Some General Advice to K-5 Students

 

Impressing judges is done with your science and, to a much lesser extent, with your project board.  Yes, a colorful project board neatly laid out with beautiful photos will draw attention to it, so working towards that goal is good. However, once a judge starts reviewing your work he/she usually starts by looking at your problem statement/hypothesis, then at your conclusion, and after reviewing those two they review your abstract, presentation, data analysis, and try to determine how creative and curious you really were. Judges generally follow the point system laid out in the criteria listed on the web site LINK (NEED LINK HERE).

Data is important in research. The more data you have, and the more sophisticated the analysis, the more accurate in your science.  This will impress the judges. If your data shows trends, use good analysis and graphically represent those trends. Be careful about making predictions out of the scope of your project. That is, interpreting a cause and effect that you cannot statistically support with your data. And although statistics are a bit beyond most elementary students, whenever possible report your conclusions using your math skills. Consult your science and math teachers for assistance.

 

Your abstract, even in kindergarten, can do a lot to influence a judge. Good use of the written language is a key part of a scientist or engineer’s profession.Writing a good abstract will impress, especially if backed up by good data collection and analysis. Check the link regarding Advice on Abstracts.