美國學(xué)生如何系統(tǒng)地準(zhǔn)備英特爾國際科學(xué)工程大賽

作者介紹

Barnas Monteith

Barnas Monteith 馬薩諸塞州科學(xué)與工程節(jié)（MSSEF) 主席。該機(jī)構(gòu)是美國最早的科技教育組織，也是美國麻州最早的基于探究學(xué)習(xí)的科學(xué)教育非營利組織，由麻省理工學(xué)院和美國科學(xué)與藝術(shù)學(xué)會(huì)（美國中科院）創(chuàng)辦，迄今已有70年歷史。早在高中時(shí)，他就在MIT學(xué)習(xí)人工智能，他的研究在MIT多媒體實(shí)驗(yàn)室獲得了MIT 50k及哈佛商學(xué)院的商業(yè)計(jì)劃學(xué)術(shù)活動(dòng)等多個(gè)最高獎(jiǎng)項(xiàng)。此外，Barnas 13次獲得各類國際科學(xué)工程大賽冠軍，其中包括2次獲得國際科學(xué)工程大賽( ISEF) 一等獎(jiǎng)特等獎(jiǎng)， 歐洲青年科學(xué)交流獎(jiǎng)、Nynex 科技獎(jiǎng)、愛迪生獎(jiǎng)、海軍科學(xué)研究獎(jiǎng)等等…… 他還是 MSSEF 歷史上最成功的科學(xué)節(jié)參加者，其中4次斬獲 MSSEF 第1名，4次獲得區(qū)域勝利第1名……

除了擔(dān)任馬薩諸塞州科學(xué)與工程節(jié)主席之外，他還

• 幫助麻州州長成立麻州科技教育委員會(huì)，并擔(dān)任首任主席
• 主持參與編寫麻州科技教育大綱，此大綱是NGSS基礎(chǔ)
• 創(chuàng)辦了新英格蘭地區(qū)各州科學(xué)節(jié)會(huì)議
• 推出了科學(xué)探究教育標(biāo)準(zhǔn)
• 在國際科學(xué)工程節(jié)（ISEF）上持續(xù)多年舉辦國際教育學(xué)院
• 創(chuàng)立Tumblehome Learning出版社，在過去十多年多次獲得美國科學(xué)教師協(xié)會(huì)（NSTA）推薦大獎(jiǎng)，出版發(fā)行很多科普讀物和科技教程教具
• 此外，他還是幾家半導(dǎo)體企業(yè)的創(chuàng)始人

他和他的團(tuán)隊(duì)率先推出了科技教師培訓(xùn)項(xiàng)目 Curious Mind，他們的教程在各個(gè)學(xué)區(qū)包括大學(xué)推行，并在美國科學(xué)藝術(shù)協(xié)會(huì)支持下舉辦專項(xiàng)工作室，培訓(xùn)老師及學(xué)生，以及波士頓科學(xué)博物館、圖書館相關(guān)人員。

什么是科學(xué)大賽?

What is science fair?

A?science fair?experiment is generally a competition where contestants present their?science project, results in the form of a report,?display board, and/or models that they have created. In USA, science fairs allow students in elementary, middle and high schools to compete in science and technology activities.?The main motive of a science fair is for students to answer a question or task, not from a textbook but found out themselves by conducting a range of experiments and ongoing research in the short amount of time allocated to them.

科學(xué)大賽通常是一種學(xué)術(shù)活動(dòng)，參賽者可以通過報(bào)告，展示板和/或他們創(chuàng)建的模型來展示他們的科學(xué)項(xiàng)目。在美國，科學(xué)大賽允許小學(xué)，初中和高中的學(xué)生參加科學(xué)技術(shù)活動(dòng)。舉辦科學(xué)大賽的主要目的是讓學(xué)生自己通過在短時(shí)間內(nèi)進(jìn)行一系列實(shí)驗(yàn)和持續(xù)研究來回答一個(gè)問題或完成一個(gè)任務(wù)，而不是從教科書中學(xué)到這些。

寫在最前

I recently gave a talk at the Massachusetts STEM Summit, held at the Foxboro MA Patriots stadium, focused on STEM and innovation/entrepreneurship.One of the key focuses of the talk was the upcoming Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), following the US-wide adoption of the Common Core Math and English standards. ?26 of the 50 states have agreed to be part in the drafting and adoption of these standards, and more are expected to participate as well.

