All 4th graders getting ready to do a science fair project, here are some helpful documents. If you have any questions or want to run an idea by me or are running into a problem, please send me a comment on this page or on the “Contact Dr. Milenkovic” page and I will get back to you as soon as I can. The most important part of the Science Fair experience is to HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!!!!
START HERE: Choose your topic with Science Buddies help!
Why Do a Science Fair Project?
Broward County Intermediate Science Fair Guidelines
Thinking about an Environmental Project - Click here for help from the EPA
62 responses so far ↓
1
Maria
// Mar 28, 2007 at 4:24 pm
I have a problem I can’t decide what project to do pleas help me!!!!!!
2
Dr. Milenkovic
// Mar 28, 2007 at 4:31 pm
Hi Maria,
Did you go thru the “Science Buddies” site and answer the questions? What kinds of activities do you enjoy doing outside of school? Sports? Cooking? Nature?
Let’s start by picking an area that you want to learn more about.
3
Amanda
// Apr 1, 2007 at 10:51 am
Hi Dr. Milenkovic,
If I Have To Repet The Expirimet Three Times Dose That Mean I Need Three Controls Or Just One Please Help!!!!!
Please And Thank You!!!
4
Dr. Milenkovic
// Apr 1, 2007 at 11:19 am
Hi Amanda,
What experiment are you doing? You would want to repeat the control 3 times to make sure you get the same results each time - so it is just the 1 control, just repeated 3 times. Does this make sense with your experiment set up?
5
AMANDA
// Apr 15, 2007 at 12:37 pm
do you have the data sheet for the science fair on line!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:)
6
AMANDA
// Apr 15, 2007 at 12:52 pm
DO YOU HAVE THE SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT LAY OUT SHEET
7
Dr. Milenkovic
// Apr 15, 2007 at 1:41 pm
Amanda, The data sheet is right on this page and the intermediate science fair guidelines has the format for putting it on the board.
8
Francesco (Ms. Iserson)
// Apr 16, 2007 at 6:58 pm
Hi Dr. MIlenkovic:
I am doing my Science Project, and I want to know if my variables and controls are right?, my project is about “What liquid dissolves the Benadryl tablet the fastest?
I used four types of liquids and I put that my variables are the four liquids, and the time of how long it takes to dissolve the tablets. And my controls are the Benadryl tablets.
It is okay? Please help me.
Thanks you!!!
9
Dr. Milenkovic
// Apr 16, 2007 at 7:53 pm
That is correct. Variable - Changed=type of liquid, Measured=time to dissolve
Control = same tablets (same kind, same size, same package) and don’t forget the amount and temperature of the liquid - those are also controls. Remember you can have many controls.
I can’t wait to find out your results!
10
Ardit
// Mar 19, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Dear Dr.Milenkovic,
I am doing my science fair project on number 27, Will more air make a basketball bounce higher. I already know everything i’m going to do except for one thing, I don’t know how to measure the ball bounce by metric measurement?Please give me some ways on how to do it!
11
Dr. Milenkovic
// Mar 19, 2008 at 7:42 pm
Ardit,
I recommend that you hang/mount a tape measure that has cm on a wall next to where you bounce the ball and have a helper notice how high it is (or set up a video camera on a tripod and video tape it). Measure in centimeters. I’m curious as to how you will measure the amount of air in the basketball? Will you use a pressure gauge like for a tire?
12
samantha
// Mar 21, 2008 at 10:30 am
i need to know which chocolates 2 use for #56 do i have 2 use the ones listed
13
Dr. Milenkovic
// Mar 21, 2008 at 10:36 am
Hi Samantha,
You do not need need to use the ones listed. Just be consistent and make sure it is a fair test — either compare 2 brands of chocolate and use the same type (dark or milk) or within one brand use different kinds (white, milk, dark) — or maybe even different percent cacao (there are lots of brands that now list the % cacao on the label because of the link between % cacao and health benefits — something you should research for your report). Make your decision based on why you picked this project — what do you want to learn about the chocolate? Why do you care which melts faster?
14
samantha
// Mar 21, 2008 at 10:37 am
also should i tape it or not.
15
Dr. Milenkovic
// Mar 21, 2008 at 10:46 am
Scotch tape or video tape? If you are asking if you should video it — it is up to you, you can video it if you want — but you should be able to time the melting without seeing it on video tape.
