LA County Science & Engineering Fair

Part 4: In-Person and Virtual Displays

Part 4 - Displays

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• Padlet: https://padlet.com/afmaben/lacsef-teacher-student-resources-2023-24-403y08fvsedq
• Discussion, Tips, Must Do's & Don’ts
• Project Displays and Interviews
• Link to: Report Writing
• Link to: Data Analysis

How to Create �Award-Winning Displays

Mandatory Sections (Sr)

• Abstract
• Introduction
• Materials &

Methods

• Results
• Data Tables
• Graphs
• Observations
• Discussion
• Conclusion (optional)
• Name/school on back

Displayed on table:

• Log Book/Journal
• Research Report w/References
• Acknowledgements (optional)

Mandatory Sections (Jr)

(Jr. Division has more latitude in section titles…)

• Abstract
• Problem & Hypothesis
• Introduction/Background
• Materials & Methods/ Procedure)
• Results (Data)
• Data Tables & Graphs
• Observations
• Discussion
• Conclusion (optional)
• Acknowledgments (optional)
• Name & school on back
• Displayed on table: Log Book/Journal Research Report w/ references

Display Regulations

• Display fits within the prescribed space
• Uses a title descriptive of your study

– Subtitles may be used for clarification

★NO photos showing human subject faces other than the student researcher.

• NO live animals or plants on display
• NO tissues or microorganisms on display (use pictures or a model instead)
• NO photos which show procedures hurtful to animals.

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Hand-made Display Rules

• The exhibit – including the display board – must be able to be placed on the designated table space and all materials must fit within that space.
• Oversized exhibits will not be eligible to be judged for awards and may not be able to be displayed.

– Other materials and equipment may be shown during student interviews

Have Your Log Book Present

• A "journal", detailing all activities: cross-out, don’t erase changes
• Include actual data
• Additional relevant materials

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Include a Formal Report

• ALL reports should be typed
• Follow format and sequence

Log Books should be hand-written and 2-3 key pages scanned for upload

Link to Log Book description/details

Link to Writing Reports

Include a Formal Report

• ALL reports should be typed
• Follow format and sequence (see Writing Reports)

PDF of your Written Report needs to be uploaded for judging

Display All Elements

• Log Books should follow proper format and sequence

Report

Log book

Name Tent

Log Books should be handwritten: 2-3 key pages scanned and uploaded for judging

Display Regulations

• Display fits within the prescribed space
• Uses a title descriptive of your study

– Subtitles may be used for clarification

• NO live animals or plants on display

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• NO tissues or microorganisms on display

(use pictures or a model instead…)

• NO photos which show procedures

hurtful to animals.

Too Tall to Read

Too Small

Floor Displays

• Must be safe and keep to height requirements (9 ft)

Display Size

• Stay within fair space requirements
• Board size
• Table size

You cannot spill over onto another student’s project area, even if they are “no shows.”

Construction

• Display should stand alone
• Pieces should NEVER fall off!

Common Materials

• Foam Core Board

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• Colored Cardboard

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• Plywood or particle board

Uncommon Materials

• PVC Piping
• Lattice Fencing
• Peg-board
• Plastic

Titling Size & Content

• Main Title: 3+ in

2+ in

• Subtitles:
• Text:

– 14+ font

• Bold
• Concise

– Understandable

JR exhibit example

Formatting

• Make sure all sections are neatly & clearly displayed

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• Be concise

JR exhibit example

Be Selective

• Don’t put EVERYTHING from your report on to the display
• The report is there to read…

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Don’t overkill

Titling and Text

• TYPED & PROOFREAD!!

– Spelling counts…

– Neatness counts

Explanatory Title

• Make sure your title is not confusing
• If necessary, use a sub-title for a clear explanation

Titling Enhancement

• Use novel ways to make titles “pop”

Extra Foam Core Board & Computer Graphics

Graphs and Figures

• Keep Graphs

• Large
• Interesting

• Properly labeled
• Readable

• Keep data increments comparable

Use Drawings to Explain Difficult Concepts

Pick a Unifying Theme

• Fonts, background and/or graphics that go with the theme of your project

Picking a Font

• Don’t use extra

fancy fonts

• You want judges to be able to read & focus on your information

Project Title

Project Title

Project Title

Project Title

Project Title

Color

• Color use tied to the project
• Recommended:

– No more than

3 colors

• Dominant
• Accent
• Background

Too MUCH

Color!

