How to Plan a Science Fair Project

A step-by-step guide to choosing a question, running an experiment, and presenting your discovery for the science fair.

1. Pick a question you care about. Think about things that make you curious. Do you want to know which paper towel is strongest, or how light affects how fast a plant grows? Write down three ideas and ask a grown-up which one might be best to test at home.
2. Make your hypothesis. A hypothesis is just a fancy word for your best guess. Write down what you think will happen before you start. For example: 'I think the blue plant will grow faster because it gets more sun.'
3. Design your test. Write down the steps you will take to test your question. To make it a fair test, change only one thing at a time (this is called the variable) and keep everything else exactly the same.
4. Run the experiment and record data. Perform your test and write down everything you see. Use your ruler or camera to keep track of your results. If something goes wrong, write that down too—that is part of being a scientist!
5. Create your display. Organize your notes onto your poster board. Include your question, your hypothesis, your steps, your results, and what you learned. Use photos or drawings to make it easy for people to see what you did.