Those Winter Sundays Analysis

Those Winter Sundays Analysis The poem, which I selected for analyzing and interpreting, is Those Winter Sundays by Robert Hayden. The question raised by the author has been attracting the readers for a long time, since it deals with a situation which most of people have experienced at least once in their lives. The authors language and artistic devices by which he transmits the idea that people often pay little attention to good deeds and kind attitude especially when they has become a part of somebodys routine leave a really strong impression, often making the reader stop and re-think his attitude towards some events in his or her life. In this poem the author recollects memories from his childhood, when his father rose before dawn to kindle the fire in order to warm their hose on winter morning. Hayden skillfully uses deep and powerful imagery to convey his emotions, not giving direct statements but letting the reader to surmise what was implied in the lines therefore making a bright and living picture of that event in his or her mind. Those Winter Sundays honors a much-criticized figure in American culture of the 1990s the withdrawn, emotionally inexpressive and distant (and probably unhappy and angry) father. The poem makes its way towards perceiving the emotional life of such a man. The poem realizes love as it lived in such a man (Goldstein and Chrisman 254). Beginning with the phrase Sundays too my father got up early the author indicates that his father got up early not only on Sundays, but during the whole week also, thus giving the image of a hard-working man, who though having a day off gives up his opportunity to have a rest for the sake of his family. Hayden also emphasizes that the man has got cracked hands that ached from labour in the weekday, making the reader to feel a little more drama and sympathy for his father. Te author sums up the first stanza with a simple literal line No one ever thanked him, therefore accomplishing splendidly his image of a caring man who shows a real regard for his family every day, but no one appreciates that. In the second stanza the speaker describes what he did, while his father performed his morning routine. The reader sees a little boy lying in his bed, reluctant to get up and waiting for the cold to stand away. The second line here also gives an important detail: When the rooms were warm hed call, one more time showing the fathers regard for the boy. However, the last line of this stanza may seem a bit puzzling: Fearing the chronic angers of that house. Such a phrase may imply various meanings. Without knowing the background of this verse it is hard to judge about what the author meant by these words. Of course there is a possibility that chronic angers relate to the house itself and living in poverty the boy does not love his home. But knowing the authors biography, especially the facts about his living in the atmosphere of fights and quarrels in the foster family, one can rather incline to the thought that the boy neither liked his house nor his father, therefore never noticing goo d qualities of his foster parent and care towards him even when they were displayed. In the third stanza Hayden refers to one more sign of regard from his father and polished my good shoes as well. Along with that he gives his own respond to such situation: Speaking indifferently to him, thus admitting ungrateful ignorance from his own side. In the final lines of the third stanza the speaker asks a rhetorical question: What did I know, what did I know/of loves austere and lonely offices? Hayden indicates that being a child he did not understand love often rather expresses itself indirectly, through help and care hidden in actions rather than through any kind of demonstrative expression such as words or embraces, which are commonly considered to be a real sign of love and care. One may suppose, that in his childhood, being a bit more selfish than now, like all children do and having little experience the speaker felt only negative energy that belonged to the house and paid no attention to his fathers effort to warm the house and polish the boys shoes. What is more the last two lines of the poem may also explain that the boys childhood was rather unhappy anyway, that is why he did not know much about love and was not able to appreciate it discerning it in his fathers routine. Containing traditional fourteen lines, this verse is an example of a sonnet, though the lines lack a reliable rhythm. There still are some rhymes and near-rhymes but no rhyme scheme. Though one should not omit that fact that the sonnet was written at the time when free verse was really popular in the Anglo-American literature. A kind of hidden alliteration is also implied by Hayden, such as the k sounds in the words ached,cracked, blueback and so on. In some way it adds elements of pain to the general atmosphere of the verse, especially if one takes the phrase cracked hands that ached. Gradually, the k sounds are replaced by the o sounds, like in the words good, shoes, know, love, offices etc. These drawling sounds evoke associations with love and loneliness. Therefore, along with the impression which the reader gained from the poem by reading the speakers narration of the event, the reader also perceives the same story by sonic means. The noise of this poem moves us through its emot ional journey from discomfort to lonely life (Goldstein and Chrisman 252). The author establishes a pensive and regretful tone almost from the very beginning. Even the heading Those Winter Sundays evokes an image of cold and often cloudy days, therefore producing a feeling of sadness and melancholy. Hayden introduces cold and uncomfortable images, like blueback cold to strengthen the picture of undesirable conditions of the unheated house. Hayden aids the initial tone of regret by sharing with the reader an image of the fathers cracked hands. All these means help the reader to realize clearly the main idea of the poem. The poems thesis is that the office of love can be relentless, thankless, and more than a little mysterious (Goldstein and Chrisman 252). All in all, this sonnet leaves a deep impression and induces to re-think the way in which we treat sometimes people who care for us. Therefore, one can learn a good lesson from it: there are times when a person simply does not see the love expressed indirectly, thus staying indifferent and ungrateful towards the person who does have a regard for him or her.