• Your eye doesn’t know where to land
• No focal point
• Disturbing

Graphics

• Liven up a presentation

Background Graphics

• Make the display board represent a study site

Photos

• Can visually demonstrate procedures

Photos

• Must protect the identity of participants!
• Black out the participant faces

3-D Displays

• 3-D Displays are encouraged!

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• If you can, display the actual equipment you used to test your hypothesis or invention.

3-D Displays

• Should be student-designed
• Directly tied to the project
• Follow rules on what may be displayed

Scientific Naming

• When living organisms are the subject of the study, their SCIENTIFIC NAME should be displayed

on the board

at least once (within text); italicized or underlined

NO Live Organisms

• NO living organisms (including plants) can be displayed: use a fake substitute

DON’TS

• Don’t include living or dead bacteria, viruses or fungi in your display

– Use photos or models instead

Display “DON’TS”

• NO LASERS…period
• NO un-insulated electrical devices above 12 Volts
• NO LIQUIDS (as part of the display)
• NO FOOD (as part of the display)

NO Hazardous Materials

• NO toxic materials
• NO drugs (of any kind)
• NO radioactive or hazardous materials
• NO caustic materials (acids, bases)

DON’TS

Don’t include

highly

expensive

pieces unless

you are willing to

remove them

immediately

after the interview

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Mechanical Devices

Bolt down any devices that could injure

someone if it fell or was mishandled.

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Be Aware…!

We cannot be responsible

for small, easily stolen items

you leave at your own risk

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We cannot be responsible

for easily broken items you

leave at your own risk.

Photos/drawings are excellent options!!

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For Judging

• Uploading a Digital Display will still be necessary, for judges to preview before in-person Interviews.
• Notifications will be made by January
• Instructions will follow

Criteria for Virtual Displays

• Create in Google Slides, PowerPoint or Keynote
• To be uploaded during Student Registration
• Document Name for uploading must include Student Name
• Maximum slide limit - 15 slides
• “Pictures are better than words” - show clear photos of you working on your project
• Photos must be by student or parents; other graphics must have credits
• Explore the “What NOT to do in PPT” (Powerpoint) presentation before you create your presentation...

Virtual Display Template may be downloaded from Padlet

Digital Slides Formatting

• Use the SLIDES with white backgrounds in this template as your Virtual Science Project Display for Judging
• Follow the directions on each slide: type over the directions when you are ready.
• Don’t change the RED slide titles (these will be the same for all students)
• Title Fonts: 35pt, choice of style, color (must be readable!)
• Body Fonts: Arial
• Body Font size: Minimum = 18pt
• Slide Backgrounds should not be busy – text easy to read
• Slide animations and transitions should not be used as they cannot be replicated on a backboard.

Remove Criteria and Formatting Slides 1 and 2 for your final presentation.

Save this ppt with a your name: keep the original for directions

STEM Project

Replace text above with a Creative Title for your project

Your name Your teacher’s name

Your school

Sub-title (if necessary)

Replace “sub-title” text above with a title that really explains

what your project is about

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Insert cool photo of your project or use a creative background that pertains to your project

Abstract

Write the abstract last, after all your results and analysis are finished

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The abstract is a summary (250 words or less) of your project and must include:

• Problem
• Procedures
• Data and brief analysis (no graphs)
• Conclusion (State whether and WHY your hypothesis or proposed solution was or was not validated).

Problem

• This is the Problem Statement, written as a question - - What is the problem to be solved? You may add a graphic or photo to explain the problem.
• According to the “Science and Engineering PRACTICES": In Science, we refer to a question to be solved and written in the form of a question that includes both the independent and dependent variables.
• Example: How does (independent) affect (dependent)?

