Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Name(s): _______________________________________ Date: ________________________
You have been giving your science fair topic and project lots of thought. Now it’s time to let us know what you
have chosen. Follow the instructions below and write all your information for steps 1 through 8. You need to
have these 7 steps reviewed by your teacher before continuing with step 8. This proposal will be due (with a
parent signature) on Thursday, December 3rd.
Step 1. Pick your (‘big picture’) topic: _____________________________________
Step 2. Write a specific question that you’re trying to solve or investigate:
Step 3. Write a hypothesis based on your initial readings and research on this topic, i.e. back it up with some
scientific knowledge and theories:
Step 4. Rationale: Write a good paragraph explaining, with lots of detail, why you chose this topic.
Step 5. Write two sub‐questions or supporting questions related to your topic that will guide you in your
Science Fair inquiry. (Thinking about “Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How” may help you form these
questions). Now, write your hypothesis.
Supporting Question 1:_____________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Supporting Question 2:_____________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Step 6. Choose the one Science Quest category (experimental or problem‐solving or research) that fits your
topic and write it here:________________________________.
Step 7. Before you start any research and note taking, you must now check to make sure that you will
have enough information sources for your project by looking for books, articles, experts,
websites, etc. The types of sources will depend on your topic. Use this list for possible sources:
books (must list the titles and authors),
articles (must list the titles, authors, and where they are from – for example: National
Geographic),
names of your experts (depending on your topic and project type),
websites (must list the titles and location)
videos (must list the titles and authors),
and any other resource that may apply to your topic.
REMEMBER, if you have trouble finding enough resources, you will need to fine‐tune your topic and
questions.
**You are not collecting information yet. This is a list of your sources.
List of
1. ______________________________________________________
Books
2. ______________________________________________________
(Titles and
3. ______________________________________________________
Authors)
4. ______________________________________________________
List of **You are not collecting information yet. This is a list of your sources.
Websites 1. ______________________________________________________
(Titles and 2. ______________________________________________________
web 3. ______________________________________________________
location) 4. ______________________________________________________
List of **You are not collecting information yet. This is a list of your sources.
Experts 1. ______________________________________________________
(Name and 2. ______________________________________________________
area of 3. ______________________________________________________
expertise) 4. ______________________________________________________
**You are not collecting information yet. This is a list of your sources.
And more… 1. ______________________________________________________
(Articles, 2. ______________________________________________________
Videos, etc) 3. ______________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________
**You are not collecting information yet. This is a list of your sources.
And more… 1. ______________________________________________________
(Articles, 2. ______________________________________________________
Videos, etc) 3. ______________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________
**You are not collecting information yet. This is a list of your sources.
And more… 1. ______________________________________________________
(Articles, 2. ______________________________________________________
Videos, etc) 3. ______________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________
Step 8 On a separate sheet of paper, write a paragraph for each of the following.
1) Describe your plan of action. Outline the steps involved in completing your inquiry. Provide a
timeline for each action. (Deadline is February 1, 2010)
2) List any obstacles or challenges you foresee happening. How are you going to overcome them?