Science Fair Board Layout #1
The display poster board is an important tool for the presentation of your research.
The objective of a display board is to present the main areas and conclusions of your project so that others can easily understand what you accomplished. This is not the same as your written report. The actual project will have a lot more detail that will be shown in your written report. Think of the display board as a commercial for your project. The commercial will state the main points and key features of your research so that others will understand what you did and how you did it.
Like books, people will read your board from left to right and top to bottom. It is a good idea to arrange your project information so that observers can read your display in logical order. Part of your challenge is to make it easy for others to understand your work. The only section not following this convention is the title which should be located at the top center of your display.
The main areas of a poster board could be the ones shown in the chart on this page. The areas are explained below. Each section presented on the display board should be only one paragraph if possible. The actual areas you use will depend on the rules of your fair and the choice of exact information you want to present.
Check with your teacher or fair coordinator before using this format.
Title
The title of your project. Your name.
Data and Graphics
Present any significant data, graphs, and pictures in this section. Visual representations of your results, if done effectively, are worth thousands of words.
Problem/ Purpose
State the problem that you were originally concerned with and explain why you selected the topic you did?
Hypothesis
State your hypothesis.
Procedures
State the procedures you followed. What experiments did you perform and why?
Results
What did you find out from your data? Explain the results here.
Conclusions
Was your hypothesis right or wrong? Can you make a new statement that you know to be true based on your research?
Recommendations
From everything you learned would you make any recommendations for further research? Write your ideas for research in this section.
Other Display Materials
Abstract
An abstract is a brief overview of your project work. It should include the title, your name, and brief summaries of the problem, hypothesis, procedures, data and conclusions. It should be no more than one typed page with 1 or 2 paragraphs.
It is a good idea to have copies of your abstract available for visitors to take with them.
Models or Research Apparatus
Did you create any models or experimental setups that are important in explaining your work? Three dimensional objects and pictures are often more effective than words at communicating complex ideas. Find out from your teacher if it is appropriate for you to display models or apparatus and whether or not you can show them working.