Unit 3 – Supporting Children

E1. Five pieces of current legislation are: 1. Sex Discrimination Act 1975 2. Equality Act 2006 3. Childcare Act 2006 4. Race Relations Act 2000 5. Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 E2. The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 states that we should not discriminate on the grounds of gender and that both genders should be treated equally with the same rights. This means that practitioners should involve boys and girls in all activities and should not make comments such as ‘Girls are more sensible than boys’. Equality Act 2006 provides a legal framework to protect the rights of individuals and advance equality of opportunity for all.That means that practitioners should treat all children as an individual and give children equal opportunities as children have individual needs that should be met. Childcare Act 2006 incorporates the welfare standards with which all settings registered to work with children under 8 years must comply, and also provides a learning framewo rk for children aged 0-5 years called the Early Years Foundation Stage. The welfare requirements affect much of the day-to-day practice within settings, for example the adult to child ratio in rooms.Race Relations Act amended 2000 apply to discrimination on the grounds of colour, race, nationality and ethnic and national origins. It states that practitioners should give equal opportunities to all children no matter what their race, nationality and ethnic origin is. Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 states that practitioners should not treat disabled children less favourably than other children. It also states that schools must ensure that they make reasonable adjustments to ensure that children with disabilities are not placed at a disadvantage.E3. Safeguarding is defined as: All agencies working with children, young people and their families taking all reasonable measures to ensure that the risks of harm to children's welfare are minimized. Policies and Procedures w ill help safeguard children by making sure that all steps are taken to protect children and young people from harm. To ensure this create an environment in the setting which encourages children to develop a positive self-image, regardless of race, language, religion culture and home background.Encourage children to develop a sense of autonomy and independence and enable children to have the self-confidence and the vocabulary to resist inappropriate approaches. Following the correct procedures in the setting is essential because if there is an accident and you have followed all the correct procedures then the accident is not your fault; however if you haven't followed the correct procedures then you are responsible for any accidents that happen and the consequences are your fault. Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 states that practitioners should not treat disabled children less favourably than other children.It also states that schools must ensure that they make reas onable adjustments to ensure that children with disabilities are not placed at a disadvantage Another policy that will safeguard children is Health and Safety Policy. This policy aims to ensure that settings both inside and outside are secure, safe and healthy place for children, parents, staff and other people to be around in. This policy also aims to prevent accidents, injuries and ill-health, and it makes sure all staff is aware of potential hazards within the setting and the surrounding environment. E4.An Inclusion policy ensures that all pupils are fully included in all aspects of school life and have an equal opportunity no matter what their gender, religion, race, background, specific difficulty or physical ability is. This policy aims to support the individual needs of each and every child recognising their rights and raising awareness. By having a relations or partnership with parents’ policy in place a setting, helps a setting to recognise that parents and carers ar e the first educators of their children. â€Å"Parents are children’s first and most enduring educators.When parents and practitioners work together in early years settings, the results have a positive impact on children’s development and learning. † Commitment 2. 2 Parents as Partners, EYFS The policy’s aim is to work in partnership with parents and carers in providing an environment that supports and involves them in the setting. A setting can do this by informing parents of how the setting operates, opening times and policies and procedures through written information on notice boards and involve parents in the shared development record keeping about their child and ensure they have access to their child’s developmental records..Another policy that is provided to promote fair, just and inclusive strategies is ‘Equal Opportunities’. This policy is designed to provide opportunities for all people to achieve according to efforts and ab ilities. This policy means individuals will be catered for and they will be given equality of opportunity no matter what disability, ethnic origin, medical condition, gender, special educational need, religion and age. As a practitioner working in a setting you must understand that everyone is equal and everyone has different needs and abilities. E5.One strategy which my setting uses to empower children to develop independence and self reliance is arrival time. When children arrive to school they have few jobs to do before they sit down on the carpet. Firstly what they have to do is