Choosing a Science Fair Topic

7th GradeLife Science

What part of Life Science are you interested in?

• Biotechnology• Genetics• Human Biology • Health• Microbiology• Plant Biology• Human Behavior• Environmental Science

Have you ever had a question you wanted to answer in any of these

areas?

• Are finger print patters inherited?• If you play video games do you have a faster

reaction time?• Does gravity affect how a plant grows?• Do mnemonic devices help people remember

things?• Is the soil in Swansea safe to grow in?

To get more ideas go to these websites:

• Science Buddies

• Science For Kids

Once you have an idea…• Ask yourself, “Is this a testable question?”

Does this question fall under the category of Life Science? Can I gather more information about this topic? Can I make a hypothesis about the outcome based on the research I

gathered, or my own knowledge? Can I design an experiment that will investigate this questions and

answer it? Can I gather the necessary materials in order to carry out this

experiment? Will my parents or guardians approve of me conducting this

experiment in our home? Will I be able to gather measureable data from this investigation? Will I be able to make sense of the data and draw a conclusion that

answers my original question?

More on a testable question

“Testable questions are those that can be answered through hands-on investigation by the student. The key difference between a general interest science question and a testable question is that testable questions are always about changing one thing to see what the effect is on another thing.”

- Science Fair Central

Once you have chosen a topic

• Write a description of the topic and bring it to your teacher before November 22nd

• Once your teacher gives you the “OK” to do this investigation fill out the paper titled

“Science Fair Topic Approval Form”

This paper is due November 22nd, 2010