<Your Title>

<Your Name/s>

<insert optional image>

<reference>

Grade:

Date:

Mentor:

<Note: If typing, use a maximum font size of 12. Stick to one font for headings and one for
paragraphs!

Delete help text in this template!

A good science project should have a minimum of 2-3 pages for each Introduction, Methods,
Results and Discussion (i.e. roughly 15 pages long).>
Plagiarism declaration:
Your signed plagiarism declaration should come here. Make sure that both students, and both sets of
parents have signed the declaration.

Abstract:
An abstract is a summary of your entire project that is 300-400 words in length. This is ONLY written once
you have finished the rest of your report. It includes the following paragraphs:

● Purpose - An introductory statement of the reason for choosing and doing this project it should
include a statement of the problem and the hypothesis/engineering goals of the project
● Procedure - A summary of the key points and an overview of how the investigation was conducted.
Do not give details about materials used.
● Results - This section should provide key results that lead directly to drawing the conclusions. You
should not give too many details.
● Conclusion - Conclusions should be described briefly and must refer to the hypothesis/engineering
goals and must refer to the results. State some applications and extensions of the research project
can be mentioned.

Introduction:
First few paragraphs: Here you introduce the topic. Explain why you are interested in the topic.
Summarise your findings that you found when doing background research on the topic. Remember
to reference each fact you add using the method reference format prescribed in your Subject Handbooks
(de Roo et al., 2022). Notice this example, the author and year are placed in brackets after the information
being referenced.

The experiment is about….. Following paragraphs: Here you state the aim and hypothesis. Give
some scientific facts that support and explain why you think this will happen.

Note – neither your aim nor the hypothesis need separate headings!

Method
First few paragraphs: Here you explain the exact procedure that you followed to gather the data
for your investigation. You need to make sure that you mention all apparatus you used to get the
data. NB: you need to explain what you did in a way that makes it possible for the investigation to
be repeated by someone reading your report in exactly the same way that you did it.

Following paragraphs: Here you need to describe your variables. Again, you don’t need separate
headings for the variables. Do not list them as bullet points - you should describe them in a
paragraph - but they are listed as bullet points here to remind you of what they are:

● Independent: the factor you change (the input):-

● Dependent: factors that you measure (the outputs):-
● Fixed: Factors that remain the same throughout the investigation. How did you ensure that
you fixed all other variables (ensuring a fair test)?:-
Risk assessment

You should consider how to do your project safely. Safety doesn't just apply to physical safety - it
also applies to mental and emotional safety, and the safety of people’s personal information. This
is often hard to identify, so ask your mentor for help with this section if it seems there are no
safety concerns.

Results
This is what you found out. Here you need to tabulate and graph your results.

VERY IMPORTANT: immediately underneath each table or graph, describe your results in words.
You don’t have to explain them, just describe what the table or graph show you. Mention specific
data points that are significant - e.g. the highest/ fastest/ hottest/ coldest data point

Note the table and graphs below are examples - delete them and replace them with your own
tables and graphs:

Table 1. <heading>

Independent Dependent variable (unit)

variable
Repeat 1 Repeat 2 Repeat 3 Average
(unit)

10

15

20

25

30

<Here you need to verbally describe your table e.g. explain what you are showing in the table.>

Next you need to draw a suitable graph to summarise your data. If you are unsure as to how to do
this using the computer then ask your mentor for assistance, or leave space and draw it by hand.
There is nothing worse than a poorly drawn graph, or incorrectly drawn table, because your
discussion and conclusion will be marked according to the data displayed in your results section.

Graphs can show the results of every test, but more commonly they only display the average
result. When drawing graphs of two different, but related, tests, put them on the same set of axes
(i.e. in the same graph) for easy comparison. E.g. when comparing the effectiveness of some
process at different temperatures, don’t put each temperature’s results in a different graph.
<NB Here you need to verbally describe the results, e.g. general pattern seen in the graph. Don’t
explain yet why you see this pattern, save that for the discussion.>

Discussion
Remember that when writing scientifically, the first sentence of every paragraph should be a
summary of that paragraph. The rest of the paragraph should unpack the first sentence. Someone
reading your work should be able to read just the first sentence of every paragraph and get a
pretty good idea of what your report says.

First 2-5 paragraphs: Here you need to analyse and interpret your findings. WHY did you see the
pattern you did? Could anything ELSE have caused the pattern you see? Identify any data that is
anomalous (does not fit the pattern) and try to explain why you got those results.

Next 2-5 paragraphs: Discuss whether your results do in fact help to address your aim. Discuss the
accuracy and precision thoroughly – evaluate whether your results are RELIABLE.

When discussing how the RELIABILITY of the investigation could have been improved, the
following answers may apply: Repeat the investigation, increase the sample size, take many
readings and use average, select a random sample, increase the period of the investigation.

What the test a FAIR TEST and VALID? I.e. did you manage to control all fixed variables effectively, so that
only your independent variable was changing? The test was fair and valid because...... The test could
have been better if………

When discussing the VALIDITY and FAIR TESTING of the investigation, you should critically evaluate
the scientific process. For example, discuss some factors/variables that were not fixed/controlled
when carrying out the investigation; limiting factors over which you had no control, but which
could have had an impact on your results.
Last 1-2 paragraphs: Discuss further work that may be needed. Explain possible questions that
arise from your findings.

Conclusion
State your conclusion. Explain why your conclusion is right or wrong. Then restate the original
hypothesis, and state whether it is SUPPORTED or NOT SUPPORTED by your data (it cannot be
proven; it is not right or wrong either). Formulate at least one new hypothesis as a result of your
findings. Refer back to some of the background research you did and elaborate on the context and
meaning of your findings.

Acknowledgements
Thank your mentor/teacher and anyone else who assisted you. Be explicit as to what help you
received.

References
A full list of any sources used to do your investigation and write up your report, listed according to
the Harvard system outlined here. You can use CiteThisForMe to help you in this task.

DE ROO, R.; MASUREIK, N.; TAYLOR, B.; PAYNE, S. & DAVIDS, Z. (2022) Life Sciences - student
information site. Pinelands High, Cape Town. URL: https://sites.google.com/phs.org.za/life-
sciences/home

Journal (a separate book/ folder/ file or appendix at the end of the report)
Here you show all your rough planning, raw data, copies of surveys and tallies. See notes on the journal in
the Student Booklet shared with you at the beginning of Science Fair.