• Register for the Fair - Participants must complete this short online form: PH Science Fair Registration Form
• Be safe! Get your parent's permission and supervision when working with flame, electricity, chemicals, etc
• To be eligible for 1st-3rd place consideration, projects must be an "Experiment" 
• Projects involving microorganisms (mold/bacteria/fungi/algae) are NOT allowed.
• In order to advance to the Indiana State Science Fair, any project in grades 3-5 involving human testing now requires special paperwork to be completed BEFORE testing begins. These forms are not required in our school fair or in the Regional Science Fair, but your project can not be advanced to the State Science Fair without these forms being completed before you start testing your human.
• Do not harm any animal in your project
• Do not bring any animals to our fair (take photos)
• Liquids and smelly, "yucky" test samples pose a hazard to your classmates. We discourage you from bringing these to our fair. They will not be permitted at the Regional Fair. Bring photos instead.
• Projects should be completed by a single student or by two students from the same grade level.
• Do not do the same project you did in an earlier grade!
• All projects are expected to consist of a display board, a research report, and an oral presentation to the judge. K-3 students need not do a research report.
• Judges' decisions are final. The only judging errors that will be corrected will be those involving addition errors when totaling points.
• Inform the fair coordinator in advance if your project requires something unusual (electrical outlet, extension cord, nuclear reactor)

The information below only applies to students in grades 4-5 who think that their project is so amazing that it might advance past the Regional Science Fair all the way to the State Science Fair.  

The State Science Fair will NOT accept any projects involving human testing unless the proper paperwork is completed BEFORE testing begins.  Our PH Fair and the Regional Fair do not have this requirement.


Please read this page carefully and download the linked forms if your project involves human subjects.  

All projects involving HUMAN SUBJECTS must submit special paperwork to the school Science Fair Coordinator BEFORE experimentation begins.

This includes any project in which the young scientist tests friends, family members, or classmates in surveys, physical exertion, or ingestion of substances. While these projects are typically harmless at the elementary level, it will be impossible for your project to be entered into the State Science fair without the proper PRE-APPROVED paperwork. Since only students in grades 4-5 are eligible to participate in the State Fair, younger students (K-3) need not complete the paperwork.

Human Participants Form - Please complete just the 1st 4 lines - Name, Title of Project, Adult Sponsor (parent), and phone/email.  Please submit this form to the Science Fair Coordinator.  He will contact the student and/or parent to confirm that participant safety and privacy is protected.  Please submit BEFORE testing begins!

Human Informed Consent Form - This form must be completed by each person who is tested.  I recommend filling out one with the basic information, and then making copies for each participating human subject.  Again, this should be done BEFORE testing begins

While it can be argued that these forms are gross overkill at the elementary level, we don't want an outstanding project to be disqualified from the State Fair due to the omission of these forms.

If you want to earn a 1st-3rd place ribbon, you must do an "Experiment" type project.

So what is an "Experiment" project?

• Evidence of the scientific method is present on the display board
• Variables are manipulated and controlled
• Data is collected, recorded, and interpreted
• Experiments are repeatable. Similar results are collected and patterns should emerge from a large sample size or multiple trials.

The following project types are NOT experiments and are NOT eligible for ribbon consideration:

These projects are still welcome in the fair. They will be visited by the judge and feedback will be provided. These projects will earn a participation ribbon.

• Demonstration - showing a scientific principle in action
  • examples --> How does a magnet work? What is an electric circuit? Can air pressure crush a can?

• Model - Making a smaller, less complicated version to show a scientific principle
  • examples --> Making a radio, computer, telescope, periscope, volcano

• Collection - Gathering and classifying objects to show a scientific principle
  • examples --> rock collection, insect collection, leaf collection

• Survey - Collecting and interpreting data (Surveys differ from experiments because variables are not manipulated and no scientific principle is illustrated
  • examples --> Which fast food restaurant uses the most paper? Do girls or boys have longer "pinky" fingers? Which weatherman has more accurate forecasts?

