Conducting your Science Fair Project and Keeping a Log Book
Work out a timeline and get your materials and equipment ready
Plan time to set up, conduct, and clean up your experiment. If you are working with human subjects, don't forget the time it takes to recruit your participants. Also, plan time to analyze your results and create your poster.
Nothing is worse then finding out you are missing supplies right before you want to start your experiment. Gather all that you will need ahead of time.
Collect your data in a Log Book
Students are required to have a black marble composition notebook for their science fair journal.
Begin each LOG entry on a new page.
Always start by writing the DATE (and REQUIRED LOG ENTRY #) at the top of the page. If you work on an entry more than one day, note the dates in the margin each time you add to the entry. Some of the entries will take up more than one page and may require several attempts, so complete each entry in the order presented below.
Do NOT rip or tear out any pages in your logbook!
Write in PEN! Do not erase! Your logbook will not be perfect, and you will make mistakes! That’s okay! Just draw a single line through the mistake and make a correction next to it. (I want to see your mistakes and how you went about making corrections!)
Write many of notes! It is better to have too much information than not enough.
Carefully record accurate measurements and write the date and time whenever making observations. (Mass is measured in grams, volume in liters or milliliters, and linear measurements in centimeters or meters.)
Take photographs and video (if possible) during your project. These can be used as part of your display. Write down who took the pictures and when/where so you can cite the source on the pictures you use in your display.
