Science Poster Project
Choose your topic from the tabs above. Each page gives you the key science, important vocabulary, diagrams to include, and useful websites. When you're ready to start designing, visit Poster Tips.
Choose a topic
HT1 — How Science Works
The scientific method: asking questions, planning experiments, and drawing conclusions from evidence.
🧪 Key Ideas to Include
- The scientific method — observe, question, hypothesis, experiment, results, conclusion
- Variables — independent (what you change), dependent (what you measure), control (what you keep the same)
- Fair tests — why only changing one variable matters
- Accuracy vs reliability — repeating experiments, anomalous results
- Graphs — bar charts for categoric data, line graphs for continuous data
📐 Diagrams to Draw
- A flowchart of the scientific method
- A labelled graph with axes, title, and a line of best fit
- A table showing IV, DV, and control variables for an example experiment
- An annotated diagram of common lab equipment
📖 Key Vocabulary
HypothesisA testable prediction
Independent variableWhat you change
Dependent variableWhat you measure
Control variableWhat you keep the same
Anomalous resultAn outlier / odd result
ReproducibleOthers get same results
MeanAverage of repeated results
ConclusionWhat the evidence shows
HT2 — Cells
The building blocks of all living things — from tiny bacteria to giant whales.
🧪 Key Ideas to Include
- Animal cell — nucleus, cytoplasm, cell membrane, mitochondria, ribosomes
- Plant cell — all of the above plus cell wall, chloroplast, vacuole
- Prokaryote vs eukaryote — bacterial cells have no nucleus
- Specialised cells — red blood cells, nerve cells, root hair cells, sperm cells
- Microscopy — how we can see cells; magnification
- Organisation — cells → tissues → organs → organ systems
📐 Diagrams to Draw
- Labelled animal cell
- Labelled plant cell (with differences highlighted)
- Two specialised cells with explanations of their adaptations
- The hierarchy: cell → tissue → organ → system
📖 Key Vocabulary
NucleusControls the cell
CytoplasmJelly where reactions happen
Cell membraneControls what enters/leaves
MitochondriaSite of respiration
ChloroplastSite of photosynthesis
Cell wallRigid outer layer (plants)
VacuoleStores sap (plants)
EukaryoteCell with a nucleus
ProkaryoteCell without a nucleus
MagnificationImage ÷ actual size
HT3 — Classifying Matter
Everything around us is made of matter — elements, compounds, and mixtures all behave differently.
🧪 Key Ideas to Include
- Elements — made of one type of atom; found on the periodic table
- Compounds — two or more elements chemically joined; have different properties to the elements
- Mixtures — two or more substances not chemically joined; can be separated
- The periodic table — metals vs non-metals, groups and periods
- Separation techniques — filtration, evaporation, distillation, chromatography
- Atoms and molecules — particle diagrams
📐 Diagrams to Draw
- Particle diagrams for element, compound, and mixture
- A section of the periodic table labelling groups and periods
- A diagram of filtration or chromatography
- Flow chart: how to separate a salt + sand + water mixture
📖 Key Vocabulary
ElementOne type of atom only
CompoundChemically bonded atoms
MixtureNot chemically joined
AtomSmallest unit of an element
MoleculeTwo or more bonded atoms
FiltrationSeparates insoluble solid
DistillationSeparates liquids by b.p.
ChromatographySeparates dissolved dyes
PeriodRow on periodic table
GroupColumn on periodic table
HT4 — Forces
Forces are pushes and pulls that change the speed, shape, or direction of an object.
🧪 Key Ideas to Include
- Contact forces — friction, air resistance, tension, normal reaction
- Non-contact forces — gravity, magnetism, electrostatic
- Resultant force — adding forces together; balanced vs unbalanced
- Gravity — weight = mass × gravitational field strength (W = mg)
- Friction — opposes motion; can be useful or a problem
- Force diagrams — arrows showing size and direction of forces
- Stretching — springs and elastic bands; Hooke's Law
📐 Diagrams to Draw
- Force diagram on a stationary object (balanced forces)
- Force diagram on a moving/accelerating object (unbalanced)
- A labelled diagram showing gravity on Earth vs the Moon
- Extension vs force graph for a spring (Hooke's Law)
📖 Key Vocabulary
ForceA push or pull (Newtons)
WeightGravitational force on mass
MassAmount of matter (kg)
FrictionOpposes motion
ResultantCombined effect of forces
Balanced forcesNo change in motion
TensionPulling force in a string
Hooke's LawExtension ∝ force
Newton (N)Unit of force
GravityNon-contact attractive force
HT5 — Living Things
How we classify the incredible diversity of life on Earth — from bacteria to blue whales.
