A science fair project is always a highlight of the school year - one of those times that students can demonstrate their capabilities and creativity. But for many students, one of the most difficult steps is just getting started. Before you can plan your project, and even before you pick a topic, you must first understand the different types of science fair projects. It's very important to choose the right type of project, or all of your effort could be wasted.
There are three different methods you can use for your science fair project: building (or modeling), demonstrating or investigating. When picking among them, there are two things to consider. First, you need to choose the type required by the science fair rules, so make sure you check with your teacher. Second, if you have a choice, pick the type that will enable you to show what you're best at doing.
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 can often be a real working machine, such as a simple crystal radio set, or a straightforward model, such as one of the solar system. 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'. These models can be fun to build and quite spectacular - but they are often more suited to elementary school science fairs because of the relative lack of real 'science' or creativity in most of them. Having said that, though, there can be some spectacular models produced by higher grade level students; especially if the model is actually demonstrating something new.
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. Alternatively, you might produce a poster or visual display about a topic on which you have carried out extensive research -climate change is understandably very popular at the present time. If you choose this form of project, again you are not attempting new science; rather, you are illustrating and explaining scientific principles already known.
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 have ambitions in science, or want to progress to regional or even national science fairs, then this is the area that you really should be looking into. And the choice of science fair project topics is limitless. Decide where your major interest lies - it might be biology, chemistry or physics but it could also be earth science, environmental science, sports science, meteorology or computer science - and then try to develop your own hypothesis and method of testing it. There are many different books and web sites from which you can obtain ideas, but remember, the more individual and unique your project, the better your chances of winning.
Finally, to assure your success, always remain in contact with your teacher about what you are doing, and confirm that you fully understand the science fair rules and guidelines. Then, whichever type of project you decide to undertake, you can enjoy it with confidence!
