The High School Science Fair Report
The science project is not the end-all and be-all of a high school science fair. Definitely, the uniqueness, relevance and usefulness of your science project will count a whole lot towards your final grade. However, the actual report is also important. It is through your oral presentation and your written report, after all, that you can persuade your audience and the judges about the worth of your project. Through your science fair report, you can convey what your project is all about, why it is significant, what you wanted to test, what you found out, and how you designed your experiment or research project. The Oral Report During the science fair, you are expected to give a brief oral presentation about your science project to the judges. You should also expect to be asked a lot of questions about your findings and your methods. Trust the judges to tell you about the possible loopholes, too. Preparation is crucial to surviving the oral presentation. You should know your project intimately. You should be able to answer specific and even trivial questions about it in your sleep. Moreover, you should also be prepared for the judges' questions and cross-examination. It would be better if you are fully aware of the weak points in your science project. This way, you can prepare your defense beforehand. You should also review the reasons for your choice of methods, procedures and even topic; you should be prepared to justify your decisions so that you'll convince the judges that in the circumstances (whatever the actual circumstances may be), you did the right thing in choosing your methods and foregoing the alternatives. Finally, you should not forget to prepare an impressive display. This should make explaining easier for you. The Written Report The written report is also part and parcel of a science fair competition. A copy of the complete report should be furnished to your science adviser as well as the science fair judges. A copy (or copies) of the report should also be present by the display so that people who are reading your display may refer to it for more information or details.
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