Written Report

Good communication skills are vital to the scientist. If one conducts a study and finds something interesting but cannot explain what was done and convincingly present the conclusion, others will be unable to benefit from the scientist's new insights.

The following are some suggested guidelines for completing the ‘written report’ component of a Science Fair Project:

Science Fair project Written Report

An example of a Written Report for a Science Fair Project

	Cover Sheet This page serves as the cover for the report. It should include the project's title, your child's name, grade, and date created. Graphic elements may be added to attract interest and complement the title.
	Table of Contents List the parts of the report (Introduction, Topic, Materials, Background Information, Procedure/Experiment, etc) and the page numbers where they begin. Make this page after the rest of the report is completed.
	Introduction One paragraph that summarizes the whole project and the process involved. What made your child think of this project?
	Topic (Hypothesis for experiments) Your child states the focus of the project in more detail.
	Materials List of the materials used, along with sizes and quantities.
	Background Information What your child found out from the books or other sources they used to learn about his topic.
	Research Information List of research steps done by your child.
	Vocabulary List any new words learned in a glossary format.
	Procedures Your child explains the things they did to perform his project and why. This is usually presented in a numbered format, so that others can reproduce the procedure. Photos or drawings may be included here increase clarity.
	Observations Your child tells what they learned from the project . In other words, what 'new' information was gained by performing the project. Have your child show any data tables, charts or graphs that they may have as a result of his study here.
	Conclusion A final statement describing why a project turned out the way it did. You child can put his opinions here.
	Credits/References List of books, periodicals, Internet sites…etc that your child used for researching his topic and writing the report.

Written Report

The following are some suggested guidelines for completing the ‘written report’ component of a Science Fair Project:

For more information contact the PTA Science Fair Committee.