Your teacher has given you instructions to conduct a science experiment for your school’s science fair. If this is your first science project, your teacher will talk to your class about what a science fair is and what kind of science project you should pick. You will learn how to write a hypothesis, do your experiment, and make notes about what happens in your experiment. Most important, you will learn something exciting about science.
- Your teacher’s instructions for the science fair
- List of experiments from science books or Internet
- Paper
- Pencil
- Science project trifold display board
- Art supplies
- Pictures of your experiment
Choose an experiment you will have fun doing, but that will also teach you something about science.
Ask your parents to help you observe what is happening so if you forget they can help you remember.
If you are working with something dangerous, make sure you have your parents supervising you to make sure you stay safe.
Read the instructions your teacher provided. Find out what kind of experiment you are allowed to do so you can find something in a book, on the Internet, or by thinking of one with your parents.
Ask your parents to help you log on to the Internet and start looking for science project ideas for second grade students. Visit scienceprojectlab.com and educationaltoyfactory.com and look for experiments there.
Check out a science project book from your school or community library and look for experiments for second graders there.
Talk to your parents and see if you can come up with any ideas for science projects your teacher will approve. These have to be safe for a student your age, but one you will learn from.
Decide on the experiment that interests you the most. Look again at the instruction sheet your teacher gave to you. Write down your hypothesis--or what you think will happen in your experiment.
Gather all of the materials you will need for your experiment. If you need to work with adult supervision, ask your parents to help you out. Write down all of the materials you will need on a piece of paper.
Follow the directions for the experiment you decided to do and carry out the experiment exactly as it is written in the directions. Write down everything that happens. Notice what happens at the end of your experiment and write this down, too.
Write down the results of your experiment and whether they matched up with your hypothesis. If your results were the same, write that down. If they were different, write that down.
Write up your conclusion, or the paragraph that tells how the results of your experiment either support (agree with) or contradict (disagree with) your hypothesis. Write this down in approximately five to 10 sentences to support your conclusion. Don’t forget to write down whether your experiment’s results matched or disagreed with your hypothesis.
Put your science project display board together by writing each section like your teacher told you to do. Carefully paste your pictures in the order you took them while you did your experiment. Draw any pictures you need to draw. Use simple, eye-catching lettering for the heading of your display board. Ask your parents or an older sibling to type your report for you if it is supposed to be typed up. If you prefer, you can type it yourself.
Things You'll Need
Tips
Warnings
References
About the Author
Genevieve Van Wyden began writing in 2007. She has written for “Tu Revista Latina” and owns three blogs. She has worked as a CPS social worker, gaining experience in the mental-health system. Van Wyden earned her Bachelor of Arts in journalism from New Mexico State University in 2006.
Photo Credits
Brand X Pictures/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images