to work under the advice and guidance of a professional scientist or engineer. A mentor can help you in many ways in the planning of your project, including helping you obtain materials and supplies, and possibly by enabling you to carry out your experimentation at a university, private corporation, or other testing facility. Students with a mentor often have a significant advantage over other students. This is especially the case at the high school level. If your goal is to make it to the top science fair competition in your state or to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, you really should consider making contact with a mentor.

Sample Letter

Renewable Energy Information P.O. Box 8900 Silver Spring, MD 20907

Dear Director:

am a high school student currently working on a science project for my state’s science fair. My project concerns the recycling of fermented organic garbage into ethyl alcohol. My objective is to see if it is possible for a household to construct a simple and inexpensive still capable of producing enough alcohol fuel to meet the household’s energy needs. I also plan to compare ethyl alcohol with other natural fuel sources to determine its efficiency.

Recently, I found your address in an alcohol fuel directory. This guide mentioned that your organization would be able to assist ethyl alcohol fuel producers by providing them with suggestions and further information.

At this time, I would be grateful for any current information on alcohol production, still designs, and alcohol producers in my area. If possible, please send this information to me soon since I am working toward a February deadline.

If all goes well, this will be both an informative and stimulating project for me and my community.

Sincerely,

Student

Sample Letter

Hillerich & Bradsby Company P.O. Box 35700 Louisville, KY 40232-5700

Dear Sir:

I am an eighth grade student working on a science fair project that may be of interest to your company.

My project topic is “The Physics of Cheating in Baseball.” Four bats were used to test my hypothesis which was that a baseball bat filled with sawdust, as opposed to a regular bat or bats filled with cork or rubber balls, will cause a baseball to travel the farthest on impact. I drilled out the center of three bats and filled one with sawdust, the second with rolled cork and the third with rubber balls. I left one bat alone to serve as a control. I tested the bats by placing each of them in a swinging device, which would hit a baseball placed on a batting tee when released. Out of the four bats, the sawdust-filled bat sent the baseball farther than the other bats.

In preparation for the State Science Fair, I would like to expand my project by seeing if it is possible to x-ray a baseball bat. I spoke with my doctor to find out if he or someone else would be willing to perform the X rays. He told me that I would have to find out whether a diagnostic machine X ray or metal fatigue/ stress fracture X ray would have to be performed. Please tell me which of these X rays would work with baseball bats.

Also, in doing my research I read an article, “The Physics of Foul Play” in Discover, in which tests were conducted at the request of MLB’s Commissioner of Baseball. Do you have any information on how the bats were tested and what the results were? I would be grateful to have this information as soon as possible since I am working under a limited time frame. Thank you for your assistance.

Sincerely,

Student

Like all best-kept secrets and insider tips, a mentor is not easy to come by. To find a good mentor who works in the specific niche area of science to which your project pertains requires some effort, a little finesse, and a bit of luck on your part. Basically, the process involves networking, and that means you have to get out there and make connections through teachers, family, friends, and others before you will find that one person who will be a great resource to you and be willing to volunteer his or her time to work with you in the role of a mentor.

One way to make a connection with a mentor (if you do not have one through your school or family) would be to contact your local, state, or regional science fair. Many of these fairs have outreach programs for students that feature the volunteer support of professionals from the scientific community. Some science fairs have a very sophisticated program where you may have to file an application to qualify for a mentor since they usually have limited numbers of such individuals available. Additionally, a local university science department might be able to supply the name of a professor or graduate student who can help you. In any case, it is a good idea to try to seek out a mentor as soon as possible so that you will have enough time to discuss your project with that person, plan out the course of your research and experimentation, and get any necessary approvals.

Summary

1. Project topics can be found in a variety of different areas. Primary areas for finding a topic include focusing on your interests, experiences, and personal resources. Secondary areas for finding a topic include the Internet, traditional periodicals, scientific abstracts, and current and local topics of interest. Topics may also be found through visiting a local science fair or attending a science fair workshop.
2. Once you have found a topic that interests you, it is important to stop and analyze the feasibility of what you have chosen. Consider your time constraints, the rules and guidelines established by your regional or state science fair, the contacts you will need to make, the resources and mentors you are going to need, and finally, the expenses you will incur. Get a notebook to use as a journal in which you will record all your work.
3. Check all relevant periodicals and scientific abstracts at your local library and on the Internet for the names, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of resources with whom you can get in touch before you begin to work on your project. Make contact with resources you have found in your research through writing letters or e-mails, making phone calls, and all other forms of networking.
4. Find a good mentor. Students with a mentor often have a significant advantage over other students. Finding a mentor requires networking with friends, family and others, so start looking early on in the process.