put their book bags in correct box Hares, Rabbit or Reading Group Box it depends on which group they are in and whether it is their turn to read. To find out if it is their turn to read they look up on the reading board to see if their picture is up. Once they have done this they have to do the same with their lunch boxes.Then its time to find their pegs and hang up their coats. All children have their o wn pegs with their picture and name on them which makes it easier for children to find their pegs. Finally children say goodbye to their parents and sit down on the carpet in their sitting spaces. Another strategy that my setting uses to empower children to develop independence and self reliance is ‘Special Helper Day or sometimes called VIP day. All children in the classroom have a turn to be a VIP. Children have special jobs to do when it is their turn to be VIP. In the morning the teachers tells children who theVIP is and give children a VIP sticker. Then children are asked to take the register and money basket to the office and on the way back to get the fruit box. Throughout the day VIP’s are responsible for giving the fruit and milk out at snack time and during the day the help the teacher in simple task such as giving the paper out or putting pencil trays on the tables. E6. Transition is a time of change, when children pass through the various stages of life. For the baby this can mean being weaned from milks to solid foods, and for the child it means starting nursery and then school.There are many strategies and examples of how childcare settings can prepare children for transfer or transition. These are listed below: Parents can become as anxious as their children about the move to a new class. Practitioners will regularly have meetings for ‘new parents’ before their children start school. Also, most mainstream provisions have meetings when parents can meet their child’s new teachers; where staff can talk to parents formally about the routines and informally to get to know each other.It is an opportunity to show parents the layout of the setting, and all the practical things which parents need to know about and for them to meet new staff. Reading books, leaflets, brochures and hearing stories that deal with the subject of transition will prepare and support children. This helps to familiarise children with the transiti on process and helps minimise the fear of the unknown. Some children whose second language is not English will find it difficult to communicate or interpret the information provided and the setting will need an interpreter to ease the child’s transition.Ensuring that all documentation about a child is organised and ready to be passed on to a parent/carer or other professionals as appropriate to the situation- For example a key person may hand on a child’s developmental records. Children having comfort objects brought from home will ensure that a child has a smoother transition. Having a comfort object offers children psychological comfort and security especially in unique or unusual situations and also encourages independence.Allowing plenty of opportunities for children to express their feelings and emotions through imaginative and expressive play will ease transition and develop self help skills. Imaginative play helps children to work out ‘real life situations ’ which then helps them to replay the situations which helps children to create solutions to life which is essential for early childhood onwards. Expressive play helps children to release their emotions which will help a child who has just started in a setting to feel more confident.It will help to learn to express emotion more effectively. By having information given by the parent/carer a setting will be more aware of a child’s particular needs or requirements therefore this partnership is crucial. The role of the key person is also important to provide stability for the child and security for the child. E7. Discrimination can occur because some people can have very stereotypical attitudes by having a judgemental approach against children they don’t know and they then assume they know what the children are capable of.Assuming you know what the children are capable of can lead to telling them they can’t do certain activities that other children are doing, when actually they may be capable of it, however even if they aren’t they should be given a chance to try the activity and develop their skills, if they are struggling. Discrimination against any child regardless of their needs can make them feel isolated and different to other children. Very often children with special needs have a very difficult time trying to fit in with other children especially if they are in a mainstream school.All children can be very unintentionally cruel to one another and should be helped to understand that everyone is different and how this is good. Example: In our setting we promote inclusion and we treat everyone the same and explain to other children â€Å"we are alike but different. † A lot of discrimination can be caused by school children thinking they are better than other children. Children don’t understand that everyone is equal and have the same right. Most often children make comments about other children that come up unde r discrimination. For example they may say: ‘I don’t want to play with black children’.This will make children that are different ethnic background feel different, and picked on. They may feel lonely and left out as other children don’t want to play with them because there skin colour