我最近在麻州Foxboro Patriots體育場舉行的馬薩諸塞州STEM峰會(huì)上發(fā)表了演講，重點(diǎn)關(guān)注STEM教育、創(chuàng)新與創(chuàng)業(yè)。在美國范圍采用了共同核心數(shù)學(xué)和英語標(biāo)準(zhǔn)之后，下一個(gè)重點(diǎn)是下一代科學(xué)標(biāo)準(zhǔn)（NGSS）。50個(gè)州中有26個(gè)同意參與這些標(biāo)準(zhǔn)的起草和通過，估計(jì)有更多的州將會(huì)參與進(jìn)來。

So, in the coming years, science departments across the US will be looking to find new ways to align their curriculum with these new standards, which include more rigorous and deep science content as well as logic processes/methods. ?One such method we all know very well in the science fair community is the scientific method.

因此，在未來的幾年里，美國各地的科學(xué)部門將尋求新的方法來使他們的課程與這些新標(biāo)準(zhǔn)保持一致，其中包括更嚴(yán)格和更深入的科學(xué)內(nèi)容以及邏輯過程/方法。我們科學(xué)界公認(rèn)的一種方法就是“科學(xué)方法”。

However, the term “scientific method” appears to have been replaced by the term “practices”, which encompass the very same processes promoted widely by science fairs for the past nearly 70 years. ?However, by incorporating the “practices” more concretely into a national set of science standards, we may soon begin to see science fairs institutionalized in the American educational landscape. ?Half a century ago, science fairs were ingrained in the US formal school culture, but due to a variety of factors (decreased funding in education across the board, more focus on a smaller subset of frameworks to improve standardized testing scores nationally, fewer school hours and less lab time, etc…) science fairs have become less of a national priority, despite the best efforts of the current administration to highlight the very best STEM students in the US.

然而，“科學(xué)方法”一詞似乎已經(jīng)被“實(shí)踐”一詞所取代，“實(shí)踐”涵蓋了過去近70年來科學(xué)大賽廣泛推廣的相同過程。然而，通過將“實(shí)踐”更具體地納入國家科學(xué)標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，我們可能很快就會(huì)開始看到科學(xué)大賽在美國教育領(lǐng)域制度化。半個(gè)世紀(jì)以前，科學(xué)大賽在美國正規(guī)學(xué)校文化中根深蒂固，但由于各種因素（全面教育資金減少，更多關(guān)注大綱局部細(xì)節(jié)以提高全國標(biāo)準(zhǔn)化考試成績，減少上學(xué)時(shí)間和實(shí)驗(yàn)投入），雖然現(xiàn)任政府盡最大努力突出美國最優(yōu)秀的STEM學(xué)生，但科學(xué)大賽已不再是國家的優(yōu)先事項(xiàng)。

Currently, it is thought that less than a quarter of all US students participate in a science fair of one kind or another — however, thanks to NGSS, this number may soon be on the rise as science departments grapple with a way to fulfill the practice standard requirements.The science fair, was once seen as an innovative way to offer real world experiences to students in the sciences, and perhaps inspire them to become scientists or engineers. ?Now, the science fair has re-emerged as an innovative way to educate.

目前，據(jù)估計(jì)不到四分之一的美國學(xué)生參加了這樣或那樣的科學(xué)大賽 — 但是，由于NGSS，隨著科學(xué)部門努力實(shí)現(xiàn)“實(shí)踐”這一目標(biāo)，這個(gè)數(shù)字可能會(huì)很快上升?？茖W(xué)大賽曾被視為向喜歡科學(xué)的學(xué)生提供現(xiàn)實(shí)世界體驗(yàn)的創(chuàng)新途徑，也許可以激勵(lì)他們成為科學(xué)家或工程師?，F(xiàn)在，科學(xué)大賽已經(jīng)重新成為一種創(chuàng)新科學(xué)教育方式。

Looks like for US science teachers and public school students alike, the next few years will be the time to pick up their old science fair curriculum resources and practice, practice, practice!

