Everitt Middle School

6th Grade Consumer Science Fair

All 6th grade students will participate in the 6th grade consumer science fair. It will
be counted as a summative grade. The theme for the sixth grade projects is a
consumer fair and the projects involve comparisons between or among two or more
brands of a particular product. There will be deadlines along the way to help the
students stay on task and complete their work by the final deadline.

Important Dates

October 14-Science Fair project and CATEGORY Chosen

October 17- Student Form 1A and Approval Form 1 B Due
October 31: Notebook Check
November 14: Entire Project Due (display board, Notebook, and presentation)
Judging will be done at school.
November 17: EMS Science Fair
November 18: Parent Night
Here are some guidelines to be followed when selecting a project:
1. The student must have parent and teacher approval before starting the project.
2. The product being tested must be appropriate for school and safe (no dangerous drugs, fire, or
anything that might harm you or someone else, etc.).
3. The product must be tested, using the scientific method, by the sixth grade student.
4. Keep the testing/project simple.
5. You must keep written records of all the work you do as part of your science fair project. Copies of
all the drafts that you prepare before submitting your final written report should be included. All
your original data recording sheets should be kept as well.

Some Suggested Science Project Ideas for a Consumer Fair

Laundry detergents which brand cleans clothes the best?

Laundry softeners which makes towels the softest?
Potting soil brands which is the best for starting plant seeds?

Diaper brands which one absorbs the most water?

Paper towel brands which on is the strongest, absorbs the most water, or absorbs a particular amount
of water the fastest?
Toothpastes which ones whiten the best? Use dyed eggshells to represent stained tooth enamel.
Batteries which brand powers a game system or flashlight longest?
Car wax out of two or three brands, which leaves the best shine?
The claims of a cereal that it will stay crispy in milk to the last bite.
The claims of a plastic food wrap that it will stay stuck on a container.
The streak free claims of glass cleaners.
Which brand of gum has the longest lasting flavor?
Do all brands of bubble gum make the same size bubble?
Do all dishwashing detergents produce the same amount of bubbles? Clean the same number of dishes?
How permanent are permanent markers? What solvents (e.g., water, vinegar, and detergent solution) will
remove the ink? Do different brands/types of markers produce the same results?
Which soft drink has the greatest amount of carbonation?

What kinds of topics are best to choose?

Be sure your topic can be tested. Topics such as space and planets are good to research, but it would be difficult
to set up an experiment to test your research. In a consumer fair, you are testing consumer products. You must
be able to test how well your product works. The results must be something you can measure or observe. A
survey of opinions about or preferences for a product (like a taste test) are not appropriate for this assignment.
YOU WILL FILL IN A LAB REPORT SHEET AS YOU CONDUCT YOURE EXPERIMENT.

Research project research

After the teacher has approved your Science Fair Proposal and returned it for a parents signature, you begin
what is called project research.

Helpful questions might include:

Who manufactures you product?
What ingredients are in your product/what is your product made of?
How is your product usually used?
Who usually uses your product?
Where is your product advertised?
What is the cost of your product?
What are the various brands of your product?
Keep track of all the resources you consult. You will make a bibliography for your report. The bibliography is
an alphabetical list of all the books, magazines, pamphlets, newspapers, Web sites, online services, or people
that you used in researching your topic and writing your report. Your research should also include your personal
observations about your product. What do you observe about the product? What do you already know about
the product? This is your personal knowledge and is as important as the information you get from books or the
Internet.

Problem
After you have chosen a topic, look for two things that are related in a particular topic area and ask a
question about the relationship. You should be able to conduct a test (experiment) to find the answer to the
question you ask. There should be a cause and effect relationship between the two things your are studying.
The question should point out the cause and effect relationship and will be the purpose of your experiment.

Remember . . .
Your problem should be written in the form of a question. The question should show a cause and effect. In
fact, try to word the question so that it starts What is the effect of _____________ on ________?
The cause is something that can be changed or manipulated. It is also called the independent variable.
The effect is the result of the cause. It is also called the dependent variable.

Write Your Hypothesis

The hypothesis is a restatement of the problem (which is in question form) in a special sentence form. The form
for the hypothesis is If ______________, then ______________ because ___________________. If
something is done with my product brands, then this will happen because the research said this and that.

Design the Experiment

To determine if your hypothesis is correct, you need to conduct a simple experiment. The step-by-step
directions for this experiment are called the procedure. The procedure is like a recipe. You need to tell
times, sizes, amounts, and in what order each step is to be done. The directions should be clear enough
that another person will be able to do your experiment exactly the same way as you did it. It helps to
have someone read the steps out loud to you as you listen to them. You may be able to catch something
that needs to be added or explained more clearly.
Be sure to use enough test samples in your experiment and repeat the experiment at least three times.
This is important to help make sure that your results are repeatable and accurate.
Use metric measurements in your procedure.
After writing the procedure as a numbered list of directions, put together a list of materials and
supplies you will need to conduct the experiment.