is different. â€Å"Children who are discriminated against may not feel they are valued and so may lose confidence, or they may find that other people have low expectations of what they can achieve. This may mean that they are not given the opportunity to acquire new skills or try out new activities as it is assumed they will not be able to cope† (Tassoni et al. 2005 Page 82. (Children’s Care Learning and Development Level 2, Heinemann, Page 82) D1. There are many issues relating to practice which support children to prepare for transitions. Gathering Information about the setting. It is useful to find out information about school/nursery before parents make a d ecision which school/nursery to send their child to. Parents can look up the information on the setting’s website where they can get some background information. They may also read Brochures/Prospectus. These can be useful as they may contain photographs which will be easier for children to visualise where they are going.Parents can also make a phone call to get some more information about the setting; they could also arrange a visit to the setting. Parents could also ask other parents about the setting as other parents may have children that go to the certain setting. However these would be just opinions from other parents. Talking about school with children It is important to talk with children about school, discussing what it might be like and what will happen during the day. To do this effectively, it may be helpful to school or the teacher who will work with the child to find out some more information about the routine.It is important to avoid building overly unrealistic expectations about what school will be like, as a child’s disappointment when the first day is not as they expected may have an effect on settling in process. Visits to school It is beneficial for a child to visit school before starting. Many schools/nurseries offer visits to school/classroom or when the child is moving to the toddler room etc. The more times that a child can visit the place that the child will be moving to the better as the child will get familiar with the setting and will get used to the routine , other children and teachers.Partnership with Parents It’s important that the setting has a partnership with the child parents, as the parents of the child may worry/panic about their child going into a new environment. For example, the setting could have a coffee morning where stay and play sessions can take place to the parents can watch their child play. The child’s self help skills will also have a link with their parents, For example, if a child still uses a potty the parent of the child and the child's teacher will work together to motivate the child to use the toilet.By working together with parents practitioners can find out more information about children such as child’s interest, dietary requirements or if the child needs any special help. D2. Listening to children By listening to children, children will realise that others value what they have to say and therefore children will feel accepted as individuals with their own feelings and thoughts. There are many ways that early learning and child care practitioners can help children to feel heard. During circle times children can be encouraged to share their personal stories, opinions and feelings.Practitioners can encourage children to speak by asking questions, which will give them the chance to speak and to elaborate. When children’s questions are taken seriously they feel validated and comfortable to seek answers. Taking child’s interests into th e account If a child demonstrates interest in something, practitioners can follow up by offering more opportunities for children to try activities related to his/her interests. By following up on the discussion initiated by the child’s question, it shows the child that the practitioner has heard and appreciated his expression of interest.Empowering children to seek answers engages them in the learning process. Giving children choices When children are given some guided choices appropriately and gradually or whenever possible rather than given commands all the time this helps to build up their decision making ability and self confidence. This is by far better than giving commands alone as giving children commands in upbringing stifles the child’s decision making ability which may result in an overly dependant mindset and a general lack of self confidence.B. Assuming what children are capable of can affect children because practitioners may judge them and treat them diff erently, and children will eventually notice that they are being treated differently which will affect their self –esteem and their social and emotional development. When a child feels that way they may stop trying to achieve or only attempt tasks half-heartedly. They may withdraw from activities and/or the group. This is a self-fulfilling prophecy-the less a child tries, the more likely they are to fail.This reinforces their belief that they will fail and they may try even less as a result. ‘’Discrimination of any kind prevents children and young people from developing a feeling of self-worth or self esteem. The effects of being discriminated against can last the whole of a child’s life. ‘’ C. Meggitt 2007 page 155 If a child is the subject of discrimination, they may have a lack of confidence as a result. But there are also additional issues that may have impact on their learning. Children who are discriminated against are not given equal op portunities in comparison