High School Science Fair Projects: How Can You Get Started on Your Journey?
Are you a high school student looking to work on a science fair project? In this blog post, we are sharing a few different ways to get started on high school science fair projects and the numerous benefits science fairs bring to students!
What is a High School Science Fair Project?
Every year, multiple science fairs are hosted throughout each country and state for students who want to showcase their well-developed and research-backed scientific ideas. A science fair project is an idea you bring to these competitions.
Although it may seem simple, this project must be planned efficiently, researched thoroughly, and tested sufficiently.
How Can You Get Started on your Journey?
To get started on this long journey, it is best to take it step by step. Although it will take months to create a project, it will all be worth it in the end.
#1: Find a Science Fair to Participate in
Before you begin your journey, it is important to understand your endpoint. In this case, your endpoint is the science fair you decide to compete in. If you decide to begin this voyage, you must be prepared to go to a specific tournament. But this is no problem. There are many websites and advertisements that can inform you of fairs near or around you. Just in case, since some, even most, competitions require registration before experimenting, once you figure out which competition you would like to go to, register for it as well.
#2: Observe Past Winners and their Projects
To understand what you are getting yourself into, it is best to understand what judges at these fairs are looking for. To do such, you can observe and look into past winners of science fairs and the specifics of their projects. By observing such, you are given an idea of what is deemed acceptable and outstanding to judges. You are able to understand the type of standard and expectation you are compared to. After observing these things, you have now gained a newfound sense and idea of how to approach your project
#3: Brainstorm Project Ideas
After completing the steps above, it is time to figure out what you would like to bring to this competition. "What would I like to show these judges?" "What are some scientific mysteries or issues that interest me?" "What is a topic that I have the resources to research about?" These are all examples of questions you should consider asking yourself. These questions can help to narrow down your ideas to one or a few that seem the most appealing. Make sure your topic fits under one of the categories presented within the science fair you choose to attend.
#4: Begin Researching
As you have finished your research, it is time to start experimenting. But, before you do so, you must complete your registration. Many science fairs require registration.
Now that you have decided on what you would like to present in the competition, it is time to start researching. Begin your research by looking at papers or articles written on a topic related to yours. After getting a general idea of your topic, start to specify your research and delve deeper. Keep in mind, through all of this research. It is best to have a notebook of some sort to note down observations, measurements, diagrams and etc. But, most importantly, keep track of your sources. Citing sources within a bibliography and giving credit to those well deserved of such is a crucial step within your science fair project. Remember to spend a good amount of your time on research, as it becomes the basis and support of all of your knowledge for your project.
#5: Plan and Start Experimenting
Before experimenting, it is important you plan it out. Remember, when you have a goal, you must know how to reach it. In this case, your goal is the experiment, and you much know what you will be experimenting on and how you will do so. Planning your experiment may include the following steps: drafting out materials, procedures, and expected results. After you do such, you may begin experimenting.
When experimenting, it is suggested by many that you videotape or record your observations and results. This action will help to keep a log of progress in your results. Also, be sure to always analyze your findings and draw scientific conclusions from them.
#6: Begin Assembling your Finished Product
Now that you have finished planning and experimenting, it is time to start assembling. Before you start assembling your project board and presentation, be sure to look over lists provided by the competition on what is allowed and not. It is important to look at what the competition forbids and accepts in order to secure your position at the tournament. And when assembling your project display, look over the criteria and restrictions provided by the competition to make sure your project falls under its parameters.
By this point, after completing these steps, you should be finished and ready to go for the fair!
Examples of High School Science Fair Projects
In case you are unable to decide fully on what you would like to present in your science fair, here are a few examples of former winning ideas:
Can ocean acidification be lowered with aquatic plants?
Can plants survive without sunlight?
Are dandelions able to inhibit bacterial growth and have other health benefits?
How to improve the inspection of pipes using infrared thermography?
Can a paper towel made from discarded fruit peels kill bacteria and absorb water?
Will educating about organ donation have a significant impact on intent for organ donation?
Can neural networks help us discover exoplanets more efficiently?
How can water collection be safer and more efficient by using an unmanned aerial vehicle (drone)?
Finding a cure for long-QT syndrome: would atenolol work?
Can a different technology be used to create better 3D images?
Final Thoughts
High school science fair projects are a great way to showcase your academic achievements to colleges. Colleges look for a few different things in students, and although the most common misconception says it's just your grades, it's actually your achievements and awards. Science fairs are an excellent resume-building activity that showcase your determination and commitment to academic achievement.
But, besides being able to bolster college applications, the science fair project you may work on will come with many other benefits. The project teaches you to plan ahead, organize, make analytical observations, and be punctual.
About Inspirit AI
AI Scholars Live Online is a 10 session (25-hour) program that exposes high school students to fundamental AI concepts and guides them to build a socially impactful project. Taught by our team of graduate students from Stanford, MIT, and more, students receive a personalized learning experience in small groups with a student-teacher ratio of 5:1.
