Science Fair Presentation Template for Students

A science fair presentation follows the scientific method — but following the scientific method isn't enough to win. A strong science fair project communicates clearly, looks organized, and shows the judge that the student understood what they were doing and why.

This template works for both tri-fold display board presentations (the most common format) and slide deck presentations. The structure is the same; the layout differs.

Before You Start: What Judges Are Looking For

Science fair judges typically evaluate projects on several criteria:

• Scientific thought: Did the student follow the scientific method? Is the hypothesis testable? Was the experiment designed fairly?
• Thoroughness: Was the experiment well-documented? Did the student consider variables?
• Clarity: Can the project be understood by a judge who knows the field? Are the results clearly presented?
• Creativity: Is the question original and interesting?

Understanding the judging criteria for your specific fair is the first step. Different fairs weight these criteria differently. Some have specific requirements (a minimum number of trials, a required bibliography format). Check the rules before designing your project.

Display Board Layout

The standard science fair display board is a tri-fold that is 36" tall × 48" wide (though sizes vary — check your fair's rules). The left panel, center panel, and right panel each serve different functions.

Left panel:

• Background/Introduction
• Research Question
• Hypothesis

Center panel:

• Title (large, at the top)
• Abstract (brief summary of the whole project)
• Results (your most important data)

Right panel:

• Materials
• Procedure/Methods
• Conclusion
• Sources/Bibliography

The center panel gets the title and the most important results because that's what a passing judge sees first.

Slide Deck Structure (for virtual fairs or slide-based presentations)

Slide 1: Title

Project title, your name, grade, school, and teacher. The title should be descriptive — it should hint at what you investigated and what you found.

Weak title: "My Experiment with Plants" Strong title: "Does Salt Concentration Affect the Growth Rate of Bean Sprouts?"

The question format in titles works well for science fair projects because it immediately signals that this is a testable scientific investigation.

Slide 2: Introduction and Background Research

What did you already know about this topic before you started? What did you research? Keep this brief and relevant — only background information that helps explain why your experiment makes sense.

For example, if your project is about how light affects plant growth, background would include what photosynthesis is and why light is needed for it — not the entire history of botany.

End the introduction by explaining why you chose this topic. Personal connection makes projects more interesting to judges.

Slide 3: Research Question and Hypothesis

Research question: The specific question your experiment answers. Clear and testable. "Does the amount of sunlight affect how fast tomato plants grow?"

Hypothesis: Your prediction, written as an "if...then...because" statement. "If tomato plants receive more sunlight, then they will grow taller, because plants use sunlight for photosynthesis to produce energy for growth."

The hypothesis should be based on your background research, not a guess. Explain briefly why you made this prediction.

Slide 4: Materials

A complete list of everything used in the experiment. Be specific about quantities and sizes — another student should be able to replicate your experiment from this list.

Not: "plants, pots, ruler" Better: "6 tomato seedlings (3 weeks old), 6 identical 4-inch clay pots, potting soil, ruler (marked in centimeters), water, grow light"

Slide 5: Procedure

Numbered steps describing exactly what you did, in order. Write this in enough detail that someone who wasn't there could repeat your experiment exactly.

Include:

• How you set up the experiment
• What variables you controlled (kept the same)
• What variable you changed (independent variable)
• What you measured (dependent variable)
• How many trials you ran
• How often and when you collected data

Variable identification is important for judges:

• Independent variable (what you changed): amount of sunlight
• Dependent variable (what you measured): plant height in centimeters
• Controlled variables (what you kept the same): type of soil, amount of water, pot size, temperature

Slide 6: Results and Data

Your data, organized clearly. Include:

• A data table showing all your measurements
• A graph or chart that visualizes the results

Graph guidelines:

• Use a bar graph for comparing groups, a line graph for showing change over time
• Label both axes with the variable name and units
• Include a title that describes what the graph shows
• If you ran multiple trials, include all trials and show the average

Report the data objectively. Don't interpret it here — just show what you found.

Slide 7: Analysis

Describe what the data shows. Do the numbers support your hypothesis or not? What patterns do you see?

"In my experiment, plants that received 8 hours of light grew an average of 12.3 cm over 4 weeks, while plants that received 4 hours of light grew 7.1 cm, and plants with 2 hours of light grew only 3.8 cm. This shows that plants grew more as light increased."

Be specific about your numbers. Don't just say "plants grew more" — say how much more.

Slide 8: Conclusion

Answer your research question based on your data. State whether your hypothesis was supported or not.

Structure:

1. Was your hypothesis supported? Yes or no.
2. What did your data show? (Brief summary of results)
3. What does this mean? (What did you learn about how the world works?)
4. What could have gone wrong? (Sources of error)
5. What would you do differently next time?
6. What questions does this raise that you'd want to investigate next?

A strong conclusion doesn't just confirm the hypothesis — it thinks about what the results mean and what could be improved.

Slide 9: Sources and Bibliography

List every source you used in your background research. Check your school's required format (MLA, APA, or another style). Include:

• Books
• Websites (with the date you accessed them)
• Articles
• Interviews with experts (if applicable)

Presentation Tips for Talking to Judges

Judges will ask you questions about your project. Be prepared to explain:

• Why you chose this topic
• What you would do differently if you did the experiment again
• What you learned that surprised you
• How your results connect to real-world applications

Practice explaining your project out loud until you can do it without reading from your board or slides. Judges are impressed by students who genuinely understand their own work.