Science fair projects can be the most memorable part of your science class, giving you an opportunity to show your abilities and creativity. But for many students, one of the most difficult steps is just getting started. As a first step, make sure you understand the different types of science fair projects. Take the time to choose the right type of science fair project, so that your time and effort are not wasted doing the wrong things.
There are three different methods you can use for science fair projects: building (or modeling), demonstrating or investigating. When picking among them, there are two things to consider. First, read the science fair rules to find out what type of project is required, and be sure to confirm it with your teacher. Second, if you have a choice, pick the type that will enable you to show what you’re best at.
The Model Building Method
The model building method is the kind of project which, as the name implies, enables you to construct a model, to scale whenever possible, to illustrate a specific scientific principle. This could be as simple as a model of the solar system, or a real working machine. Many of us have seen the model of an erupting volcano in which the chemical reaction between baking soda and vinegar causes realistic looking ‘lava’ flows down the sides of a ‘mountain’. Building models is a lot of fun, but don’t expect it to win your high school science fair. Models are most often used in elementary school fairs. Some students do create unusual or dramatic models, which can be used demonstrate new ideas.
The Demonstration
The demonstration or descriptive method of research is again fairly self-explanatory. Here, you might display a collection of objects or interesting artifacts (for example, your rock collection) connected with a topic (geology) and describe them in detail on your display board, or in your report or speech. As an alternative, you could use a visual project display board to describe the research you performed. When you do this kind of project, you are not doing anything new, but only explaining or illustrating known scientific principles.
The Scientific Experiment (Investigation)
It is with the third of the possible methods that you can provide what most science fairs for older students are looking for – proper scientific experiments using scientific methods to construct and test a hypothesis and draw conclusions from it. If you are interested in a science career, or would like to move on the regional or national science fair, then you should be looking into this area. And the choice of science fair project topics is limitless. Biology, chemistry and physics projects are common, but if your interest lies elsewhere, consider geology, environment, meteorology, or even sports science. Develop a hypothesis around your interest, and then find a method of testing it. Books and web sites can be valuable sources for project ideas, but the more novel and distinctive your project, the more interested the judges will be.
Remember, it is important to keep your teacher informed about your progress, and confirm that you know the rules and requirements for your science fair. Then, no matter what science projects you choose to do, you can enjoy the experience, confident that you have chosen well!