Observations/Data
It is important for you to keep accurate and organized data while conducting your experiment. Using data
recording sheets, notebook paper, and drawings, write down all observations you make and results you see
during the entire time that you are conducting your experiment. Make sure you record everything that happens,
including things that go wrong or that change your results. If you have to start over, explain the circumstances
and record any revisions of your procedure. Explain why you revised your procedure, if you had to do so.
Then organize your information into tables, charts, graphs, and a written description of what happened during
the experiment. Take pictures of your experimental set up, of you conducting your experiment, and/or your
experimental results. Keep a record in a log of the pictures you take and what the pictures show.

Draw Conclusions
Conclusions are the ending to your experiment. Without conclusions, your experiment is incomplete.
Your conclusions should
Restate your hypothesis and tell whether your results supported your hypothesis.
Answer all questions that came up during the experiment.
State any other information that was discovered during the experiment.
State any limitations to your conclusions.
State any ideas for future testing.

Prepare the Backboard

Your backboard is an attractive, well-organized display of all your hard work. It is also very important that you
use neat lettering and arrange your work in a clear, simple way.
Left panel of the backboard should contain (arranged from top to bottom):
Problem, Hypothesis, Experimental Design: Variables, Procedure
Center panel of the backboard should contain:
Observations, including Tables, Graphs, Charts, Photographs, Consumer advertising. You do not have to
include your written observations if you have enough visual materials like graphs, tables, and photographs.
Right panel of the backboard should contain (arranged from top to bottom):
Data Analysis, Conclusions, Limitations

Science Fair Rules

These rules are in addition to the ISEF and State Science Fair rules.

These projects are not to be done by students:

petri dishes or culturing.
- For consumption by either humans, animals or used to
water plants or for use in any other way. In other words they are not to be part of any Science Fair project.
t a comprehensive list.) rockets, fire arms (of any type or size), potato guns,
paint guns, bow and arrows.

Information on Required Abstract & Certification for Science Fair

After finishing research and experimentation, you are required to write a (maximum) 250 word abstract. The top
box of the Abstract should include:
Complete TITLE OF THE PROJECT must match the Title on the Entry Form and Display
Student Team Leader Name
School, City, State
Completing the Abstract:
Abstracts are limited to a maximum 250 words and must fit within the predefined area.
The abstract should include the following:
a) Purpose of the research
b) Procedure
c) Data
d) Conclusions
It may also include any possible applications. Only minimal reference to previous work may be included. An
abstract must NOT include the following:
a) Acknowledgements (including naming the research institution and/or mentor with which you were working) or selfpromotions and external endorsements
b) Any work or procedures done by the mentor
TIPS ON WRITING THE ABSTRACT
A project abstract is a brief paragraph or two (limited to 250 words or 1800 characters) highlighting and/or
summarizing the major points or most important ideas about your project. An abstract allows judges to quickly
determine the nature and scope of the project.
Emphasize these aspects: purpose/goals, methods (procedures used), data summary or analysis, and
conclusions.
Focus only on the current years research.
Omit details and discussions.
Use the past tense when describing what was done. However, where appropriate use active verbs rather
than passive verbs.
Use short sentences, but vary the sentence structure.
Use complete sentences. Dont abbreviate by omitting articles or small words in order to save space.
Avoid jargon and use appropriate scientific language.
Use concise syntax, correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
AVOID A REWRITE
Focus on what you did, not on the work of your mentor or the laboratory in which you did your work.
Do NOT include acknowledgements, self-promotion or external endorsements. Do NOT name the research
institution and/or mentor with which you were working and avoid mentioning awards or honors (including
achieving a patent) in the body of the abstract.
Be sure to emphasize the current years research. A continuation project should only make a brief mention of
previous years research (no more than a sentence or two).

6th Grade Consumer Science Fair

Student Research Plan/Project Summary
All Projects MUST complete this form
Student Name:
Grade: 6th
School:

Teacher:

Year:

Problem or Purpose:

Statement, Not Question=3 pts.

Non-Testable Question=5 pts.

Testable Question=10 pts.

Research:

1 Related Science Concept=5pts.

2-3 Related Science Concepts=10pts.

4-5 Related Science Concepts=15pts.

Hypothesis:

Statement Only=3pts.

If/Then Statement=5pts

If/Then Because Statement=10pts.

Materials:

Incomplete List=3pts.

Complete List=5pts.

Procedure:

Steps Not #=3 pts.

Incomplete # Steps=5 pts.

Complete Numbered Steps=10 pts.

Constants:
_____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Independent Variable: _________________________________________________________
Dependent Variable:
___________________________________________________________
Correct Variables=15 pts. (5 pts. Each)

Results (Data Table or Chart) (quantitative-numbers and qualitative observations-notes)

Incomplete/Inaccurate Data 5 pts

Complete/Accurate Data 10 pts

Analysis:

Incomplete/Inaccurate Graph or Comparison=5pts. Complete/Accurate Graph (with Title and Labels) or

Comparison=10pts.
Conclusion:

Hypothesis or Results Only=5 pts.

Testing =15 pts.

Results/Hypothesis Only=10 pts.

Results, Hypothesis, Significance, Further

2. Consumer Science Fair Project

Title: ________________________________________________________________________
Materials
Needed:______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Description of
Project:______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

3. Teacher Approval
This project needs to be approved by your teacher before you can start the project.

Teacher_________________________________________________
Signature_______________________________________________ Date: ____________