對于美國科學(xué)教師和公立學(xué)校學(xué)生來說，未來幾年將是他們拿起舊的科學(xué)大賽課程和資源并且實(shí)踐，實(shí)踐，再實(shí)踐的時(shí)候了！

如何開始

Getting Started

Here’s the first tip:? Start early.

By starting your project early (maybe even during the summer), you will have time to really examine your topic and know your information?Inside & Out.? By starting early, you will have time to decide whether or not your topic is too broad or too narrow and adjust your topic accordingly.? By starting early, you will have time to recover from mistakes, adjust your procedure, if necessary, or get advice from a mentor or additional equipment, if needed.? So start early.? Do a little each day. If you start early, time is on your side.

第一個(gè)提示：盡早開始。通過盡早開始你的項(xiàng)目（甚至可能在前一年夏季開始），你將有時(shí)間真正檢查你的主題并了解你所關(guān)注的信息。通過提前開始，你將有時(shí)間決定你的主題是否過于寬泛或過于狹窄，并相應(yīng)地調(diào)整你的主題。通過提前開始，你將有時(shí)間發(fā)現(xiàn)并糾正錯(cuò)誤，必要時(shí)調(diào)整你的程序，或者可以從導(dǎo)師或其他設(shè)備中獲得建議。所以盡早開始。每天做一點(diǎn)。如果你早點(diǎn)開始，時(shí)間就站在對你有利的這邊。

I will provide you with lots of information about “Getting Started.”Step 1:?Pick a topic: this is always the most difficult.

Step 2: Figure out if your science project will use the “Scientific Method” or the “Engineering Method.” Unless you’re in elementary school and have specifically been assigned to do a demonstration project, you won’t bring home a prize if you do a demonstration project. Learn the difference below.

Step 3: Time to start to do?research. Whether you’re doing an experiment or creating a design, you need to research your topic to find out more about it and other experiments that may have been done on the subject.

在這里，我再就關(guān)于“如何開始”多說一些。第1步：選擇一個(gè)主題：這一直是最困難的一步。

第2步：弄清楚你的科學(xué)項(xiàng)目將使用“科學(xué)方法”還是“工程方法”。除非你現(xiàn)在還在小學(xué)，并且專門被指定做一個(gè)演示項(xiàng)目，否則你不會(huì)因?yàn)橐粋€(gè)演示項(xiàng)目而獲獎(jiǎng)。在下面我會(huì)介紹他們的不同之處。

第3步：訂下開始研究的時(shí)間。無論你是在進(jìn)行實(shí)驗(yàn)還是設(shè)計(jì)創(chuàng)作，你都需要研究你的主題，以了解有關(guān)它的更多信息，以及可能已針對該主題進(jìn)行的其他實(shí)驗(yàn)。

The second tip: Pick a topic that interests you.Unless your teacher insists that you do a science fair project about a particular topic or subject matter, you’re going to have more fun, do a better job and get a better grade if you select a topic that interests you.

第二個(gè)提示：挑選一個(gè)讓你感興趣的話題。除非你的老師堅(jiān)持要你做一個(gè)關(guān)于特定主題的科學(xué)大賽項(xiàng)目，因?yàn)槿绻氵x擇了一個(gè)你感興趣的主題，你將會(huì)有更多的樂趣，做得更好，并獲得更好的成績。

Let’s say you’re interested in the space program and the Curiosity Rover that’s on Mars. This topic can involve many subjects including Astronomy, Physics, Math, Geology and Earth Science, Engineering, Chemistry and more.

