Science & Engineering Fair | Tips for Success
Your Guide to Creating a
Successful Project for the Fair
Information & Assistance
Please email Christina Hatley, chatley@tntech.edu or call 931-372-6531.
Have Fun!
The goal of the Cumberland Plateau Regional Science & Engineering Fair is to spark student interest in STEM-related subjects and show them that STEM research can be fun.
Choose your topic:
What are you interested in?
Make sure you are answering a question or solving a problem within your topic.
Make sure you can find enough information online or in libraries about your subject.
Your project should not involve firearms or any potential harm to animals.
Research your topic!
Develop a question you want to answer with your work.
Use your library or Google Scholar to help find information about your topic.
If you know someone who is an expert or knows a lot about your topic, interview them!
RECORD and KEEP TRACK of what you find out and learn!
Keep note of all information needed for citing your resources.
Form a Hypothesis!
A hypothesis is a testable explanation for what you think will happen and why.
Base this, YOUR HYPOTHESIS, on what you found out by researching your topic.
Examples: “Because (reason based on your research), if (what you change –independent variable), then (what will happen – dependent variable).”
Because acids react with baking soda to release CO₂ faster at higher temperatures, if I warm the vinegar, then the reaction will fill a zip bag more quickly.
Because salt lowers water’s freezing point, if I increase road-salt concentration, then ice will melt faster.
After doing your experiments, you may find that you need to refine your hypothesis.
It’s alright if that happens. A hypothesis can change when you have more information, such as data from your experiment.
Plan your experiment!
Safety First!
Figure out how you want to answer your research question.
Look at experiments that have been done in your field/topic for guidance.
How will you measure the results?
Where will you keep your information?
Be sure to keep notes and write down everything you do and what happens.
Make a list of your materials, and write out all the steps to your experiment.
Go ahead and make lists or tables to record your data in too!
Perform your experiment!
Carry out your plan in a controlled environment! You don’t want anything messing up your results!
The more times you do an experiment the more reliable and accurate the results will be.
Make sure to record all of your data AS THINGS HAPPEN. Don’t just say you will record the data and estimate the results later.
Record the date, time, and any other useful information. Even if you are mostly recording numerical data, it is helpful to also record some other observations. (Quantitative and Qualitative data)
Taking pictures is a great idea!
Conclude your experiment!
Arrange your data into a more orderly form.
Make graphs or tables to easily make sense of your data.
What does your data tell you about your research question?
Did it support your hypothesis? If not, how would you refine your hypothesis? Are your results significant?
Make a short write-up about your entire project.