Be careful!The word "experiment" is misused in many science fair books and websites! Think of it this way. A demonstration does exactly what you expect it to do, no exploration is needed. If you build a model volcano, you expect it to erupt. If you make an electric circuit, you expect the light bulb to light up. When doing an "Experiment", you are not sure what the outcome will be until you actually do the investigation.

Hint: It is often easy to change a non-eligible "Demonstration Project" into a ribbon-eligible "Experiment Project". Here is an example: Let's say you want to demonstrate that beans absorb an amazing amount of water when you soak them. All you need to do is introduce a testing variable - like water temperature. You could test to see if the temperature of the water has an effect on how much water is absorbed. You might discover that beans absorb warm water better than cold water. You now have an "experiment" that the judges can fairly evaluate.

The scientific method is the process scientists use to find answers to questions they have about the world around them. They use five steps to design and conduct scientific investigations. Please click on the links below for more information about each step.

1. Question or Purpose - What do you want to learn from your experiment?
2. Hypothesis - What do you think will happen in the experiment? Why?
3. Procedure - How will you test your hypothesis and record results?
4. Data Analysis - What do the results tell about the experiment?
5. Conclusion - Do your results support your hypothesis?

In addition, scientists also do research to find out what is already known about the topic. You will include a research report (research report is not required in grades K-2) with your project. Please click on the "Research Report" anchor down below for more information about this important part of your science fair project.

Sometimes called "Purpose" or "Problem"

A Good scientific QUESTION has three parts:

1. It is clearly written
2. It starts with the verb "Does"
3. It can be answered by measuring something

This is where you choose your idea. Start by thinking about a general topic. In other words, what are you interested in? What are you curious about? If you like sports, focus your attention there. Maybe you are into electronics or video games.... maybe you love nature and can't get enough of slimy things like worms.

Once you have a general idea, it is then time to get specific. Here's an example. Let's say you like bugs. Get more specific.... let's focus on lightning bugs. Is there anything you are curious about regarding lightning bugs? Well, duh! I'm interested in the fact that they light up. Who isn't?

Here are a few bad examples of a "Question" -

• Do lightning bugs light up? (This is lame because you already know the answer!)
• Why do lightning bugs light up? (This is also not good. You won't be measuring anything)
• What lights up more - a lightning bug or my dog? (Well, you could measure this.... but it's super lame because you know the answer!)
• What affects the rate of lightning bug flashes? (You're getting closer! But this is a bit too broad. There may be lots of things that cause lightning bugs to flash. Your project will probably be too big and hard to manage).

So what would be a good experimental question about lightning bugs? Here are some good ones:

• Does temperature affect the rate of lightning bug flashes?
• Does humidity (moisture in the air) affect the rate of lightning bug flashes?
• Does the moon phase affect the rate of lightning bug flashes?

Here is a good plan for writing your question....Just fill in the blanks......

Does _________________ affect the ________________ of ____________________?

A hypothesis is an educated guess about what will happen in your experiment. It is NOT just a random guess! Your hypothesis should have some reason or factual basis for happening.

A good hypothesis almost always follows this pattern:

• It is brief
• It answers the "Question"
• It uses the same word pattern as the "Question"
• It is worded so that it can be tested
• It identifies the main variable
• It includes a reason for your guess

Let's go back to our example "Question" - Does temperature affect the flash rate of lightning bugs?

Here are some BAD examples of a hypothesis:

• Yes (That's it? That's all you got? It is brief, and it does answer the question, but it doesn't satisfy any of the other requirements.)
• Yes. Temperature affects the flash rate of lightning bugs. (This is slightly better. It satisfies most of the requirements. But how does it affect the flash rate and why do think your prediction is true.)

Here is an example of a GOOD hypothesis:

• An increase in temperature will cause an increase in a lightning bug's flash rate. I believe this to be true because I notice lightning bugs more on hot summer evenings.

