The general components of a display board include the purpose, hypothesis, materials, procedures, abstract, results and conclusion of the experiment. Each component must be posted on the display board. In most science fairs, if these components are missing, it may result in a deduction of points. To ensure that all components are included in the display board, use a checklist and check off each component on the list and include as it is placed on the display board. Place on the checklist any additional components required by the science fair.
Visual appeal is as important as ensuring that all of the components required for the display board are posted. Many students make their own labels for each of the display board components. Purchasing science fair labels from the school supply store or from a discount store. These labels come in a variety of styles, font sizes, and colors. The style selected for the labels must be eye catching and readable. The colors selected must be harmonic visually. Avoid creating labels that become more of a distraction than an asset to the display board. Students can add colorful construction paper to highlight written content on the display board.
Proper placement and arrangement of the components on the display board helps to create a clear flow of information. If items are placed in a manner that is confusing, the judge or observer may not understand or spend very little time assessing the project. Most display boards have three sections: Two sides and one large middle section. The very top of the first panel of the board should have the following components listed under each other: purpose, hypothesis, materials, and procedures. The middle section should feature the title of the project, pictures and the abstract. The second panel of the display board should feature the results and conclusion. This arrangement creates an orderly display of the progression of the experiment and tells the judge that the student completed the experiment in an orderly fashion.
The components of the display board should provide the observer or judge with a succinct message. The purpose must explain the reason why the student chose to focus on the scientific questions selected. The hypothesis must present a statement of what the student believes is going to happen after completing the experiment. Most hypotheses are written in the if...then.. statement format.
The procedures or experimental design must explain the steps taken to complete the experiment. It should be written almost in a cookbook format so that any person can repeat the experiment and achieve the same results.
The abstract is a summary of the purpose, hypothesis, procedures and the results indicating if the hypothesis was true.Display results in the form of a graph, chart or table. Ensure that units of measurement are indicated. The conclusion should provide an overall overview of the experimental findings, whether the hypothesis was true and how to complete further experimentation on the topic.
The final process in creating a project display board is proofreading. Each component and written element should be proofread. Misspellings and grammatical errors count for substantial point deductions. Read the content information from right to left. This will make your eyes focus on each word. Another method is to take your finger and point at each word individually. Have another person look over your work.