Your child comes to you and says, “I want to do a science fair project.” Your child has never entered a science fair before and doesn’t know what type of project to do and you have no idea how to help or what to do. Where do you look for ideas? Where do you go to find out what you need to know?
Deciding on a Project: A good project does not necessarily need to be complicated. Read A cheesy project can be a great one to see how even the simple things in life can be the center of a good science project.
There are many sites on the internet that you can search to get project ideas. Here are three to get you started:
- Science Buddies
- All Science Fair Projects
- Fact Monster
E-books on Science fair projects are also available for download, however these are not free. If you are considering purchasing an E-book, try Super Science Fair Projects eBook. If your child is in middle school, you may want to download the ebook series Science Fair Success Books for middle school students. (Both of these two downloads cost $19.95 each.)
The project has been decided, now what?
After your child has decided on a project, you will need to make sure he or she has a good understanding of the scientific method. If your child doesn’t, it will be difficult to set up the various stages of the chosen project and then later to develop a good display. Judges will want to see that a child understands the scientific method and is able to display this knowledge in relation to the project. (See related articles below)
One article, The scientific method made simple, will give you an overview of each step. Another site that you may want to check out is scientific method for kids. If you feel your child needs additional instruction on the process itself, I’ve written an article, Helping your child organize a Science Fair Project that gives you an overview of a teacher’s guide that is available specifically for this purpose. Additionally, here are some ‘visual aids’ that you might find helpful to use with your child, before and during the actual scientific process of completing the project:
- Scientific Method Flash Cards, click here
- PowerPoint presentation #1, click here
- PowerPoint presentation #2, click here
The project itself is completed, now what about the display?
- Creating a great display board for middle school projects
- Adding color to a Science Fair project display
- Science Fair 101: Evaluation of a Science Fair project – What you need to know
In the coming week, I will be publishing two new articles, on this topic. One will demostrate how a project on fingerprints can be done and the other will cover research reports.
(Photo: PhotoXpress/T.Tulic-CC)
Homeschoolers can participate in their regional and state Science Fairs.
The 2010 Denver Regional Science Fair for students grades 6 through 12 will be held February 24 – 25, 2010 at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Counties included for this region: Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Clear Creek, Denver, Douglas, Grand, Jefferson, Summit
Registration Deadline: January 29, 2010 (Click here to learn more)
To learn about Science Fairs in Colorado go to:
Colorado State Science Fair, Inc.
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