How to Choose a Science Fair Project

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By ampersand
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Choose a Science Fair Project

It seems like every year science fair projects are required at school. They're sometimes fun, but coming up with a topic to present can be difficult. Here are some tips for coming up with a topic that's do-able and interesting.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

powers of observation
a questioning mind

Step 1

OBSERVE THE WORLD AROUND YOU. Every day we come into contact with things that have scientific aspects to them. We use technology, power, our own bodies; we enjoy nature and created aspects of the world.
Step 2

MAKE A LIST OF QUESTIONS. These questions don't have to be super-complex, and they don't have to be really simple. Just write them all down on a sheet of paper.

Examples: Why do we use toothpaste to clean our teeth? Why are some clothes made of cotton and other clothes made of other materials? How do eggs get from a chicken to my house? Which brand of laundry detergent really does a better job cleaning? What makes a car go?
Step 3

EVALUATE YOUR QUESTIONS. Take a look at all of the questions you've written down. Think of them in terms of testable qualities. In other words, would it be possible to figure out an experiment using toothpaste? It would be easy to clean one surface with toothpaste, one with water, and one with vinegar. But what surface would you be cleaning? You'd want something similar to teeth, because your question is about toothpaste, and we use toothpaste on teeth as a rule. Maybe you have a surface similar to teeth, maybe you don't. Evaluate all of your questions in this manner.
Step 4

CHOOSE THE MOST INTERESTING AND FEASIBLE. Now that you've thought through your questions and figured out which ones could be experimented upon, choose the one that interests you most. Write up a design for your experiment so you don't forget your question and how you're going to test it, and you're off toward the blue ribbon!