Science Fair Project Examples: Tips for Getting Started with a Science Fair Project as a High Schooler
Creating your own science fair project as a high school student has so many benefits — from building meaningful skills to sparking joy and excitement in students to even helping bolster your college applications.
In this blog post, we are sharing different ways that high school students can benefit from working on their own science fair projects. We will also discuss science fair project examples, as well as how to get started as a high schooler.
What is a science fair project for high school students?
Similarly to a passion project, a science fair project is an individualized or independent research of a science topic that allows students to pursue and present their own areas of interest within science and — as the name suggests — using a scientific method. In a science fair project, students have an opportunity to develop various skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, time management and communication. There are a myriad of choices for students to get involved!
Examples of common science fair project examples include:
How music affects animal behavior
The effect of different types of fertiliser for plant growth
The impact of exercise on heart rate
The effect of temperature on the rate of chemical reactions
How do constellations change in the night sky over different periods of time?
Race a balloon-powered car
While the goal of a science fair project is most definitely to excite and engage students, it is worth mentioning that it can also help high schoolers stand out on their college applications. Many highly qualified candidates applying to top universities have similar profiles: high GPAs and test scores, leadership and volunteer roles, stellar recommendation letters and numerous extracurriculars. A science fair project can help set a student apart, by giving admissions officers insight into their scientific interests, curiosity, and drive.
Benefits of science fair projects for high schoolers
Now that we have covered some common science fair project examples, there are a number of benefits to working on a science fair project as a high schooler — some of which we are sharing below.
Showcase Your Knowledge & Projects
Above all, science fair projects give high school students an opportunity to exhibit their scientific topics of interest. Many ambitious high schoolers spend their time focusing on academics and test scores, but science fair projects allow these students to also find time to learn about the science topics that make them happy and present them. Science fair projects still encourage students to make achievements, but they also encourage enjoyment, excitement, inspiration, and creativity.
Highlighting Problem-Solving Skills
When students work on a meaningful project, they build meaningful skills. While working on a science fair project, students can practice leadership, communication, innovation and ingenuity — just to name a few. In addition to developing these “soft skills,” science fair projects often involve complex problems and developing creative solutions. This demonstrates a student’s problem solving skills, which are highly valued in college and in many careers.
Bolster Your College Applications
As we shared earlier in this post, science fair projects can help students stand out in their college applications. A science fair project will demonstrate a student’s ability to conduct research, design experiments and draw conclusions based on data. These skills are highly valued in competitive colleges looking to recruit STEM students and are a good indicator of academic achievement.
Examples of science fair projects for high school students
Now that you have learned more about science fair projects and the many benefits for high school students, you can begin to consider what type of science fair project to pursue. What type of science fair project can a high schooler work on? Let’s take a look at some in-depth science fair project examples for high school students!
Optimizing Plant Growth (using Technology!)
The purpose of this project is to determine how technology can be used to optimize plant growth. The student will investigate how different types of technology, such as grow lights, can be used to create ideal growing conditions for plants. The student will then design and conduct their own experiment to test the effects of a specific technology on plant growth.
To conduct this experiment, the student will research the different types of technology used for plant growth. The student will then use the different types of technology and monitor the growth of the plant over a period of three to four weeks. Measure the plant’s height at the end of each week.
This project will help you develop skills in experimental design, data analysis and biology concepts such as plant growth and photosynthesis.
You may also like this blog post on Plant Science Fair Project Ideas.
The Effect of Exercise on Heart Rate
The purpose of this project is to determine the effect of exercise on heart rate. The heart rate is the number of times the heart beats per minute and is an indicator of cardiovascular health. This project will investigate how different types of exercise affect heart rate.
To conduct this experiment, the student will measure their or someone else’s heart rate and perform a variety of exercises, such as jogging, jumping jacks and sit-ups, for a set amount of time. The student will measure the heart rate immediately after exercising and then at regular intervals for a set period of time. The student will record their findings and analyze the results.
This project will help the student develop skills in data analysis and biology concepts such as the cardiovascular system and aerobic exercise. This project could also have practical applications, as the results could understand the impact of different types of exercises on their heart health.
The Effect of Temperature on the Bounce of a Basketball
The purpose of this project is to determine the effect on temperature on the bounce of a basketball. Temperature can affect the elasticity of the rubber used in basketballs, which can affect the height of the bounce. This project will investigate how changing the temperature of a basketball can affect the height of a bounce.
The student will need to bounce a basketball at different temperatures, ranging from room temperature to below freezing. The student will also observe the behaviour of the basketball at different temperatures, such as changes in shape or surface texture.
This project will help the student develop skills in experimental design, data analysis and physics concepts such as elasticity and thermal properties.
How you can get started with a science fair project as a high schooler
We have shared a number of different science fair project examples to help you get started, but at the end of the day, a science project is about exploring what makes YOU excited. Use these ideas as inspiration as you brainstorm for your own project.
If you are looking to create your own science fair project as a high schooler, you may be interested in our AI + X 1:1 Research Mentorship program at Inspirit AI. This includes a Science Fair Weekly Open Lab: a new open lab session with an Inspirit mentor, to understand the process of identifying, selecting, and applying for high school journals and science fair competitions tailored to your interest area! Taught by our team of graduate students from Stanford, MIT, and more, students receive 10 one-on-one mentorship sessions with an experienced AI research mentor.
Pursuing a science fair project as a high school student has so many benefits and at Inspirit AI, we are excited to see the amazing work that our students will continue to create!
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.