to their peers.This can limit children’s experiences and relationships which in turn affects their learning. â€Å"Children who are discriminated against may not feel they are valued and so may lose confidence, or they may find that other people have low expectations of what they can achieve. This may mean that they are not given the opportunity to acquire new skills or try out new activities as it is assumed they will not be able to cope† Children’s Care Learning and Development Level 2, Heinemann, Page 82.If children are not given equal opportunities to attend settings, participate fully in activities and have their needs met, they are unlikely to learn effectively as children who do not experience discrimination and are therefore treated superiorly. Children are discriminated for a range different reasons for example: A practitioner will not allow boys to play with dolls and the home corner because she thinks they are girls’ t oys. A wheelchair user is encouraged to read a book inside while the other children go outside to play because the practitioner thinks they will not be able to join in with the physical activities.Children may discriminate against other children on account of their differences; this is often the form of name-calling and teasing, and may be directed at children who are either fatter or thinner than others in the group, or who wear different clothes, have a disability or are bilingual . Discrimination against any child regardless of their needs can make them feel isolated and different to other children. Very often children with special needs have a very difficult time trying to fit in with other children especially if they are in a mainstream school.All children can be very unintentionally cruel to one another and should be helped to understand that everyone is different and how this is good. Example: In our setting we promote inclusion and we treat everyone the same and explain to o ther children â€Å"we are alike but different. † C. One theoretical perspective which supports the development of strategies for empowering children is Albert Bandura’s theory. Bandura used the term ‘self efficacy’ to consider the extent in which children believe in themselves. A child with a high self-efficacy believes that they are capable of doing activities and they feel more confident.As a child with low self-efficacy has a low self-esteem and will not feel comfortable about some activities. They may make assumption that the activity is too hard and they can’t do it before even starting it. A. The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 has influenced working practices within the early year’s settings as Schools and nurseries need to ensure that nobody is discriminated on the grounds of gender. The settings needs to ensure that nor boys or girls are discriminated in the provision of play activities or during routines.In my placement we plan activit ies where all the children, boys and girls, are able to take part, for example, dressing up. ‘’The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 makes it unlawful to treat a person less favourably than a member of the other sex’’ http://www. dba. org. uk/pdfs/120-3%20Sex%20Discrimination%20Act. pdf In my setting I have seen that there is a lot of legislation in place to protect and safeguard children, their parents and families. I have found that the legislation plays part on the work practices when in the setting and it reflects on the setting’s policies and procedures.For Example; at my setting we have a policy on behaviour that states no physical punishment is allowed because the Human Right says children and adults have the right of dignity. The Equality Act 2006 has influenced working practices within the early year’s setting as now every setting has an equal opportunities policy which aims to ensure that every member of the school community is given an e qual opportunity to achieve their full potential . It also aims to offer equal opportunities regardless of race, culture, gender orientation, academic ability, physical ability or class.Provide an environment free from social, sexual or cultural prejudice for all members of our school community. Achieve an environment in which members of the school community can be respected as individuals and in which the varied experiences of the community can enrich the life of the school. Race Relations Act 2000 has influences working practices today as every settings take this Act in to the account that racial discriminatory practice is unaccepted . The Act was introduced to make discriminatory practice illegal in the United Kingdom.In practice this will mean that an organisation must be alert on how a setting promotes their service, recruits staff and make the service genuinely accessible to all. The Act defines two types of discrimination: 1. Direct Discrimination – where a person or o rganisation treats another person less favourably because of their colour, race, ethnic or racial origin. 