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Contact Us |
Maryland Agricultural
Education Foundation, Inc.
PO Box
536
Havre de Grace MD 21078
410-939-9030
410-939-9035 Fax
mail@maefonline.com |
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Agriculture topics make
great science projects because they relate to things that
effect us every day - and better yet, they are fun!
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Choose a Topic
- Be interested in the topic
- it should be something you like to think about.
- For your topic, you need
to be able to do a test to answer a question. A good Science
Fair project is an experiment - it's a test to find an
answer to a question you have. Demonstrations or
reports don't use the scientific method.
- It doesn't have to be
complicated. Students often select complicated
projects and then end up not fully understanding the
concepts or even giving up on the project.
- Do it with only a little
help from parents, teachers and friends. Having someone else
help too much takes away some of your fun and you don't
learn as much. Don't be afraid to ask for help if you
really need it.
- Your project should make
you think of new things you want to know, even after you are
done with your experiment. Did doing the project, or reading
or seeing what happened, make you think of other questions
you are curious about?
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Project Ideas
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Putting it Together
- Research your Topic
After selecting your topic, learn everything about it.
Books on your topic can most likely be found in your local
library or bookstore. A great source for current
information is on the Internet.
- Make A Plan
Once you have your background information, make a plan how
you will conduct your experiment. Your plan should include:
> The purpose of your experiment
> The variable(s) or the things that you are going to change
during the
experiment.
> Your hypothesis or what you think the outcome of the
project will be.
> A detailed procedure outlining how you will conduct the
experiment.
- Conduct the Experiment
The next step is to follow the plan that you have written.
Make sure you keep detailed notes on everything that you
observe. You may even want to take pictures or make
sketches of your observations. These notes are important to
your experiment because they are needed when you write your
report and make your display.
- Analyze Your Results
Once you are finished with the experiment, organize your
notes. Then, analyze them. Ask yourself, what
happened, did the results agree with your hypothesis, and so
on. Make graphs and charts to represent the data to
help you analyze it.
- Write A Report
Write a detailed report about your project. Tell
exactly what you did, how you did it, and what you
discovered. Be sure you write all about your plan and
your experiment. Include your data, and perhaps some
charts and graphs to help readers interpret the information.
Be sure you also include some of the background information
you learned.
- Make your Display
The Display is crucial to your success at the fair because
it tells about your project. The display must be neat
and well organized. It should include background
information, the problem, your hypothesis, your procedure,
your results, your conclusion, your report, and graphs and
charts. You can also include photos or drawings of
your experiments.
- Practice your Presentation
By rehearsing your presentation, you get an opportunity to
'work the bugs out' and feel comfortable talking about your
project. Start out rehearsing by yourself and then
find volunteers to be mock judges and present it to them.
You will be calmer and more composed on the science fair day
if you are prepared and know what you are going to say.
- Do your BEST!
At the science fair, try to be as calm and professional
as possible. Know what you are talking about and be
confident, you will do great!
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