This is a little long and wordy, but it makes a guess on how a temperature change will affect a lightning bug (it will increase its flashing), and it also explains why you made the prediction (you see them on hot evenings). This hypothesis is based on a natural observation, it is not just a random guess.

You might follow this general pattern when writing your hypothesis.... just fill in the blah, blah, blah blanks.......

The blah, blah, blah will cause the blah, blah, blah to blah, blah because blah, blah, blah.

A procedure is a step-by-step set of directions for testing the hypothesis.

A complete stranger should be able to read your procedure and carry out the experiment in the exact same way that you did your experiment.

A good procedure will look a lot like a recipe in a cookbook. Your procedure should:

• start by listing all of the equipment and materials needed to do the experiment
• list the steps in order (use numbered bullets or time order words like first, next, then)
• be clear and precise
• be as short as possible (don't be too wordy)
• start each step with a verb

Here is an example of a BAD procedure for our lightning bug experiment:

Get a jar and some lightning bugs. Put the bugs in the jar. Count how many times the bugs flash in 5 minutes. Make the bugs hot by putting them near a heater. Count how many times they flash during the next 5 minutes. Record your results.

This procedure needs help!

How many bugs? What kind of jar? How big should the jar be? How hot should I make the air in the jar? How many times should I repeat the test?

It would also be easier to read if it was written with "bullets" instead of as a paragraph.

Here is an example of a fairly GOOD procedure:

Get the following materials and equipment:

• thermometer
• clear 1 qt glass jar with lid
• timer
• a dark room where you can adjust the air temperature
• 10 recently captured lightning bug

Follow these steps:

1. Place one bug in the jar
2. Put the jar in a dark room that is 72 degrees F
3. Record how many times the bug flashes in 5 minutes
4. Lower the temperature in the room to 62 degrees F
5. Record the number of bug flashes in 5 minutes
6. Raise the room temperature to 82 degrees F
7. Record the number of bug flashes in 5 minutes
8. Repeat steps 1-7 with nine other bugs

A scientist keeps a careful record of the data that is collected when testing the hypothesis. The data is then organized into nice, neat, easy-to-read tables, charts, and graphs.

It is a good idea to create your table before you begin to carry out your procedure. Think about rows and columns. What will be your headings?

For our example with lightning bugs. I know we have 10 different bugs and three different temperatures. My empty chart should probably look like this:

Update: The table below is not displaying correctly on some browsers... hope to have it corrected soon.

Once you have created your empty table, it will be very easy to record your data. Just fill in the empty boxes.

Whenever you collect data, you will want to look for patterns in that data. Sometimes the pattern will be easy to see, but often you will need to change your data into a graph in order to more easily see the pattern or trend.. You might choose a bar graph, a line graph, or a pie graph.

It is definitely a good idea to have a table (rows and columns) as well as a graph (bar, line, or pie) on your display board. Be sure to make it colorful and easy to read.

In this section, you will study your data and determine if your hypothesis was correct.

In other words.... what did you learn from doing this experiment?

Your conclusion should be an answer to the question you posed at the very beginning of the scientific procedure.

It is perfectly okay if you find out that your hypothesis was wrong.

If your data doesn't show any patterns, or if something went horribly wrong with your experiment, you will want to be honest and state that in your conclusion. Just be sure to explain what you think went wrong and what you would do differently next time. Remember, the point of the "conclusion" is to state what you learned. Even if you completely messed up, you still probably learned something. Just be sure to write it so the judges know that you learned from your mistakes.

Here is an example of a conclusion for our lightning bug example:

Air temperature does play a role in how often a lightning bug flashes. My data shows that on average a lightning bug flashes 5 more times a minute at high temperatures (82F) than at room temperature (72F). My data also shows that lightning bugs rarely flash in cool temperatures (62F). This explains why we rarely see lightning bugs until the summer months.

