Robert G. LeCompte

“ In conducting a good science project, we work in much the same manner as professional scientists. Like them, we observe, experiment, investigate, speculate, and check the validity of our speculations with more experiments, all in order to learn something. If our work is good, others may learn from it too, but only if we present it adequately. ”

“ Only the attention you pay to your science instruction; the thought and care you devote to a project related to nuclear science; and the clarity and ingenuity with which you explain that project to your classmates, teachers, and the general public through your science fair exhibit. ”

“ Plants or animals which have been employed in the science project can often be displayed to lend interest and meaning to the exhibit. But since the science fair follows the project, interim growth and aging may alter living specimens so that at fair time they are considerably less meaningful or attractive than at the peak of your project. ”

“ Detailed advice on conducting science projects is omitted, partly because several earlier publications deal with the subject, but also because much of the personal satisfaction gained while doing a science project stems from the student investigator’s opportunity to exercise his initiative, imagination, and judgment in solving a problem of his own choice, in his own way.
We trust this booklet will encourage students to enter science fair competition, and hope it will help their advisers guide them toward better projects and more successful exhibits. ”

“ As a 10th-grade biology student, he might investigate biological aspects of his topic, and then follow with investigations of chemical and physical aspects of it while studying 11th grade chemistry and 12th grade physics. Some outstanding science fair exhibits have resulted from such progressive development of a single project which the exhibitors undertook first in junior high school.
Whenever you ask a question about some aspect of nature you have a possible project topic. “How does a chicken hatch?” “What is the best way to treat a burn?” “How could nuclear energy be used in space travel?” ”

“ If you choose a good topic, work carefully and accurately, and cover the topic fully, you will produce a successful project which can form the basis for a good exhibit.
Where to Get Help
One mark of a truly educated individual is his willingness to discuss his problems with others and profit by their advice and help. One of the most important things that you can learn while doing a project is how and where to obtain information and assistance.
Your science teacher may be an excellent source. If he cannot provide specialized help himself probably he can direct you to those who can. ”

“ It is probably wise to select several potential project topics, do a little reading on each of them, and then pick one. Before reaching a decision, discuss them with your teachers and parents. Your science teacher can help you pick a topic that will relate closely to classroom work, and may be able to suggest interesting approaches you haven’t considered. By talking your project topic over with your parents and advisers you can make sure that you will have the time, working space, moral support, and financial resources needed to complete it successfully. ”

“ Fifth, enter local science fair competition. If you don’t win, find out why by comparing your project and your exhibit with the winners’, and by discussing it with your parents, classmates, teachers, judges, and viewers. If you do win, attempt to understand what made your exhibit better than the others. ”

“ There are too many photographs which are too small and poorly positioned for viewing. Specimen boxes positioned on the floor as an afterthought where few viewers will attempt to inspect them. Endless text provides details of little or no interest to the average viewer. More text on introductory topic (“Catching Bugs”) than on the exhibit topic. No logical progression from the original problem and hypothesis through experimentation and observation to conclusions. There is no project notebook, report, or handout brochure. No thought has been given to lighting. ”

“ Better understanding of an area of science is the least that we can gain from doing a science project. At their best, science projects foster habits of effective planning, attention to detail, careful work, and high performance standards that will serve us well throughout our lives. ”

“ Early in this century some teachers encouraged their students to undertake individual science projects, then exhibit them before their classmates and fellow students. Between the two World Wars some individual school systems developed citywide science fairs to show the most outstanding of these exhibits from each school. The science fair movement gained momentum rapidly after World War II, and in 1950 the First National Science Fair was held in Philadelphia, drawing exhibitors from 13 affiliated area fairs. ”

“ No scientist worth his title ever exposes himself needlessly to any potential hazards which confront him in his investigations. Thoughtful student scientists also will avoid any unnecessary exposure to ionizing radiation, particularly 51 since bad habits acquired while doing student projects may be difficult to overcome later.
Before undertaking experiments with radioactivity, consult your science teacher or project counselor. Any materials to be irradiated should be processed with professional equipment by persons trained and authorized to operate it. ”

“ Also, if you compete in several fairs, you may find transportation and special care of your living specimens difficult and onerous. If you do plan to exhibit living specimens, familiarize yourself with local and national fair regulations governing their use, make sure that animals can be housed attractively and comfortably, and protect both animals and plants from inquisitive fingers. ”

“ But to use such a turntable to present a series of photographs would probably be unnecessarily contrived. Usually you may spend your efforts better on sound content, clean design, and clear text than on mechanical gimmicks.
Pushbuttons and Such. Few audience-participation devices in science fair exhibits merit the effort, money, and space expended on them. But if you do display equipment for viewers to operate, make certain it can be operated safely and dependably even when you are absent (as during 25 the judging) . ”

“ Some exhibitors extend back and side walls to the floor, but this requires more panel material and tempts the exhibitor to mount text and illustrations below the level of easy viewing.
The title board can be functional as well as attractive, as in Figure 1. It puts your main title where it can be seen easily and it conserves wall space. It can brace the side walls and serve to shield lights.
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Materials. Attractive exhibit structures can be built from artboard and similar paper products, so for one-time-only elementary school exhibits you may not wish to invest in more permanent materials. ”