Have fun and don’t eat too much of your experiment!
16
Ardit
// Mar 22, 2008 at 3:46 pm
Dear Dr. Milenkovic,
Is it ok if I measure the how much air I used in the basketball by the pumps I used?Is that ok?
17
Dr. Milenkovic
// Mar 22, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Sounds like a plan Ardit. Just make sure you start with the ball pretty deflated and think about what else you need to control to make sure you have a fair test. Don’t forget to repeat each inflation amount at least 3 times before adding more air to the ball. Have FUN!
18
Dr. Milenkovic
// Mar 24, 2008 at 6:32 pm
Adam, Without revealing your idea
- I like your hypothesis. Just modify it a little by adding WHY you think the way you do. It sounds like an interesting project - I can’t wait to find out what happens. Don’t forget to set up 3 of each type of material (so if you are comparing 3 types you need 9 jars/cups for your mystery project). I suggest setting up all trials at once as it might take some time for you to see results. HAVE FUN!
19
Dr. Milenkovic
// Mar 24, 2008 at 6:41 pm
Adam, From your experiment description it sounds like you want to measure the time for the mystery
to start happening - it might be in days. Take photographs every day or so (it will be nice to have on your board). Also, I would NOT add food coloring - as you were thinking - that might be introducing another variable that might just confuse the results.
20
Adam
// Mar 24, 2008 at 6:45 pm
Thanks! That really helped me. I am excited to do my project.
21
sophia
// Mar 24, 2008 at 8:46 pm
if i am doing the experiment on which variable goes higher when a mentos is added to coke or soda water would i have to measure the explosion it makes ? If yes then how ?
22
Dr. Milenkovic
// Mar 24, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Hi Sophia, Write your problem statement so it is easier to figure out your variable, for example, “When I use diet coke, coke, or soda water which reacts more with Mentos candy?” Then your changed (independent) variable is kind of soda and you will need to measure the reaction. If you do some research (try Mythbusters website) you will see the reaction is basically that the soda shoots straight out of the bottle and you can measure how high (in centimeters) for the various beverages using the same number of Mentos. Remember you need to do this 3 times in each kind of soda. HAVE FUN and WEAR EYE PROTECTION!
23
Axel,Mrs.morals4th grade
// Mar 24, 2008 at 10:06 pm
can we make our projects into videos.
24
Dr. Milenkovic
// Mar 24, 2008 at 10:21 pm
Hi Axel, You can make a video for your presentation (and if you want to share it with me I can try and post it on the web), but there is no where to show a video on the board itself when it is displayed during the Academic Fair. You would still need to have the everything on the board that is in the packet. HAVE FUN!
25
sneca(mr.schotta)
// Mar 25, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Dear,Dr.Milenkovic I am wondering how to do my conclusion because my idea is what takes longer to get moldey in a bag wheat bread or white bread and i picked white but how would i start my conclusion and my trials rnt finshed yet because the bread taking for ever but please help me thank u very very much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
26
Dr. Milenkovic
// Mar 25, 2008 at 6:21 pm
Hi Seneca, Try looking at the frame in the “SLEUTh experiment data sheet” above. You need to click on that link and then click on the link in the next page that opens to download it. That will tell you what needs to be in the conclusion. But, you don’t need to write your conclusion until you finish your experiment and see if you proved your hypothesis or not. Have patience!
27
alejandro
// Mar 25, 2008 at 7:52 pm
Dear Dr.Milenkovic, I was wondering what I said when you came in Mr.Schotta’s class. Do you remember what experiment I said I would use?
28
Dr. Milenkovic
// Mar 25, 2008 at 7:57 pm
Alejandro! I thought you wrote it down. I think it was a modification of the Hover Power experiment we did in class but with a different vehicle (like a paper airplane or maybe a home made car). But I’m not positive — there are 250 of you and 1 of me!
29
Brandon
// Mar 26, 2008 at 11:09 am
Dear Dr. Milenkovic,
I’m having trouble with my sience project. It’s about wich kinds of junk mail will degrade fastest. I’m thinking newspaper will. Do oyu know any great websites to look for information on that. My mom said if my project is a success, it will help the school and stop global warming. I already burried the junk mail, when should I dig it out? Please write back.