Here is another example:

It is unclear if air temperature plays a role in the frequency of lightning bug flashes. My data does not support or reject my hypothesis. I think that my lightning bugs did not act naturally because they were stressed-out by being in such a small container. If I did this experiment again, I would keep the bug in an aquarium or other large container so that they might behave naturally.

I once heard someone say that the scariest words they ever heard their child utter were, "Mom, I have to do a science fair project."

Well, it shouldn't be scary. The science fair should be a learning opportunity for your child. It is not supposed to be a giant headache for the parent.

Parents should not be overly involved in this science fair project. The level of involvement will likely depend on the grade of the student. Fifth graders should be almost completely independent. Obviously, younger students will need more guidance.

Parents should do the following:

• Prevent procrastination - set deadlines
• Monitor for safety
• Help to find supplies and materials
• Enforce family standards for "Personal Best"

If parents do more than these four things, the student probably won't learn as much, and they won't take ownership of their success or failure. Remember, the learning goals for this project are NOT content-related. In other words, no one really cares if your child learns about the ph level of different fruits and which one would make the best battery in the event of a zombie apocalypse. Our learning goal for the science fair is that the student learns about the scientific method and how to manage a long-term project. Anything else is gravy!

This is the official judging form. Use this form as a sort of "check-list" as you prepare your project. To print the judging form click here --->Rubric for Experiments

Grades K-3 will have the same rubric, except the research report section will be omitted. Fair Rubric - Primary  

Students who do not choose an "experiment" type project will receive written feedback from their judge using the following form: Noncompetitive Feedback Form

Ribbons will be awarded to all science fair participants. Students that conduct an experiment will be awarded a blue, red, or white ribbon. Ribbons will be determined solely by the judges (please see judging form). A blue ribbon is for 1st place. It is somewhat equivalent to an "A" on our school grading scale. A red ribbon is for 2nd place. It is roughly equivalent to a "B" on our school grading scale. A white ribbon is for 3rd place. It is equivalent to a "C" or lower on our school grading scale.

Two projects from Perry Hill will be chosen by our judges to represent Perry Hill in the Northeast Indiana Regional Science and Engineering Fair to be held in late February at PFW. Judges will look for high-quality projects that are also unique and/or creative.

In addition to the regional qualifiers mentioned above, it is likely that one or two other projects will be chosen to represent Perry Hill at Science Central's "Science Fair Day". These winners receive free admission to Science Central.

Judges may also choose projects to receive Category Awards.Please see below

The board should be:

• Approximately 36" x 48"
• Tri-fold or self-supporting
• Neat
• Colorful or eye-catching
• Readable from several feet away

Board Example 

In addition to your display board, all fair participants (except grades K-3) are expected to produce a research report. This report does not have to be extremely long and detailed. It should however, be neat, well organized, and follow all grammar rules. The report should be in your own words and not copied directly from a book or website. Judges will probably expect a 5th grader's report to be of higher quality than a much younger student.

The easiest way to approach the report is to think of the 5 W's (and an H).

• Why
• How
• Who
• What
• When
• Where

If you were doing an experiment to see if fertilizer affects the growth of sunflowers, you might base your research report on these questions:

• Why do we need fertilizer?
• How do fertilizers affect plant growth?
• Who invented fertilizer?
• What are the ingredients in fertilizer?
• When do plants need fertilizer?
• Where should fertilizer be applied?

Keep going - Now ask questions about sunflowers

• Why does soil type affect plant growth?
• How do minerals and nutrients affect plant growth?
• Who would be a good resource in the community to contact about plants?
• What are the elements required for plant growth?
• When does photosynthesis affect plant growth?
• Where in the plant does photosynthesis occur?

So all you have to do is think about your general topic (lightning bugs) and ask a few "w" questions. Get a book or go on-line and research the answers to your questions. Once you have the answers, just organize them into paragraphs. Voila! A research report!