2. Indirect Discrimination – where apparently everyone receives the same treatment, but where that treatment disadvantages people from a certain racial group.Following the Act the Commission for Racial Equality was established in order to help enforce the act, and also to advise the Government and others on issues concerning it. â€Å"The Race Relations Act 1976 and its amendment Act 2000 and the Children Act 1989 place duties on Local Authorities and others to carry out their functions with due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity and to provide racially, culturally and linguistically appropriate. ‘’ http://www. durham-lscb. gov. k/Procedures/appendix5. shtml The Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 strengthened the right of children with disabilities to attend mainstream educational facilities. It is unlawful for any school to discriminate against any disabled children or parents. Ofsted inspectors are now checking that schools are complying with the SENDA and are making sure that children with disabilities have the same rights as other people. The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 cover all four UK nations.It defines a disabled person as ‘someone who has a physical or mental impairment which is substantial and long term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day –to-day activities. Each nation has their own legislation to ensure that children with specific needs are assessed and have their needs met in most appropriate way. Settings are required to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ by either changing policy, providing alternative ways to access a provision, or by addressing physical features which make a service impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled people to use.For example settings can make their provision more accessible by having downstairs toilet s, wider doors and ramps to the front doors. Bibliography Author| Date of publication| Title| Name of publisher| Tassoni et al| 2007| CACHE Level 3 Child Care and Education 4th Edition| Heinemann| Meggitt C et al| 2011| Children and Young People’s Workforce| Hodder Education| Miranda Walker| 2006| Child Care , Learning and Development| Nelson Thornes| Websites http://www. dba. org. uk/pdfs/120-3%20Sex%20Discrimination%20Act. pdf http://www. durham-lscb. gov. uk/Procedures/appendix5. shtml

Read What Gurus Think About Essay Writing Topics for High School

Read What Gurus Think About Essay Writing Topics for High School And, needless to say, the one, which lies in your field of awareness. The actual men and women highly praise our essay help site. Describe your favourite vacation spot. If it's so, then you'll be having some difficult time for a student in addition to being a writer. Explain why parents are from time to time strict. Your parents have decided it's time to receive a part-time job. You will shortly locate the official data about us. Utilizing reliable sources for research is critical. It's possible to verify this information on the web. Even then you're not able to discover the informative and accurate details. Where to Find Essay Writing Topics for High School You're totally free to compare them with the price of similar websites. While the web has a massive collection of advantages, it has some downsides too. Another benefit of our website is the quickness. Anyway, you'll certainly like our price policy. It means when to choose the essay there is required the all types of wisdom and the info. Understand your topic well and make certain you explain your points in easy and understandable language. Categories, essay topics could possibl y be divided into. The main reason for this is that these very topics should be adhered as in regard to provide the meaning. Our writers always create unique content that is absolutely free from all grammatical error. They're experts in various academic disciplines and expert writers at the exact same time. Our technicians will kindly answer each one of your questions. What Does Essay Writing Topics for High School Mean? Though in the event that you drop simple carbs and limit your portion sizes, you do not have to count calories, it's still advisable to know what it is you're eating. Yes, building a peanut butter and jelly sandwich might be thought of a process, but these forms of how-to processes read more like directions, in place of a description of a procedure. In reality, you can make up any topic you want all on your own, as long because there is unlimited amount of those. Inside this instance you're able to approach SameDayEssay. Your orders will be done exactly as you desire. They'll consult you on any situation. How to Write an official Letter. An essay topic won't be in the particu lar way. Nobody really wishes to compose an essay. The most suitable manner is to be adopted to choose the essays. High school essays are structured very similarly whatever the topic and excellent essay structure will allow you to compose a very clear essay that flows from 1 paragraph to the next. Thanks to the correct selection of presentation style and a thorough understanding of the goals you need to attain in your essay, there are plenty of categories essay themes may be broken into. Whether it's necessary to create a paper of special flawlessness, just purchase an essay here and our writers will provide help. Writing this sort of essay enables you to utilize your creativity and imagination, so it's usually an intriguing job. There's a particular procedure of how essays ought to be written. Well, it is a perfect song for a late-night studying. On our site you will discover a lot more useful one of a kind information that will certainly be handy for junior and higher school kids from, like common home task essay about Hamlet, together with, for instance, application essays for college for future students. So far as the students are involved, writing a research paper is among the toughest and frustrating job in their opinion. High school students have to compose essays on a selection of topics which at first may appear to have nothing in common.