From,
Brandon
30
manuela
// Mar 26, 2008 at 2:59 pm
i have my idea but i need my hypothesis. its “does a baseball bat go farther when hit by a wooden or a metal bat” i tryed science buddies but i dont know where to click for help of a hypothesis. any suggestion? please
31
Emma [Mr. Schotta]
// Mar 26, 2008 at 3:04 pm
Is ‘ Can You Taste The Difference Between White Anerican Cheese and Yellow American Cheese?
What are the results mean?
32
raul
// Mar 26, 2008 at 4:04 pm
how do you make a umm.. shrinkadinc list all the instuctions please.
33
Dr. Milenkovic
// Mar 26, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Here are answers to the last 4 posts in backwards order:
Raul - go here for Super Shrinkers
Emma - I assume you will do blindfolded taste tests with MANY people to see if they can tell what color it is based on taste alone. Record if they guess right or wrong and that would be your results.
Manuela - science buddies has a link to an episode of DragonFly TV where they tested this out and found the “sweet spot” of the bats:Baseball
Brandon - check your junk mail every 5 days and photograph and rank as to how degraded. Do a search to find some websites on “junk mail landfill”. I did this and found this site . There are many more.
34
Brandon from Mrs. Rothbards class
// Mar 26, 2008 at 5:35 pm
Im doing the science project on apples and seeing witch has more seeds in it. But I don’t know if have to measure the seeds?
35
Dr. Milenkovic
// Mar 26, 2008 at 5:46 pm
Hi Brandon, COUNT the seeds. Your measurement is the number of seeds in each apple. Make sure you count the seeds in at least 3 of each kind of apple. Why is this interesting to you?
36
magali
// Mar 26, 2008 at 8:15 pm
i’m doing scince fair progect on witch paper towl is the most absorbent and so how do i make a bibliography out of that?
37
Dr. Milenkovic
// Mar 26, 2008 at 9:01 pm
Magali - Try doing some research online or in a magazine like Consumer Reports where they test things like paper towels to see which is the best. The bibliography is a list of all the reference sources you use to better understand your problem.
Maria P. - The problem you are investigating is “Which brand aluminum foil is the strongest?” You will measure it by seeing how many pennies each brand supports before breaking.
38
samantha
// Mar 30, 2008 at 1:42 pm
hi dr.milenkovic
whats the website for the graphs.
39
samantha
// Mar 30, 2008 at 1:44 pm
dear dr.milenkovic,
i need 2 know the website 4 the graphs.
40
Dr. Milenkovic
// Mar 30, 2008 at 9:04 pm
Hi Samantha,
Try Create-a-graph. There is a link on the right side of my website under Great Science Website. Or go directly there at Create A Graph .
41
Joshua
// Apr 1, 2008 at 1:48 pm
Dr. Milenkovic,
A little confuesed about the avairables and controls. Doing if the oclor of ice affects the metlting time. The control is the amount and temp of the tap water to make the colored water (all the same amounts), will melt in the same light and at the same temperature in the house. The variable iwll be diffetent amounts of time in the freezer and they don’t all have the same amt of food color droops based on the colors made.
I will take them each group out of the freezer at different times to see if the freeze time changes which color melts fastest. does this make sense?
Thnaks,
Joshua
42
Dr. Milenkovic
// Apr 1, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Hi Joshua, If your question/problem statement is “Does the color affect the MELTING time of ice?” then your variable that you are changing (independent variable) is the COLOR of the ice cube. The variable you are measuring is the TIME each takes to melt. Your controls are the same amount of water in each ice cube, frozen for the same amount of time. You need to have at least 3 ice cubes of each color and then time how long it takes to start and finish melting for each color cube.
43
Emma [Mr.Schotta]
// Apr 1, 2008 at 9:41 pm
Can u do more than 3 trails?
44
Dr. Milenkovic
// Apr 1, 2008 at 9:48 pm
Hi Emma, Of course you can do more, you just need to do at least 3 trials. In fact, if you are doing a survey (like “Can you taste the difference in white and yellow American cheese?”) you really need to do a lot more than 3 trials. Look on Science Buddies for an idea of how many people you need for a valid survey.
