Scientific research is very different from how you're probably used to working and learning from school. It is learning by doing and in most cases what you're working on are things which no-one knows the final answers to because it hasn't been done before. There's no looking in the back of the text book here. This makes research both exciting and challenging... and it means you're sure to get stuck at some point! But don't worry, getting unstuck is part of the research process and here's a guide on how you should try to go about it.
If you encounter a problem and you're not immediately sure what to do next, don't just give up. Give it some time to think about where you're at and what you've been doing. Perhaps doing some more reading of the project guide or other sources will provide the solution or insight you need? Maybe thinking around the problem will lead to a different approach which will work.
Scientists rarely work in isolation. Collaboration is an important part of discovery because combining lots of people's thoughts and opinions into your projects will of course be better than going solely off of only one. So discuss within your groups at your school, maybe talk to other students who aren't doing exactly the same thing as you. You may find that together you'll decide what to do next.
If as a group you're still unsure of what to do next, just ask for help! Because this is research you shouldn't equate asking questions when stuck as "looking stupid". Go to your teacher, explain what you've been doing, where you're currently at and what problems you're facing. If they can't help you straight away, they'll get in touch with us. We'd much rather you make progress rather than drop out because you were too afraid or stubborn to ask for help, so don't wait too long... but also bear in mind we do want you to try and get yourself unstuck first!