Science Fair Research: Narrowing, Sourcing, and Citing a Statistic
A seventh-grade research team is preparing a three-to-five-minute presentation for a science fair. The broad topic is urban heat islands. The team has four sources: a 2019 city planning PDF that includes a map of heat-vulnerable neighborhoods; a 2022 peer-reviewed study of 12 elementary schools that measured playground surface temperatures (one playground reached 62 degrees Celsius while the air temperature was 34 degrees Celsius); a news article that reports the same 62-degree figure and quotes a scientist from the study; and a blog post titled 'Concrete Is the Enemy' with no author or date. The teacher requires the team to narrow the topic to one testable question about their own school, use no more than three sources, and include one counterargument. One teammate wants to cite the news article for the 62-degree statistic because it is easier to read. Another wants to keep the topic broad so the team can use all four sources. The team has two weeks and can collect one day of surface-temperature data on the school playground.
1. Which source should the team cite for the 62-degree figure, and how should they handle the news article?
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The team should cite the 2022 peer-reviewed study as the primary source for the 62-degree figure. That study measured surface temperatures at 12 elementary schools, so it is the origin of the measurement and contains the method and context. The news article is a secondary source; it reports the same figure and quotes a scientist, but it is one step removed from the data. The team can use the news article to show public relevance or to quote the scientist, but it should verify the figure against the study before presenting it. In the presentation, the citation should point to the study, with the news article listed only as a secondary report if used. That approach is more credible because the audience can check the original measurement rather than trusting a summary.
2. Narrow the topic into one testable research question for one day of data collection. Identify the independent and dependent variables and one counterargument.
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A workable question is: 'How does a shade structure affect playground surface temperature at our school during lunch?' The independent variable is the presence or absence of shade, and the dependent variable is surface temperature in degrees Celsius. Controls include time of day, weather conditions, thermometer placement, and surface material. One day of data can support a comparison if the team measures several shaded and unshaded spots at the same times. A counterargument is that shade may lower surface temperature without lowering air temperature, so the result would not show that shade makes the whole playground cooler. Another is that one day is not representative of the season. The question is testable because the team can collect the measurements within the two-week window and compare the two conditions directly.
3. A teammate wants to use all four sources to keep the topic broad. Evaluate that plan.
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The plan conflicts with the teacher's limits and weakens the research. The teacher allows no more than three sources and requires one testable question, so keeping the topic broad to fit four sources works against both constraints. The blog post has no author or date, which makes it the weakest source for evidence; it could be mentioned as an example of a public claim to test, but it should not be treated as support. The city planning PDF provides local context, the peer-reviewed study provides temperature evidence, and the news article provides an accessible summary or quote. Dropping the blog and narrowing the question gives the team a stronger three-source set. A broad topic would also make the one-day data collection seem random rather than designed to answer a specific question.