45
analyse,mrs.blount class
// Apr 4, 2008 at 1:21 pm
i need background info
were do ilook
46
Dr. Milenkovic
// Apr 4, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Hi Analyse, In order to know where to send you for background info I would need to know your topic. But in general, look for references online or at the library. Think about APPLICATIONS (why did you find this experiment interesting?) of your experiment to help you find some information on it.
47
Shrin
// Apr 5, 2008 at 4:43 pm
hi how are you but the things that i don’t get is the abstract and the controls ok now thank you. please e-mail me as soon as you get this message or im me at …email removed …
and again thank you.
bye.
48
Shrin
// Apr 5, 2008 at 4:46 pm
also i don’t get to do the data.
my experiment is: which paper towel is the strongest so if you can please help me thank you. i asked my parents and my sister but they did not get either
thank you
bye.
49
Dr. Milenkovic
// Apr 5, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Hi Shrin, Some additional help: write the abstract last - it is a summary that includes your problem, hypothesis and results/conclusion. It is a short paragraph and there are some samples in your packet. Controls - those are the things you kept the same (for example if you tested which paper towel is the strongest you probably used the same size paper towel, the same pennies to measure strength, tested the same way — to make it a FAIR TEST). The data is your chart - print out the Sleuth Data sheet on this page for a frame (this is the charts we used in class for the Hover Power experiment). Your chart will have paper towel brand (changed variable) and how strong (measured variable: how many pennies/paper clips or however you measured strength). Graph using the create a graph link on the right (Great Science Websites).
50
Amalia
// Apr 6, 2008 at 2:49 pm
I forgot my setup (layout ) sheet at school . How do i set up the pages on the board?
51
Dr. Milenkovic
// Apr 6, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Hi Amalia, If you click on the link above for the Broward County Science Fair information in that packet there is info for how to set up your board.
52
Ardit
// Apr 7, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Dear Dr. Milencovic,
I do not get how to make a graph.My expirement is the basketball one.
53
Dr. Milenkovic
// Apr 7, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Ardit, You would graph amount of air in the basketball (what you changed) on the x-axis and height of bounce (what you measured) on the y-axis. Probably a triple bar graph would be the best. Uset the Create-a-graph link in a comment above or in the links on the right side of this page under Great Science Websites.
54
Ardit
// Apr 8, 2008 at 6:04 pm
Dear Dr. Milencovic,
I just wanted to say “thank you”. I made my graph and it turned out great.Thanks for the help.
55
valentina
// Apr 14, 2008 at 4:56 pm
Dr.milenkovic i am doing the project does the shape of an ice cube affect it’s melting rate. But i can’t think about how to do the project.
56
valentina
// Apr 14, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Dr.milenkovic i am doing the project does the shape of an ice cube affect it’s melting rate. But i can’t think about how to do the project.I remember that you showed me a part of the website ,that you typed the project and it tells you how to do everything.but now i can’t find it please contact me as soon as possible
57
Daniela
// Apr 14, 2008 at 8:01 pm
dear dr. Milencovic my name is daniela I’m in mr. schotta’s I’ m almost finishing my projec but I have a question is the problem statement the title ?
58
Dr. Milenkovic
// Apr 14, 2008 at 9:25 pm
Valentina, You are a bit late with deciding how to do your project. If you go to sciencebuddies.org (link above) then choose that says you already know your idea. You better get moving — this should be done already!
59
Dr. Milenkovic
// Apr 14, 2008 at 9:27 pm
Daniela, Your title should be a cute and catchy version of your problem statement. Short advertisement to get people to look at your project.
60
maria-mrs.keyes class
// Apr 14, 2008 at 9:39 pm
do you have to do 3 trails can you do two?
61
sophia
// Apr 16, 2008 at 7:57 pm
What is the science fair guidlines pasword and login name please tell me i am desperate
62
Dr. Milenkovic
// Apr 16, 2008 at 8:19 pm
Hi Maria, Scientists always verify their results by repeating the experiment - it is a very important part of doing the experiment. However, at this late date - you will just have to include recommendations that in the future if someone repeats your project they should do 3 trials. Hopefully the 2 trials you did agreed with each other. That is really why 3 is kind of a “magic number” — if you get two different answers you can hope to match one of the answers with repeating the experiment another time.
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