What Makes A Good Science Fair Project?

A good science fair project is an idea that drives the student in a journey of discovery motivated by curiosity. It basically starts with a question or a hypothesis with some background research. This is developed into an experiment or procedure and produces data from which the student draws conclusions to prove the hypothesis and answers the question.

A good science fair project is not expensive and time consuming, but it requires some careful planning and bright ideas. Projects can be frustrating only when they are given at the last minute.

A good science fair project should make it happen and improve the results. There are different ways to accomplish and produce best results. A good Science Fair Project directs the student's work towards a specific result or prospects. Experiments, which are undirected, cannot be science projects.

The most important part for a good science fair project is to conduct a background research. A procedure or an experiment is developed to investigate the hypothesis. Perform the experiment and collect experimental data and analyze it. After analyzing, derive a conclusion. Finally, displaying the good science fair project and explaining the means of conducting the experiment, describing what was done, developing the results and arriving to a conclusion. This is the basic process, and getting it right is key. Unfortunately, most students skip a step or put them in the wrong order, and that makes it very easy to determine whether or not it is a good science fair project right away.

The judges appreciate the display of the science fair project. Memorized speeches and descriptions should be avoided, as it may frustrate the judges. The students should practice certain questions that are to be posed by the judges and try to answer them. They must rightly interpret the data that they have collected. Fully understanding a project would make a good science fair project.

Parents and teachers should encourage the students to develop a good science fair project. Students should develop projects of their own and not from anyone's compulsion which would make the project a mediocre one. Take a good idea that you find on the internet or in a science book and make a slight modification to ensure that your project is unique, or simply find a very unique source. Free forums and websites are good, but the projects there are overdone. To produce a good science fair project and enter a science fair competition, it is preferred that the project that is chosen should be of the student's choice.

Judges usually look for original projects. Original science fair projects go one step forward by exploring new grounds and creative techniques. Science fair projects should be original in scientific concepts and should come up with new ways to solving an old problem in a newer or better way. With just producing one new idea would make a good science fair project. Rehashing the traditional science fair projects is no way to stand out.

A good science fair project should have a super idea to impress the judges. A direct, simple objective would not make the judges scratch their heads. So make a well defined goal or objective for the project. The judges must know that the project is understood clearly by the student and that he or she has a deep understanding of the basic science behind the project. The student should also know all the scientific terms, techniques and principles and use them while presenting the project. This would certainly make a good science fair project.

Jordan Matthews is a High School Math and Science teacher who has worked as a judge and a coordinator of many science fairs. Check his Good Science Fair Project ideas website for some more ideas and information.