假設(shè)你對太空計(jì)劃和火星上的好奇號(hào)感興趣，這個(gè)主題可以涉及許多科目，包括天文學(xué)，物理學(xué)，數(shù)學(xué)，地質(zhì)學(xué)和地球科學(xué)，工程學(xué)，化學(xué)等。

If you’re interested in the ocean, ponds or lakes you can do a project about Botany which is the study of plant life or about Marine Biology and learn about the animals and fish that live in various bodies of water. If you’re interested in hockey, you can do a Physics or Materials Science experiment about the various materials and construction of a hockey puck which might affect a player’s ability to control it.

如果你對海洋，池塘或湖泊感興趣，你可以做一個(gè)關(guān)于植物學(xué)的項(xiàng)目，這是植物生命或海洋生物學(xué)的研究，并了解生活在各種水體中的動(dòng)物和魚類。如果你對冰球感興趣，你可以進(jìn)行物理或材料科學(xué)實(shí)驗(yàn)，了解冰球的各種材料和構(gòu)造，這可能會(huì)影響球員控制它的能力。

There are three types of science projects: Demonstration, Science Fair, and Engineering.

有三種類型的科學(xué)項(xiàng)目：演示項(xiàng)目，科學(xué)項(xiàng)目和工程項(xiàng)目。

Demonstration Project:?Students in the lower elementary grades are the only ones who are usually allowed do a demonstration project. ?They’re typically not allowed at middle school or high school science fairs.? While they’re fun, you don’t learn about “real science” by doing a demonstration. For instance, you can demonstrate how a volcano works, or can build your own planetarium. Or, you can explain static electricity through several activities such as making an aluminum foil ball.

演示項(xiàng)目：小學(xué)低年級(jí)的學(xué)生是通常唯一被允許做演示項(xiàng)目的學(xué)生。這些項(xiàng)目通常不允許進(jìn)入中學(xué)或高中科學(xué)大賽的范疇。雖然它們很有趣，但你不會(huì)通過演示來了解“真正的科學(xué)”。例如，你可以展示火山是如何工作的，或者可以建造自己的天文館。或者，你可以通過多種活動(dòng)來解釋靜電，例如制作鋁箔球。

Science Fair Project:?This is a traditional project in which you describe a problem or come up with a question just like a real scientist, and then design research and perform an experiment using The Scientific Method to answer the question or to solve the problem in an organized way. There are endless possibilities in Biology, Chemistry, Medicine & Health, Microbiology, Bio-Chemistry and other subjects. Do you sing in a chorus? You could do a science fair project to determine if cold water or warm water has a better affect on your voice and ability to reach high notes or low notes. If your parents enjoy drinking tea, you can do an experiment to determine how the brewing time of tea affects the strength of the tea using a device that measures light absorption; is tea that’s brewed for four minutes twice as strong as tea that’s brewed for 2 minutes?

科學(xué)大賽項(xiàng)目：這是一個(gè)傳統(tǒng)項(xiàng)目，你可以在其中描述問題或像真正的科學(xué)家一樣提出問題，然后使用科學(xué)方法設(shè)計(jì)研究并進(jìn)行實(shí)驗(yàn)，最終回答或解決問題。生物學(xué)，化學(xué)，醫(yī)學(xué)與健康，微生物學(xué)，生物化學(xué)和其他學(xué)科都有無限的可能性。你是合唱隊(duì)的一員嗎？你可以做一個(gè)科學(xué)大賽的項(xiàng)目來確定冷水或溫水對你的聲音達(dá)到高音或低音的能力有何影響。如果你的父母喜歡喝茶，你可以使用測量光吸收的裝置進(jìn)行實(shí)驗(yàn)，以確定茶的泡制時(shí)間如何影響茶的濃度; ?煮了4分鐘的茶比煮2分鐘的茶要濃兩倍嗎？

Engineering Project:?The objective of an engineering project is to apply The Engineering Method with science and math to identify a need and to determine how you will solve that need by producing useful devices for people. You’re still trying to solve a problem, but you do it by building and testing prototypes and by working on various design processes. For instance, if you’re in a band, you could do an engineering project on the effects of dry wall thickness or various sound-absorption materials on sound transmission in your basement or garage so your neighbors won’t complain about the noise when you practice. Or, if you run track, you can build a working model of a body temperature monitor to see how much your temperature increases after running for 20, 30 or 40 minutes, or at various speeds.

