Archive for October, 2009

Picking the right ideas for a science fair project

An idea can make or break your science fair project. So put in some effort when you choose the idea to make a project. What ideas work best? The ones that are the simplest to apply. Its easy to do a science fair project on something that is familiar. Don’t take too many variables into the project. Keep a simple step wise procedure as your plan.

Once you work out what the plan is, try not to make too many changes to it. Some changes will come in, so be flexible enough to accept them. Don’t get stressed out unnecessarily. Like if you are looking forward to painting your model red and can only find white paint. Relax.

It is not that big a deal. The important thing is that it works. The color is not that important. Sure its not what you wanted but its okay. So while you get a great idea to work, stay practical and don’t become too much of a perfectionist. Most of all don’t forget to have some fun. Here’s a set of guidelines that will help.

Make sure you put your idea through all the parameters that you can think of before beginning to transform it into your science fair project. Remember the more you plan ahead, the easier you will find it to work on the project. So put in a bit more effort when you formulate the plan and it will all be easy sailing.

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Making that Perfect Display for your Science Project

You have worked hard on your science project. You went through mountains of ideas and picked out the best one. Then you got to work building up your model. You went through the whole process and finally got your experiments right. Now you have the perfect science fair project in your hands. You are waiting eagerly for the day of the science fair.

The day that every one gets to see the great project you made. Just a little thought here, have you considered how you are going to display your wonderful project? Is there a display board accompanying your model to explain exactly what it is all about? Or will you personally explain just what your project is all about to each and every person who walks across to see it?

Here are a few things that you can do as even an elementary science project needs a great display. That’s why you must not leave the display to chance. You need to put in a bit of effort into just how you want to show off your model or experiment or what ever you have made for the science fair. The ideas given in this post will help you to do just that.

Why not make the perfect display for your Science Project. After all you did make the perfect science project.

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Converting Ideas into Science Fair projects

When you think about a science fair you need to get the right project to motivate you. There are many ideas that can float around in your head. The more ideas you get, the more confused you get about which one is the right one to convert into a science project. This overflowing number of ideas is what you need to deal with.

So how do you sift through them all to come down to the right one? You put in a few questions to see if  an idea will easily convert into a science project worthy of the science fair. We can call these questions “Parameters”. So if an idea passes the first parameter, it moves into the second round of consideration. Rather like the boxer who must keep defeating his opponents till the final game to the championship.

You get the idea. First get all the ideas that you can and write them down. Now test them against your parameters such as “how much will it cost” or “how long will it take to do” or “is this safe to handle without an adult”. Once you do this exercise you will find that a number of the impractical ideas drop away.

Then you are left with some good ones that will actually work as a great science fair project. Here’s a sample project that I worked out that can guide you. Naturally you can add your own ideas and find something that works better for you. Have fun in the idea sorting process.

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Magnets and Science Projects

I was about three years old when I first remember handling a magnet. The two long magnets that would attract and repel at opposite ends were fascinating. I knew nothing about the north pole and south pole on a magnet at that time. I was just delighted that I could make one magnet move without even touching it by merely bring the second one close to it.

As I grew up and studied the principles behind the phenomena the mystery diminished some what about the magnets, but the fascination did not. I still love to play with magnets if I have the time. They come in so many different shapes and sizes. Be they round or rectangular, all I need is a set of iron filings around so make a game out of them.

There are so many easy and simple games that you can play. You can even convert it into a science project. Trying to see how many pins you can attach to the end of a magnetized pin is great fun. And if you use magnets of different shapes ans sizes you will be able to get enough statistical data to actually make a science project out of your playful experiments.

Magnets are a great base to make a science fair project. They are not very expensive, are easily available and can contribute to many safe experiments. Use your magnets in this project on Electromagnetism to prove that there’s more to the magnet than just fun and games.

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How to Present Your Science Fair Project

The science fair is not just a place to try out science experiments and learn about science. It is also a place where you can perfect your people skills.  You have to interact with the judges and impress them. Its not all about the science project at the fair. It is also about how you introduce it to the judges.

While some students are naturally good at getting their point across well, others need to practice a bit before they give a presentation on their science projects. In fact even if you are confident of presenting the project well, you might want to consider a mock presentation on family and friends before the main event.

This article here will help you improve your science fair presentation skills. There are a few good pointers that you can learn from. So be sure to read it and then give the best presentation ever for your science fair project. After all if you have put in so much effort to make a great project, it would make sense to put in a bit more effort to present it well.

Winning an award at the science fair can be a thrilling achievement. So why not put your best foot forward and actually get a great project at the show? Like I told you, the science fair is not just about science. Its also about the people behind the science.

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Emperor Nero’s Science Project

Do you think revolving restaurants are clever? Have you ever been to one? Just imagine you sit down to your meal facing one direction and by the time its over you are facing a different one. Considering that most of them are constructed at a certain height and have glass windows all around the experience can be fun. They too can be inspiration for a science project.

Guess what that’s got to do with Emperor Nero? Yes the Roman Emperor most famous for fiddling while Rome burnt. Recently archeological evidence has turned up at a dig on top of Palatine Hill that might suggest that Emperor Nero was the founder of the revolving restaurant. The dig at his banquest hall has thrown up the foundation room, and the mechanism for rotating the area, besides parts of the royal kitchen.

The rotating space built to impress the Emperor’s guests was to imitate the Earth’s movement. It is believed to have rotated constantly, night and day. That has to be the best science project that the Emperor Nero undertook. Naturally he had the resources and help to make it possible at that large a scale.

Even if you can’t make a science experiment that makes your room rotate, there are others that you can do using the same principle. If you are stuck for ideas feel free to check out some here. I’m sure you’ll find something to your liking. Even if it isn’t quite as grand as the science project that Emperor Nero constructed!

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