Complete a Science Project

Proof required

Write the specific science question your child chose. Write their prediction: what they think will happen and why. List the materials they will need. A parent or teacher confirms the child chose the question themselves.

What gets checked

• Question is specific enough to investigate — 'What is science?' is a topic; 'What happens to a plant if we put it in the dark for five days?' is an investigable question
• Prediction states both what the child thinks will happen AND a reason for the prediction — 'I think it will die because plants need light to live' is a prediction with a reason
• Materials list names at least one specific item needed to do the investigation

Common mistakes

• Choosing a question that cannot be tested at home with accessible materials — a good science project question can be answered by a child with household objects; if the experiment requires lab equipment, scale it back
• Making a prediction after the experiment has already started — the prediction is only meaningful before the result is known

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Check that the question is something the child chose themselves and found interesting — a question assigned by a teacher is acceptable as long as the child is voluntarily building a record of it here
• A prediction that just states the expected outcome without a reason ('I think the plant will die') is incomplete — the reason is the part that shows the child has thought about why, not just guessed
• The materials list does not have to be exhaustive — confirming the child has thought about what they will need is the standard

Proof required

Share your child's observation record from at least three different dates during the experiment or investigation. Each entry should describe something specific they noticed, measured, or saw. Photographs, drawings, and written notes all count. A parent or teacher confirms the child was genuinely involved in making the observations.

What gets checked

• Observation record spans at least three separate dates — three observations made in a single session do not count as three separate observations
• Each entry describes something specific noticed, measured, or seen — 'day 3, nothing happened' is not a valid observation; 'day 3, the plant's leaves are turning yellow' is
• Parent or teacher confirms the child was genuinely involved in carrying out the experiment, not just watching an adult do it

Common mistakes

• Skipping the observation record and just noting the final result — the process of observation over time is the science learning; a child who only records the end result has missed the point of the project
• Stopping the experiment early if it is not going as expected — an unexpected result is as scientifically valid as an expected one, and often more interesting; document it honestly

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Confirm that the observation entries span at least three different dates — check the dates specifically; three entries all from the same day are not three separate observations
• If the experiment is not going as expected, that is fine and should be encouraged — a plant that did not grow, a bridge that fell, or a chemical reaction that fizzled is a completely valid observation record
• For K-5, drawings and photographs are as valid as written observations — do not require writing from a child who finds writing difficult

Proof required

Share a photo of the completed project or experiment setup. Describe what happened during the experiment and whether it matched the prediction from M1. A parent or teacher confirms in writing that this project was genuinely made or carried out by the child.

What gets checked

• A photo of the finished project or experiment is provided
• Results are compared to the original prediction — even if the prediction was completely wrong, the comparison is required
• Parent or teacher confirmation is provided in writing, confirming the child genuinely did this project

Common mistakes

• Completing the project without comparing the result to the prediction — the comparison is the most important learning step, especially when the prediction was wrong
• The parent or adult doing the project while the child watches — for K-5, the standard is that the child was the primary builder or experimenter with adult help where needed, not the reverse

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• A photo is required — a parent's verbal description of the project is not sufficient; the photo is the external artifact that demonstrates the project was built
• The comparison between result and prediction should be honest — if the prediction was wrong, that is fine; a child who says 'I thought it would turn red but it stayed green' is demonstrating real learning
• If the project was a failure (the plant died, the structure collapsed, the reaction did not happen), that is a completely valid outcome; confirm that the child recorded it honestly rather than trying to repeat it until the prediction came true