工程項(xiàng)目：工程項(xiàng)目的目標(biāo)是將工程方法與科學(xué)和數(shù)學(xué)結(jié)合起來以確定需求，并通過為人們生產(chǎn)有用的設(shè)備來確定如何解決這一需求。你同樣在嘗試解決問題，但你可以通過構(gòu)建和測試原型以及處理各種設(shè)計(jì)流程來達(dá)成目標(biāo)。例如，如果你是某樂隊(duì)的成員，你可以做一個(gè)關(guān)于干壁厚度或各種吸音材料對地下室或車庫聲音傳播的影響的工程項(xiàng)目，這樣你的鄰居就不會(huì)在你們樂隊(duì)練習(xí)的時(shí)候抱怨你們的噪音了?；蛘撸绻阍谂艿郎吓懿?，你可以構(gòu)建體溫監(jiān)測器的工作模型，以查看你在跑20分鐘，30分鐘，40分鐘或以不同速度跑步時(shí)體溫的升高幅度。

So, what’s your topic going to be? One way to figure it out is to make a list of ten activities or topics that most interest you. Then, write up a question about each of these that you’ve always wondered about, and narrow the list down to the top two or three that seem the most interesting. Then you might want to talk the list over with your parents or a teacher to have them help you make your final choice based on material needs and costs, and the length of time it might take you to complete your project.

那么，你的主題是什么？一種方法是列出你最感興趣的十個(gè)活動(dòng)或主題。然后，就每個(gè)主題寫一個(gè)你一直想知道的問題，將列表縮小到最有趣的前兩個(gè)或三個(gè)。然后，你可能希望與你的父母或老師討論，讓他們根據(jù)材料需求和成本以及完成項(xiàng)目所需的時(shí)間幫你做出最終選擇。

研究和實(shí)驗(yàn)/設(shè)計(jì)

Research and Experimentation/Design

With this step in the science fair project process, it really doesn’t matter whether you’re doing a science project and are applying the?Scientific Method?with an experiment, or an engineering project and are applying the?Engineering Method?to create a design, you still have to start with research.

談到科學(xué)大賽項(xiàng)目流程中的這一步驟，無論你是在將科學(xué)方法應(yīng)用于實(shí)驗(yàn)進(jìn)行科學(xué)項(xiàng)目，還是用工程方法設(shè)計(jì)一個(gè)東西進(jìn)行工程項(xiàng)目，你都要從研究開始。

Research?is all about finding out more about your topic. To conduct research, you need to go to the library and read books and magazines, browse the internet, visit locations that might have background material like a zoo or museum or lab, and talk with your teachers, scientists and/or professionals. The more you learn about your topic, the better your project will come out and the better prepared you’ll be to answer the questions by the judges.

研究就是要了解更多有關(guān)你的主題的信息。要進(jìn)行研究，你需要去圖書館閱讀書籍和雜志，瀏覽互聯(lián)網(wǎng)，訪問可能有背景材料的地點(diǎn)，如動(dòng)物園、博物館或?qū)嶒?yàn)室等，并與你的老師、科學(xué)家或?qū)I(yè)人士交談。你對自己的主題了解得越多，你做出來的項(xiàng)目就會(huì)越好，并且你將更好地準(zhǔn)備回答評(píng)委提出的問題。

Let’s see what happens when you put the following phrase into an internet search engine: “compare natural sponges and synthetic sponges.”? Here are some of the results:

讓我們看看當(dāng)你將以下短語放入互聯(lián)網(wǎng)搜索引擎時(shí)會(huì)出現(xiàn)什么：“比較天然海綿和合成海綿?！币韵率且恍┙Y(jié)果：

• Natural sea sponges versus synthetic sponges for skin cleaning
• Real or artificial sponges – which is better for the environment
• Oracle “Think Quest” – Synthetic vs Natural
• Difference Between Natural & Artificial sponges
• Wikipedia – sponge material
• Why buy a natural sea sponge
• The Soap Café: Natural VS Synthetic sponges
• The American Window Cleaner magazine – natural vs synthetic sponges

With just a little bit of research you realize that there are different types of uses for sponges. Were you surprised to see that window cleaners really care about this topic?

