The following is an example of a science fair project folder.  Use this as a guide for completing your own project folder.

  PROJECT FOLDER

Student Name

Grassy Creek Elementary School

Science Fair Project 2004

(cover)

(page 1)

Abstract

Name: Student Name

Age: 10

Grade: 4

School: Grassy Creek Elementary

Teacher: Mr. Hunt

Question:

Why does popcorn pop?

Procedure:

I read about popcorn on the Internet.  I found out that popcorn has water inside.  When you cook the popcorn, the water makes steam inside the popcorn.  The steam builds up pressure.  The popcorn POPS!

For my experiment, I put water inside a pan.  I covered the pan with plastic wrap.  This made the pan like a popcorn seed.  I heated the pan until the water boiled.  It built up steam and the plastic wrap blew up.  Soon it popped off the pan.

Results:

This proves that steam can cause pressure to build inside a seed.  The seed will pop just like the plastic did on the pan.

(page 2- however many needed for notes taken)

PROJECT NOTEBOOK

Record your notes on notebook paper and put them in this section.  These pages can be on any paper.  They are not formal.  If you spill something on them, they still go in this section.  These are the most important pages of the folder because the prove your effort in completing the science project.  All entries should be dated, and the notebook should be kept in "diary" form.  This means you write down everything in a quick and informal manner.  Spelling, sentences, and other are not graded here. 

(the following section of the project folder should be broken into the subheadings listed in bold text; it follows the project notebook and can take as many pages as needed)

Question 

        This year the farmers grew popcorn around our house.  We also got a popcorn popper for Christmas.  This made me wonder how popcorn pops.

My question is:

        Why does popcorn pop?

Hypothesis 

        I think that the water inside the popcorn turns to steam when it is heated.  The steam makes lots of pressure inside and then the popcorn explodes.

Materials:

One pan

Plastic Wrap

Water

Procedure:

1.   Put a little water in the pan.

2.   Put plastic wrap over the top of the pan.

3.   Boil the water on the stove.

Observation and Results

        I watched the pan, and the water started to boil.  Then the plastic wrap started to puff up.  It puffed up because steam from the boiling water was pushing up on the plastic wrap.  Lots and lots of steam kept pushing up the plastic wrap higher and higher.  Finally, the pressure from the steam built up so much the plastic wrap popped off the pan.

Conclusions

        In the experiment, the pan and the plastic wrap were like a popcorn seed.  There is a little water inside popcorn seeds just like in the pan.  When the water in a seed gets hot like the water in the pan, steam pushes against the popcorn seed’s hard shell.  Just like the plastic wrap popped, the shell of the seed pops too.

Background Research

        I looked on the Internet to learn about popcorn.  I learned that popcorn is a seed of a popcorn plant.  If you plant popcorn, it can grow! 

        I learned that some Native Americans used to tell stories about popcorn.  They said spirits lived inside each popcorn. The spirits got angry if somebody heated their house. If it got too hot they would burst out of their houses in a puff of steam.

        I also learned that each popcorn seed has a little bit of water in it.  The outside of popcorn is very hard.

Bibliography

Encyclopedia Popcornica, http://www.popcorn.org

Acknowledgements

        I would like to thank my dad for helping me with this experiment.