Starting a Science Project

What Makes A Good Science Project?

Some advice from a science fair judge

The Parts of a Science Project

The idea behind a science project is to discover “what happens if.” What happens to one thing if you change something else?

Science Fair Projects: Understanding and Using the Scientific Method

The scientific method is extremely important to your science fair project, and understanding it is critical to the success of your science fair experiment.

Questions From Science Judges

How did you come up with the idea for this project? and more

Earth Science Projects For Beginners

What Kind of Trash Bag Breaks Down Fastest?

Americans generate about 4.6 pounds of trash per person—every day. Test different types of trash bags, and determine which type of bag is the most biodegradable.

For reference: Plastic, The Three R’s of the Environment, User’s Guide to Environmental Language

Make Your Own Lightning

Find out how lightning works in a storm by safely creating mini-lighting bolts.

For reference: Thunderstorms and Lightning, Lightning

Make Your Own Wind Measure

A simple gauge to measure how strong the wind is blowing.

For reference: Measuring the Wind, Wind

Is One Room of Your House Colder Than Another?

Identify the temperature variations of different parts of your house, and then to figure out what causes the differences to occur.

For reference: Measuring the Temperature, Temperature

What Factors Are Conducive to Fog?

Identify when fog occurs by keeping a weather journal over the course of two months

For reference: Dew, Fog

Make a Thermometer

A thermometer measures heat energy. Build a simple one.

For reference: Measuring the Temperature, Fahrenheit and Celsius (Centigrade) Scales, Thermometer

Solar Hot Dog Cooker

Instructions on building a solar-powered hot-dog cooker.

For reference: Solar Energy

Earth Science Projects For Intermediate Levels

Which Materials Insulate Best Against Windchill?

The windchill factor is not an actual temperature, but a measure of how quickly heat is lost from an object. Experiment with different materials to check out which ones protect water exposed to wind.

For reference: Revised Wind Chill Index, Convection

Do Clouds Tell Us What Weather Is Coming?

Observing clouds can tell us a lot about what kind of weather to expect. The experiment described in this section will help you to know what to look for when using clouds to predict upcoming weather.

For reference: Clouds and Cloud Formation, Ten Major Cloud Types, Cloud, What Kind of Cloudy Is It?

Solar Hot Dog Cooker

Instructions on building a solar-powered hot-dog cooker.

For reference: Solar Energy

What Factors Most Affect Evaporation?

Experiment to test the different factors that affect the evaporation rate of water.

For reference: Evaporation, Potential and Kinetic Energy

Earth Science Projects For Advanced Levels

How Can Different Polymers Be Identified?

Examine six types of plastic and make comparisons between all of them. Can you differentiate between various types of plastic, based on their physical and chemical properties?

For reference: Plastic, Polymer, The Three R’s of the Environment, User’s Guide to Environmental Language

How Much Oxygen Is in the Air?

You can test how much oxygen is in the air by making a controlled environment and using a common material to pull the oxygen out of the air.

For reference: The Atmosphere, Nitrogen, Oxygen

Which Is More Acidic, Snow or Rain?

You can measure the acidity of rain and snow in your area using the pH scale and pH paper to find out which is more acid.

For reference: Acid Rain, pH, The pH Scale