Creating a Science Fair Project Step 10 – Create Your Display

You’ve reached the end of your science fair project. Now it is time to create a display to explain your project to the science fair visitors and judges.

(This article is the last in a series of 10 which walks a student and his parent through creating a science fair project. See the end of this post for links to the other articles. )

Create your display

You should be ready to create your display now. Here are some things to keep in mind when creating your display:

• Label the sections and arrange them logically. A suggested layout is to have background, problem, and hypothesis sections on the left panel, procedure on the center panel, and results and conclusions on the right panel. Place your log book on the base of the display.
• Use photographs to enhance your display. Use large, bold printing or typing. Color codes are helpful for identifying variables.
• Give credit where credit is due. Acknowledge those who helped you. If necessary, use general terms such as “teacher”, “neighbor”, “parent”, etc. so you don’t break any science fair rules about identifying specific people.
• You may use a computer to type the information, create graphs, etc. In some fairs, if it was not keyboarded by the student, this must be stated on the first page of the log book. Check the rules.

Science fairs can have different rules about what is allowed on the display. Read the rules carefully. Here are some typical rules to keep in mind:

• Food, sharp items, breakables, liquids, powders, animals, body fluids, plants, microbes, flammables, soils, batteries, electrical hazards, or other materials considered hazardous might not be allowed in your display. Use photos or drawings instead.
• Items which are valuable are often not allowed to be displayed. If something is valuable to you, you might want to use a picture instead of the actual item in case something happens to your project at the science fair.

Assignment

Your assignment for this step is to create your display. Use your imagination and creativity to make a display which catches the viewer’s eye and interests them in your project.

When you finish your display, step back and take a look. Congratulations! I know you have put a lot of work into your project. You should be very proud of yourself.

Note to Parents

This week you will probably be a gopher. Help your child obtain the materials he or she needs. But let your child do the work on the display. The judges know the ages of the student who did the project and they expect it to look like something a child that age would typically create, not something made by an adult.