Probably the most awesome website on the Scientific Method and starting a science project out there is Janice VanCleave's Science Fair Handbook. Interactive, fun, and informative, I think anyone could get quite a bit out of that website! Yet now here is a very condensed description of the scientific method for you if you need a quick, easy reference.

The steps are: Research, Problem, Hypothesis, Experimentation, and Conclusion

Research- In the first step, you collect information from experiments you may have completed in the past, encyclopedias, websites (yet make sure they are credible!), science books, and maybe even notes from science class on your topic. You first have to decide on a topic and think of a question. Sometimes we wonder about "what if's" or "why" questions that probe us to complete experiments on our own.

One important thing to remember about Step #1 is to use many types of references. If you just use the Internet or an encyclopedia, then you are not being open to all the kinds of reference items there are out there. Another tip is that if you use a quote, write quotations around it and who said the quote.

Problem- A "what if" or "why" question always has a problem... but remember, do not be too broad! You have to ask a specific question that can be solved by conducting an experiment. It also has to be an open-ended question, most of the time starting with the word "how".

Hypothesis- What do you think is going to happen? A hypothesis is your idea about the problem's solution, based on the research you have done as well as how your brain thinks. It is a one-sentence statement, not a paragraph. It should start with the words "I believe that" and end with "I base my hypothesis on these facts." One thing to remember, though, is that you CAN NEVER CHANGE your hypothesis to make it look like you are the Albert Einstein of science projects. Actually, having a different hypothesis from a solution proves that you learned something new about your topic that you never realized before.

Experimentation- You then have to test your hypothesis. There are independent, dependent, and controlled variables. An independent variable is the variable that you change. In our class science project last year, we "watered" our plants with not just water- we also used vinegar, cranberry juice, and other liquids. The dependent variable is the variable that is being observed. Last year, we observed the plants to see how the different liquids were affecting their growth. The controlled variable is the variable that does NOT change- for example, the vinegar, cranberry juice, and water plants were all being watered at the same time three days a week. What is important in this time is to keep a journal and organize your data. We recorded our data twice a week for a month and wrote at least 1/2 a page for each entry.

Conclusion- You have come to the summary- and you have made a decision on whether your hypothesis was correct or not! This is where you gather your information to write a research report on your findings. You have to provide reasons for the difference in the hypothesis and the results of the experiment. You can also provide ways that one can experiment farther to find a solution to your hypothesis.

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