Try to organize your exhibit content so that it will be meaningful to
viewers who know less about it than you do. The following outline may be
followed, but is not the only one possible. Don’t be afraid to let the
unusual aspects of your project influence the organization of its
exhibit.
Title The same title you chose for your project report may be an
acceptable exhibit title. It should be brief and as nontechnical as
possible. A subtitle may explain or amplify the main title.
The Summary Message (or Statement of the Problem) Give the viewer a
capsule explanation of the project and its significance. You may use a
simplified version of your abstract, eliminating information and
language which is not meaningful to the average viewer. Keep it simple.
Hypotheses and Conclusions List these briefly in a manner understandable
to the average viewer. (Those interested in details can find them in
your notebook and project report.)
Method and Scope of Investigation Hit only the high points, but
emphasize instances where you feel you displayed unusual imagination,
ingenuity, or resourcefulness.
Observations and Data Both are important, but in an exhibit too many
data can be dull. Select only those which are essential to the capsule
story of your project.
Photographs and Illustrations Review the foregoing elements to see where
pictures will tell your story as well as (or better than) words. List
all photographs you have already taken of your project, ones you can
still obtain, and drawings which will illustrate or help narrate your
story. Don’t be selective yet. Later, when you are designing your
exhibit layout, space limitations will force you to choose.
Equipment and Specimens These also help narrate your story. Select
objects and apparatus which will provide viewers a good grasp of your
project work. Have you hit upon a low-cost substitute for expensive
laboratory equipment? Do some of your specimens present clearly visible
evidence of points you want to make? Are any of the experimental results
or specimens particularly unusual, spectacular, or beautiful? List them
for possible use.
Handout Brochure An important but frequently overlooked exhibit
component is the “handout brochure” to be distributed to interested
viewers. Even a single mimeographed page can supply more written
information than should be displayed in the limited space of the
exhibit. It can provide serious viewers a condensed version of the
project report. The brochure provides all viewers a reference when they
discuss the science fair and your exhibit with others. Consider the
handout brochure while planning your exhibit’s contents because it can
contain data and graphs which might otherwise clutter and confuse your
exhibit proper.