只需進(jìn)行一點(diǎn)研究，你就會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)海綿有不同類型的用途。你是否驚訝地發(fā)現(xiàn)窗戶清潔工真的非常關(guān)心這個(gè)話題？

So, this means you would need to narrow down your search – will you do your project on using different types of sponges for cleaning the house, or for cleaning your body? Make sure you use your?science journal?to record your background research and any books or internet sites you have visited. You may end up realizing that you can use the information in your report or on your display board.

因此，這意味著你需要縮小搜索范圍 – 你做這個(gè)項(xiàng)目是為了使用不同類型的海綿清潔房屋還是清潔身體？確保使用科學(xué)筆記本記錄你的背景研究，以及你訪問過的任何書籍或網(wǎng)站。你可能最終意識(shí)到你可以使用它們做為報(bào)告或展示板上的信息。

Can you think of other people who might think sponge absorption is an important topic? How about restaurants or hotels? Maybe you can talk with window cleaners, or restaurant owners or hotel managers in your neighborhood about this subject. Maybe after a few conversations or more research, you might decide to alter the project to determine which types of sponges hold more germs or less germs.

你能想到其他可能認(rèn)為海綿吸收是一個(gè)重要話題的人嗎？餐館或酒店怎么樣呢？也許你可以與附近的窗戶清潔工、餐館老板或酒店經(jīng)理討論此主題。也許經(jīng)過幾次對話或更多的研究后，你可能會(huì)決定改變項(xiàng)目，改成確定哪種類型的海綿可以容納更多的細(xì)菌或更少的細(xì)菌。

After researching your topic, you should now be ready to come up with your?Hypothesis. The hypothesis is an “educated guess” about the question you’re trying to answer. The hypothesis is presented as a statement – it’s not a question. To prove or disprove your hypothesis, you conduct an?Experiment. There are many ways to test your hypothesis, there is no one right way to do this. Your hypothesis for the sponge test might read, “If I test artificial and natural sponges, I believe natural sponges will hold more water.”

在研究了你的主題之后，你現(xiàn)在應(yīng)該準(zhǔn)備好提出你的假設(shè)了。假設(shè)是一個(gè)關(guān)于你想要回答的問題“根據(jù)經(jīng)驗(yàn)所做的猜測”。假設(shè)是作為陳述的形式呈現(xiàn)而不是一個(gè)問題。為證明或反駁你的假設(shè)，你需要進(jìn)行實(shí)驗(yàn)。有很多方法可以檢驗(yàn)?zāi)愕募僭O(shè)，沒有一種正確的方法可以做到這一點(diǎn)。你對海綿試驗(yàn)的假設(shè)可能是：“如果我測試人造和天然海綿，我相信天然海綿會(huì)吸收更多的水?！?/p>

Now it’s time to plan your procedures and conduct your Experiment. What are you going to do to test your hypothesis? What materials are needed, and is the cost of buying materials a factor in your decision? What exactly is being tested? What parts of your experiment will stay the same? What data are you going to collect?

現(xiàn)在是時(shí)候規(guī)劃你的實(shí)驗(yàn)步驟并進(jìn)行實(shí)驗(yàn)了。你打算怎么做來檢驗(yàn)?zāi)愕募僭O(shè)？需要哪些材料，購買材料的成本是決定因素之一嗎？實(shí)驗(yàn)到底在測試什么？你的實(shí)驗(yàn)的哪些部分將保持不變？你需要收集哪些數(shù)據(jù)？

There are two parts to an experiment: the controls and the variables. A control is the part of the experiment that stays constant so your experiment can be repeated with the same results.? If your experiment involves testing sponges, a control would be to always use the same bowl. Also make sure the same amount of water is used in each trial.