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• In Engineering, Math, Computer Science, it is usually stated AS A PROBLEM:

Examples:

• Problem: Controlling hillside erosion in our city; or
• Problem: Removing flood water from orange tree orchard; or
• Problem: Removing litter from Alameda Bay sea floor.

Introduction

• Brief summary of the background research needed to understand your problem.
• For engineering, include the criteria/constraints necessary to solve your problem. Example: size, reusability, safety; time, money, materials that must or may not be used.
• Include APA citations when referencing other scientists’ work. See examples of citations.
• Optional: an explanatory graphic, species photo, map of field research location, etc.

Hypothesis

• For Science Projects, based on the research you have done, you will be writing an answer – your best educated guess – to your question.

One way to write a hypothesis:

"If this is done, then this will happen." (Fill in the blanks with the appropriate information from your own project.)

Another way to write a hypothesis:

“I think ________________ because ____________________”

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• For Engineering, Computer or Math projects; draw and label the solution/prototype model to the problem that you are testing. Briefly explain WHY you chose this solution to test.

Materials

• Type a bulleted list of the items you needed to complete your project.
• Be specific about the amounts used.

Procedure

• List and number all of the steps used in completing your project, including any retesting you did.
• Draw and label a drawing/photo of any prototype or set-up that you used to test your solution.
• Optional: Add photos (with captions) to show the steps of your procedures.
• Up to 2 slides if necessary

Procedure (Contin.)

• OPTIONAL: 2nd slide if necessary

Results

• Include any data you collected while testing your hypothesis or prototype.
• If your testing procedures had repeated trials, make a data table AND/or graph(s) to show your results.
• Add your written qualitative observations (color, smell, behavior, etc.) as well.
• For Engineering, Computer or Math projects, if you changed your solution/prototype after testing your original solution, then:
• include any new data from the re-testing
• also include labeled drawings of your REVISED solution/prototype and WHY you made those changes
• Up to 2 slides if necessary

Results (Contin.)

• OPTIONAL: 2nd slide if necessary

Discussion

• Summarize and ANALYZE your data including trends, errors and variables that could have influenced the results.
• Develop arguments for and against your hypothesis or solution/final prototype, using statistics (average, % error, a variety of statistical tests.)
• Relate your findings to other studies and cite those studies.

(Up to 2 slides if necessary – OK to add graphics)

Discussion (Contin.)

• OPTIONAL: 2nd slide if necessary

Conclusion

• Type a brief summary here of what you discovered based on the results of your testing. You need to indicate whether or not the data supports your hypothesis or proposed solution and the reason for your conclusion. (no more than 250 words)

Reflection/Application

Things you might want to reflect on:

• What did you learn from doing this project?
• What you might have done differently?
• What would be your next steps for researching this problem?
• How can your results be applied in everyday life?
• How could your results be applied to other studies?
• Teams: what were the benefits/challenges of working as a team to find a solution?

References Cited

• Be sure to include both print and electronic sources and put them in alphabetical order.
• Use APA Citation formatting
• Make sure your references match any citations in your Introduction or Discussion.
• Jr Projects = Minimum 3 references
• Sr Projects = Minimum 5 references

Remember...

• No matter how fancy & eye-catching the display…

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★ It can’t take the

place of solid,

well-documented

and analyzed research!

Research Report�Writing

Comprehensive Presentation on all aspects of the Formal Report, Graphing, Data Analysis, Citations and References are on the full “Research Report Writing” Google Slides and also on Padlet

STATISTICS for Research

Comprehensive Presentation on all aspects of statistical analysis for MS/HS projects are on the full “Statistics for Research” Google Slides, also on Padlet.

• Includes Statistical Analysis
• Appropriate statistics with slides for student practice
• Mean (Average)
• % Error
• Standard Deviation
• Chi Square
• T-tests
• Diversity Indices
• Non-parametric stats

*** A connection to Common Core MATH

Designed & Photographed by

Anne F. Maben

afmaben@gmail.com

Science & Education Consultant

Executive Board Member, LACSEF

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for the

Los Angeles County Science & Engineering Fair

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© 2024-25 All rights reserved

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These images are for viewing only and may not be published in any form

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