How To Design a Science Fair Experiment

A good science fair experiment applies the scientific method to answer a question or test an effect. Follow these steps to design an experiment that follows the approved procedure for science fair projects. State an Objective Science fair projects start with a purpose or objective. Why are you studying this? What do you hope to learn? What makes this topic interesting? An objective is a brief statement of the goal of an experiment, which you can use to help narrow down choices for a hypothesis. Propose a Testable Hypothesis The hardest part of experimental design may be the first step, which is deciding what to test and proposing a hypothesis you can use to build an experiment. You could state the hypothesis as an if-then statement. Example:  If plants are not given light, then they will not grow. You could state a null or no-difference hypothesis, which is an easy form to test. Example: There is no difference in the size of beans soaked in water compared with beans soaked in saltwater. The key to formulating a good science fair hypothesis is to make sure you have the ability to test it, record data, and draw a conclusion. Compare these two hypotheses and decide which you could test: Cupcakes sprinkled with colored sugar are better than plain frosted cupcakes. People  are more likely to choose cupcakes sprinkled with colored sugar than plain frosted cupcakes. Once you have an idea for an experiment, it often helps to write out several different versions of a hypothesis and select the one that works best for you. See  Hypothesis Examples Identify the Independent, Dependent, and Control Variable To draw a valid conclusion from your experiment, you ideally want to test the effect of changing one factor, while holding all other factors constant or unchanged. There are several possible variables in an experiment, but be sure to identify the big three: independent, dependent, and control variables. The independent variable is the one you manipulate or change to test its effect on the dependent variable. Controlled variables are other factors in your experiment you try to control or hold constant. For example, lets say your hypothesis is: Duration of daylight has no effect on how long a cat sleeps. Your independent variable is duration of daylight (how many hours of daylight the cat sees). The dependent variable is how long the cat sleeps per day. Controlled variables might include amount of exercise and cat food supplied to the cat, how often it is disturbed, whether or not other cats are present, the approximate age of cats that are tested, etc. Perform Enough Tests Consider an experiment with the hypothesis: If you toss a coin, there is an equal chance of it coming up heads or tails. That is a nice, testable hypothesis, but you cant draw any sort of valid conclusion from a single coin toss. Neither are you likely to get enough data from 2-3 coin tosses, or even 10. Its important to have a large enough sample size that your experiment isnt overly influenced by randomness. Sometimes this means you need to perform a test multiple times on a single subject or small set of subjects. In other cases, you may want to gather data from a large, representative sample of population. Gather the Right Data There are two main types of data: qualitative and quantitative data. Qualitative data describes a quality, such as red/green, more/less, yes/no. Quantitative data is recorded as a number. If you can, gather quantitative data because its much easier to analyze using mathematical tests. Tabulate or Graph the Results Once you have recorded your data, report it in a table and/or graph. This visual representation of the data makes it easier for you to see patterns or trends and makes your science fair project more appealing to other students, teachers, and judges. Test the Hypothesis Was the hypothesis accepted or rejected? Once you make this determination, ask yourself whether you met the objective of the experiment or whether further study is needed. Sometimes an experiment doesnt work out the way you expect. You may accept the experiment or decide to conduct a new experiment, based on what you learned. Draw a Conclusion Based on the experience you gained from the experiment and whether you accepted or rejected the hypothesis, you should be able to draw some conclusions about your subject. You should state these in your report.