PLAN YOUR PROJECT
Your project can take one of several forms: an experiment, a model or demonstration, a collection, an invention, or a scientific report. Decide which of these projects will BEST answer your testable question. That will be the best way to display the research you have done. Here are some ways to decide which kind of project you might make:
- Most testable questions can be answered by conducting an experiment. The answer to your question may also appear in a book or be answered by a knowing person. It would be best, however, if you tried to answer the question yourself by running tests, taking measurements and deciding about the answer based on what you observed. For example: "How fast does oatmeal cool in a six inch cereal bowl?" can be answered by conducting an experiment using cereal bowls, oatmeal, a thermometer and a clock.
- If your testable question is about how something works, then perhaps you can build a WORKING MODEL to answer your question. For example: "How does a diaphragm muscle help you breathe?" can be answered by building a model of the lungs and diaphragm muscle and watching how they work.
- If your testable question is about how an object might be improved, then you could try to INVENT a new object. You could also add improvements to an existing object. For example: "How can I improve my gym shoes to make them more bouncy?" can be answered by building springs onto the bottoms and testing them to see if the bounce has improved.
- If your testable question is about how a natural object is different than another natural object of the same type, then you might want to start a COLLECTION of all the kinds of that object. For example: "What are the different types of leaves?" can be answered by collecting examples of leaves found while on vacation.
- If your testable question is about the information available on a particular scientific subject, you might want to do a SCIENTIFIC REPORT. These projects are collections of information gotten from at least three sources. Some of the sources you may use are written, interview, or media--electronic or video. For example: "What things contribute to a cat's bladder problems?" or "What are the many different kinds of volcanoes?" or "How do the planets of the solar system differ from one another?" could all be answered in a scientific report project.
