Selecting a topic can be the most time-consuming of all the activities. Because a science fair project lasts so long, it is important to select a topic in which you are really interested. Look around the yard, your house or your town and ask questions: Is our river polluted? What is the quality of the soil? Which laundry detergent works the best? Jot these questions down in your science journal. Look over your list of questions and select a topic that interests you.
Remember to select a topic that does not require materials you cannot afford or training you do not have. For example, space exploration is interesting, but you probably do not have a rocket or the training to be an astronaut.
Your second activity should be to research your topic and establish a hypothesis. The more research you do, the more accurate your science project is likely to be. You can use books, periodicals and online resources. Make sure your research directly relates to your topic and your experiment.
When you have finished researching, establish a hypothesis. A hypothesis is an educated guess related to your experiment. For example, "I believe microwave popcorn #1, when heated for three minutes, will have fewer kernels left in the bag than popcorn #2 or #3." Record the hypothesis in your science journal.
Before your third activity, the experiment, make sure you have all the materials and any safety equipment you need. Goggles and gloves are two types of safety equipment required in almost every experiment. Also, make sure you are set up to perform the experiment at least seven to 10 times. The more times you do the experiment, the more reliable the results will be.
Record your results in your science journal. Be careful when recording the results so that your data and conclusions will be correct.
Your last activity is your most important one. Accuracy is important when reporting data. Make sure you have your facts straight and your calculations correct. Write up your experiment, using your notes from your journal. Explain why you selected the topic, what you expected to find, your data and your conclusions from the data.
Use Excel or any of the numerous software available to create colorful graphs that will enhance your display board. Include any pictures you took of the experiment, and place all these materials on your display board, being careful to label each section to facilitate easy reading.