實(shí)驗(yàn)分為兩部分：控制和變量。控制是實(shí)驗(yàn)中保持不變的部分，因此可以使用相同的結(jié)果重復(fù)實(shí)驗(yàn)。如果你的實(shí)驗(yàn)涉及測試海綿，其中一個(gè)控制可以是始終使用相同的碗。還要確保每次試驗(yàn)中使用相同量的水。

Variables are the parts of the experiment you change to test specific conditions.? Using the same sponge example, a variable may be to use three types of synthetic and three types of natural sponges to see which holds the largest amount of water.

變量是你為了測試特定條件而更改的實(shí)驗(yàn)部分。以相同的海綿實(shí)驗(yàn)為例，變量可以是使用三種類型的合成海綿和三種類型的天然海綿來看哪些海綿能吸收最多的水。

In the experiment with the sponge, here are some?materials?you might need：

• Different types of synthetic and natural sponges,
• A bowl or large measuring cup of water, ensuring that you’ll always start with the same amount of water, and
• A way to determine how much water each sponge holds, such as a beaker or measuring cup

在海綿實(shí)驗(yàn)中，你可能需要以下材料：

• 不同類型的合成海綿和天然海綿
• 一碗或一大杯（有刻度）水，確保你始終以相同的水量開始
• 一種可以確定每種海綿吸收多少水的方法，例如燒杯或量杯

The experiment itself should be simple and repeatable.? It’s very important that the experiment be repeatable.? Also, remember that judges like lots and lots of data and charts and graphs, so design your experiment with lots of repetitions.? You can’t run an experiment once and use that data; run a simple experiment 10-15 times and take an average (the sum of the experimental data divided by the number of trials).

實(shí)驗(yàn)本身應(yīng)該簡單且可重復(fù)。重復(fù)實(shí)驗(yàn)是非常重要的。另外，請記住評(píng)委喜歡看到大量的數(shù)據(jù)和圖表，因此請?jiān)O(shè)計(jì)大量重復(fù)的實(shí)驗(yàn)。你不能只進(jìn)行一次實(shí)驗(yàn)并使用那個(gè)數(shù)據(jù)；一個(gè)簡單的實(shí)驗(yàn)一般要進(jìn)行10-15次并取平均值（實(shí)驗(yàn)數(shù)據(jù)的總和除以實(shí)驗(yàn)次數(shù)）。

Experiments should always have at least three trials. It’s important to conduct your experiment several times because if you get different results on one of the three times, maybe it’s because an error was made. Or, if you’re doing a plant experiment and are using seeds to grow something, maybe one of the seeds was bad.

實(shí)驗(yàn)應(yīng)始終至少進(jìn)行三次。多次進(jìn)行實(shí)驗(yàn)很重要，因?yàn)槿绻阍谌螌?shí)驗(yàn)中的一次得到不同的結(jié)果，也許是因?yàn)榘l(fā)生了錯(cuò)誤。或者，如果你正在進(jìn)行植物實(shí)驗(yàn)并使用種子來種植某些東西，那么其中一顆種子可能很糟糕。

Make observations frequently and consistently. If your cat knocks over the original bowl of water, make sure you note this and that as a result you had to start over. In your science journal, make sure you not only record the details of your procedure, but also your observations.

要經(jīng)常并持續(xù)地做觀察。如果你的貓撞倒了原來的一碗水，請確保你注意到了這一點(diǎn)，那么你必須重新開始。在你的科學(xué)筆記中，請確保不僅要記錄實(shí)驗(yàn)步驟的詳細(xì)信息，還要記錄觀察結(jié)果。

When you?present your science fair project to judges, they might ask you about other applications for your research. They’ll also ask you what you’ve done in your experiment that’s different from other similar experiments, so you should plan to refer to the results of other experiments you’ve learned or read about.

當(dāng)你向裁判展示你的科學(xué)大賽項(xiàng)目時(shí)，他們可能會(huì)詢問你研究項(xiàng)目其他方面的應(yīng)用。他們還會(huì)問你在實(shí)驗(yàn)中所做的與其他類似實(shí)驗(yàn)有什么不同，所以你應(yīng)該想好如何參考你已經(jīng)學(xué)過或讀過的其他類似實(shí)驗(yàn)的結(jié)果。