“ All exhibitors must be interviewed at their projects by at least one judge. The purpose of all interviews is to determine the exhibitors’ familiarity with the project, the science involved, and to give the student an opportunity to meet the judges, react to questions and to discuss their work with a recognized leader. Care must be taken to allow a reasonable interview time within the time limits allotted for judging.
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Not more than two students, male or female, may be certified as finalists to the ISF from an affiliated science fair. ”

“ Project Notebook Every scientist worth his salt keeps detailed notes on each project on which he works. You should do likewise. This notebook, which could as well be a set of file cards, contains a running, day-by-day account of everything that concerns the project—observations, speculations, experiments, materials, expenses, procedures, data and observations, hypotheses, checks for validity, conclusions, and conjectures. ”

“ Good exhibits can speak clearly to a great variety of viewers. Those already generally familiar with the subject may absorb the entire message, but even the uninitiated will find something of interest.
Science Fairs
Fairs have been popular throughout history. Generally they have been occasions to display work or feats of which people are proud. Often they have stimulated progress and the exchange of goods and ideas. ”

“ At the 14th NSFI at Albuquerque, these judges spent the morning identifying eligible exhibits, “huddled” late in the afternoon to select semifinal choices, and then in the evening talked with each semifinalist before making the final choice of winners and alternates.
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Judges study criteria and point values before evaluating exhibits. Although your exhibit should speak for itself, at many fairs the judges chat with each exhibitor to determine how well he understands his project area. Be prepared to present details concisely and clearly, but avoid lengthy explanations unless asked. ”

“ Wood organized a statewide science fair program in South Carolina. He moved to the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in 1957, and expanded that state’s program by organizing four regional science fairs. He joined the staff of Science Service in 1960 and edited Chemistry magazine and “Things of Science” experimental kits. In 1961 he joined the Atomic Energy Commission’s Headquarters staff and is now Exhibit Coordinator in the Division of Special Projects. ”

“ Before mounting photographs, trim off the white border, which detracts from the impact of your pictures and the simple unity of your exhibit.
When fully satisfied with your layout, begin the final lettering of your text. For hand-lettering, sketch with a soft pencil first, using a ruler and eraser freely. A lettering guide, borrowed from your school’s graphic arts department, will prove very helpful. Unless you are experienced you can save yourself trouble by not lettering directly upon the background. ”

“ Some elementary schools conduct science fairs for their 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students. In both the elementary and junior high school divisions, exhibitors usually compete against entrants of their own grade level, for example, 5th graders against 5th graders, and 9th graders against 9th graders. In the senior division each entrant competes against all others. ”

“ Before completing the lettering, you should try out your layout and text on classmates, family, and perhaps your English teacher. Science fair exhibits should be understandable to intelligent laymen as well as to trained specialists. Technical jargon, pompous adjectives, and stilted sentence structure are not scientific. In scientific writing, as in any good writing, the simple, direct approach is usually 28 best. ”

“ As he explains a problem that has puzzled you, you begin to see science as a community of kindred minds where every serious truth-seeker is welcome, where there 31 is no rank other than that bestowed on active intellects, sound procedures, and reasoned, honest conclusions. ”

“ APPENDIX. Give more detailed and supplementary information, often including graphs, tables, photographs, and drawings.
9. BIBLIOGRAPHY. Keep it brief, listing only those books and periodicals which you actually used to provide background information.
10. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. Both prudence and the best traditions of science require that you acknowledge all help which you receive. Usually student scientists do not produce 11 laboratory work of professional quality, nor do student exhibitors match the skill of commercial designers and fabricators. ”

“ Interviews help AEC Special Awards judges identify the most outstanding nuclear-related exhibits entered in each National Science Fair-International. Here, Elizabeth Winstead of Jacksonville, Florida, explains her irradiated fruit flies to Dr. Paul W. McDaniel, AEC Director of Research and a Special Awards judge at the 1963 national fair, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Selected as one of the 10 winners, Miss Winstead and her science teacher spent a week at the Commission’s Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago. ”

“ But if you look forward to other projects, exhibits, and fairs, you will be wise to consider materials which will hold up in repeated use. Even though most fairs do not permit you to compete in successive years with the same exhibit material, seldom do they require you to build a new structure each year to hold your changing displays. ”

“ No experiment should be undertaken that involves anesthetic drugs, surgical procedures, pathogenic organisms, toxicological products, carcinogens, or ionizing radiation unless a trained life scientist, physician, dentist or veterinarian directly supervises the experiment. ”

“ Assemble your structure, mount your lighting fixtures, and plug them in. Install whatever equipment needs to be displayed. Put your project notebook, project report, and handout brochure in place. Your science fair exhibit is finished and you are ready to compete! ”

“ If you will install a fused entry-outlet box on your back wall or base unit, as shown in Figure 3, you can run all fixture cords to that one location. Most fairs provide power cords reaching to the exhibitor’s electrical inlet, but don’t depend on it. ”

“ Best of all, you will have an opportunity to discuss your interests and career plans with members of the Argonne staff—men and women who are doing professional research in the same areas that interest you. ”

“ Transcriber’s Notes Silently corrected a few typos. Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook is public-domain in the country of publication. In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by _underscores_. ”

“ Then be selective and employ the minimum needed to make your point in the exhibit.
About Color
Properly employed, color is functional as well as aesthetically pleasing. You may find the following suggestions helpful in deciding which colors to employ in your exhibit, and where. ”