Every year, students across the country fret over what to do for their science fair project. Since a good project can garner statewide or even national recognition, it's little wonder students put so much effort into winning. Besides science fair projects, some students may be required to produce projects for their science class as part of a larger assignment. Either way, developing a project can be done with a little thought and consideration.
Choosing a Broad Area
If allowed to choose the area of science for a project, students should consider this seriously. Creating a project in an area of interest may lead to finding a career path. Moreover, noteworthy projects look good on a high school resume and can be a factor in receiving a scholarship. So students should consider all the fields of science before choosing. Consider which most appeals among: biology, chemistry, physics, microbiology, biochemistry, medicine, environmental science, earth science, computer science or engineering.
Refine the Area to a Field
Whether you are allowed to choose the area or must choose from an assigned area, you can further refine your project definition by looking at the fields within the various areas. For instance, in biology, you could consider botany, human physiology or zoology. In physics you might consider astronomy, electricity, thermodynamics or forces and motion. Perhaps microbiology would be of interest, in which case you could present a project on bacteria, viruses, fungi or yeast. If you think you would like to be an engineer, consider these fields: electrical engineering, civil engineering and mechanical engineering. Earth sciences are often popular choices for projects. In them you can demonstrate elements of geology, meteorology and oceanography. Computer science offers all sorts of math-related fields such as probability, statistics, algebra, geometry and programming demonstrations in everything from AI (artificial intelligence) to simulations.
Choosing a Project
Once you have narrowed down the project to a field of interest, consider what things about that field you have studied either in class or on your own initiative. Do some research in libraries and on the computer. Find the latest journals, magazines and online articles regarding anything to do with your topic. It's from these current resources that you'll most likely find your project idea. Remember that some projects will be presentations of information, as students can't be expected to perform, for example, nuclear experiments. But you could, for instance, build a model to demonstrate how earthquakes happen and show plate movement and the damage caused. Also, search sites for project ideas that can be performed.
Here Are a Few Ideas
Among classic ideas is building a volcano model or creating a tornado or a cloud in a bottle. You could also compare the growth rate of plants with and without the use of hormones or fertilizer, or simply by using different plant foods. Do an experiment with hydroponics or aeroponics. Show or determine if ants prefer one type of food over another. Show bacterial transformation. Assess the intelligence of cockroaches in a maze. Build a magnetometer and study how the Earth's magnetic fields are affected by solar storms.
Make a sidereal pointer that aids in locating celestial objects. Create models of the solar system or of comets. Demonstrate make metal float. Demonstrate how the shape and mass of an object affects its velocity when sinking in water. Show how changes in air pressure can force an egg into a bottle. Demonstrate magnetic field shielding. Show how temperature change can affect the current, voltage and power generated by a solar cell. Build a levitating train using magnets.
In the field of dermatology, do a study on the effectiveness of various sunscreens against UV light. Do experiments that show which types of soil erode the worst and under which conditions. Show which types of soil absorb liquid pollution the least and the most. There are virtually hundreds of potential project ideas out there.
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