Making a science project that is just a visual demonstration of some scientific principal can get boring. A fun and innovative way to bring new excitement to a science fair project is to make one that has working parts or aspects that can make the scientific principal in question come alive and be a much more effective teaching tool.

One of the easiest projects that you can do for a science project is to make a working volcano. To make one of these, simply make a mock volcano out of mud, dirt, or any other workable material and leave a hollowed chamber in the middle with a hole coming out the top. You can furnish the volcano with any embellishment that you want, such as trees, plants or even villages. For the volcanic eruption, mix two cups of vinegar, two drops of red food coloring, and one cup of starch and pour it into the hollowed out section of the volcano. Then, pour two table spoons of baking soda into the hole and watch the eruption take place.

This project demonstrates the electrical currents in everyday produce such as a potato. Gather a potato, a copper wire, a metal nail and a light bulb. Skin the potato and insert the copper wire into one end and the nail into the other end. Then, wrap the copper wire around the nail, leaving one end sticking outward. Then, simply touch the wire to the light bulb and watch the magic of electricity. You might need to use several potatoes. If one doesn’t work, try using a larger one.

You can demonstrate irrigation simply without too many resources for a working science project. Simply fill two flat, shallow boxes about three fourths of the way full with loose soil. Set them on a flat table with a small wedge beneath them to make the boxes slightly tilt one way. Then, cut a notch in the ends of each box at its lower end and put a jar underneath it. In one of the boxes, make canals that run vertically downward towards the notch. In the other box, make canals in horizontal patterns instead. Sprinkle about a cup or two of water into the boxes and watch irrigation do its work.

Buoyancy can be demonstrated relatively easily as a working project. Simply fill up two different pails, one with fresh water and one with salt water. Then, place a heavy, but buoyant object in the water. This can be something such as a large plastic bottle, an airtight metal tin or an egg. This demonstrates how salt water allows buoyant objects to float longer than they do in fresh water.