🧪 Key Ideas to Include
- The five kingdoms — animals, plants, fungi, protists, bacteria
- Classification system — kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species
- Vertebrates vs invertebrates — fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals
- Adaptation — how organisms are suited to their environment
- Ecosystems — food chains, food webs, producers, consumers, decomposers
- Binomial nomenclature — Homo sapiens; two-part naming system
📐 Diagrams to Draw
- A classification tree for vertebrates (with examples)
- A food web from a named ecosystem
- Annotated diagram of an animal showing adaptations
- A Venn diagram comparing plant and animal kingdoms
📖 Key Vocabulary
ClassificationSorting organisms into groups
KingdomLargest classification group
SpeciesOrganisms that can breed
VertebrateHas a backbone
InvertebrateNo backbone
AdaptationFeature that aids survival
ProducerMakes food via photosynthesis
ConsumerEats other organisms
DecomposerBreaks down dead matter
BinomialTwo-part scientific name
HT6 — Matter & Temperature
How particles behave differently in solids, liquids, and gases — and what happens when we heat things up.
🧪 Key Ideas to Include
- Three states of matter — solid, liquid, gas; properties of each
- Particle model — arrangement and movement of particles in each state
- Changes of state — melting, freezing, evaporation, condensation, sublimation
- Melting and boiling points — fixed temperatures for pure substances
- Diffusion — particles spread from high to low concentration
- Density — mass ÷ volume; why solids are usually densest
📐 Diagrams to Draw
- Particle diagrams for solid, liquid, and gas side by side
- A state change diagram with arrows and labels (e.g. melting, boiling)
- A heating curve graph showing melting and boiling points
- A diffusion diagram — particles spreading through a gas
📖 Key Vocabulary
SolidFixed shape and volume
LiquidFixed volume, flows
GasNo fixed shape or volume
Melting pointSolid → liquid temperature
Boiling pointLiquid → gas temperature
EvaporationLiquid → gas (surface)
CondensationGas → liquid
SublimationSolid → gas directly
DiffusionSpreading of particles
DensityMass per unit volume
How to Make a Great Poster
Follow these tips to make your poster clear, informative, and eye-catching.
The golden rules
1
Big title, clear message
Your title should be readable from across the room. State your topic clearly — "How does friction work?" is better than just "Forces".
2
Diagrams do the heavy lifting
Science posters need diagrams. Draw neatly and label everything. A good diagram can replace a paragraph of writing.
3
Don't just copy — explain
Use your own words. Show you understand by explaining what a diagram means, not just drawing it.
4
Balance text and images
Aim for roughly half text, half images. A poster covered in only writing is hard to read. Too many pictures and there's no science.
5
Use colour deliberately
Colour should help — e.g. red for one force, blue for another. Don't use lots of colours just to fill space.
6
Check your spelling
Scientific words matter. Check the key vocabulary list on your topic page before you write anything on your poster.
📐 Layout Guide
A typical A2 portrait poster might look like this:
┌─────────────────────────┐
│ 🏷️ BIG TITLE HERE │
├────────────┬────────────┤
│ │ │
│ DIAGRAM 1 │ DIAGRAM 2 │
│ │ │
├────────────┴────────────┤
│ Key facts / bullet pts │
├────────────┬────────────┤
│ Vocabulary │ Your own │
│ table │ conclusion │
└────────────┴────────────┘
│ 🏷️ BIG TITLE HERE │
├────────────┬────────────┤
│ │ │
│ DIAGRAM 1 │ DIAGRAM 2 │
│ │ │
├────────────┴────────────┤
│ Key facts / bullet pts │
├────────────┬────────────┤
│ Vocabulary │ Your own │
│ table │ conclusion │
└────────────┴────────────┘
✅ Poster Checklist
- Title is large and clearly states the topic
- At least two labelled diagrams included
- Key vocabulary defined or explained
- All scientific words spelled correctly
- Information written in my own words
- Colour used to help explain, not just decorate
- Sources listed at the bottom
- Name and class visible on the poster
🎨 Choosing Colours
Simple colour combinations that look clean and professional:
Navy + Gold
Forest + Cream
Slate + Coral