Science Fair:
Why Are Science Fairs Important?
A science fair project can give your child the first chance to design his or her own learning experience, one that allows him or her to innovate, just as scientists do in the real world. Students will be able to explore personal interests to select an area for his or her science fair project, as well as learn the scientific method to answer a question. Each student will also develop skills above and beyond science proficiency, such as:
The Topic Selection Wizard asks you a series of questions about everyday interests and activities then recommends an area of science and science fair project ideas that are best for you.
Science Fair Project Ideas lets you browse through hundreds of science fair project ideas.
Your Science Fair Project Question
A scientific question usually starts with: How, What, When, Who, Which, Why, or Where. Here are some characteristics of a good science fair project question:
Some science fair projects that involve human subjects, mold, vertebrate animals (animals with a backbone) or animal tissue, pathogenic agents, DNA, or controlled or hazardous substances, need approval from your teacher BEFORE you start experimentation. Now is the time to start thinking about getting approval if necessary for your science project.
Examples
These are examples of good science fair project questions:
A science fair project can give your child the first chance to design his or her own learning experience, one that allows him or her to innovate, just as scientists do in the real world. Students will be able to explore personal interests to select an area for his or her science fair project, as well as learn the scientific method to answer a question. Each student will also develop skills above and beyond science proficiency, such as:
- Reading Comprehension and Writing: Doing background research and writing a research paper
- Math: Creating graphs and performing data analysis
- Time Management: Planning a multi-step project
- Communication: Presenting and explaining the science fair project
- Ethics Understanding: Learning about plagiarism and the importance of credit and citations
The Topic Selection Wizard asks you a series of questions about everyday interests and activities then recommends an area of science and science fair project ideas that are best for you.
Science Fair Project Ideas lets you browse through hundreds of science fair project ideas.
Your Science Fair Project Question
A scientific question usually starts with: How, What, When, Who, Which, Why, or Where. Here are some characteristics of a good science fair project question:
- The question should be interesting enough to read about, then work on for the next couple months.
- There should be at least 3 sources of written information on the subject. You want to be able to build on the experience of others!
- Can you measure the results? The experiment should measure changes to the variables using percentage, length, width, weight, voltage, velocity, energy, time, etc. If you can't measure the results of your experiment, you're not doing science!
- Can you conduct a fair test? A "fair test" occurs when you change only one factor (variable) and keep all other conditions the same.
- Is your experiment safe to perform?
- Do you have all the materials and equipment you need for your science fair project, or will you be able to obtain them quickly and at a very low cost?
- Do you have enough time to do your experiment before the science fair?
- Does your science fair project meet all the rules and requirements for the science fair?
Some science fair projects that involve human subjects, mold, vertebrate animals (animals with a backbone) or animal tissue, pathogenic agents, DNA, or controlled or hazardous substances, need approval from your teacher BEFORE you start experimentation. Now is the time to start thinking about getting approval if necessary for your science project.
Examples
These are examples of good science fair project questions:
- How does water purity affect surface tension?
- Which material is the best insulator?
- How does arch curvature affect load carrying strength?
- How do different foundations stand up to earthquakes?