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Pick A Topic

How to do this section:

  1. Sit down with a paper and pencil (it's okay if you want to use a pen).
  2. Make a list of things you like to do; sports, games, hobbies, etc.
  3. Now make a list of things you enjoy reading or hearing about.
  4. Do any of the things on your "like to do list" match your "reading / hearing list"?
  5. Single out two or three things matching both categories.
Don't go wild with your project ideas. You can't build the space shuttle or even ride on it. The biggest problem kids have with their projects is that they choose something too ambitious. You need to be able to have access to and be able to use any equipment you need. Be careful not to choose something that will cost a lot of money.

Pick one of the topics and write a sentence describing what you will do.
Links 
Sites to help you in your project
1. ScienzFair Projects
http://members.aol. com/ScienzFair/ideas.htm
Hosted at AOL but available to anyone on the Web.  This is the best collection of science fair project ideas from multiple sites.  Includes links to supporting materials.
2. Science Fairs Home Page
http://www.stemn et.nf.ca/~jbarron/scifair.html
Arranges science projects by grade level.  This is a collection of real science fair project descriptions.   The project ideas are brief and do not include details on how to put the project together.
3. The Ultimate Science Fair Resource:  The Idea Bank & The Idea Board
http://www.scifair.org/ideas/
The Idea Board is a Web board for students are sharing ideas with each other .  The Idea Bank is a collection of ideas from the archives of the Idea Board and from the Ultimate Science Fair resource editors.
4. Science Fair Central: Students Getting Started:  Project Ideas
http://www.school.discovery.com/sciencefaircentral/scifai rstudio/ideas.html
Discovery Channel's Discovery School site elementary school level project ideas and descriptions.
5.  Internet Public Library - Science Fair Project Resource Guide - Choosing a Topic
http://www.ipl.org/youth /projectguide/topic.html
Sample project ideas and collection of links to many other sites with science fair project ideas


Jenna's Diary

January 15th

"Hi, I'm Jenna.""I'm in seventh grade. Our science fair is March 17th. I really liked the one last year, but I didn't do very well. I had a great idea but I got started late. I tried to build a model of an engine, and it was just too hard."

 

"I told my mom that this year I wanted to do better."

We are sitting in the kitchen talking about this year's project:

"Jenna, we have to start by picking a topic. You really need to do something that is fun. What do you like to do?"

"Well mom, I like to ride my bike, watch TV, listen to CD's, go to 4H, and read."

"Okay honey, but remember your science book says that your project has to show something that changes. You have to watch something happen and identify why one thing turned out differently from another."

"Gee that sounds tough mom."

My brother Jessie comes into the kitchen. He's in the sixth grade in my school.

"What you guys up to?"

"I'm trying to figure out what to do for my science fair project, and mom's helping."

"Oh wow, I forgot about that. Mom is it okay if I go over to Kyle's house?"

"Sure. Just be home by five."

"I wish I had a bike as nice as Jessie's, mom."

"You know Jenna, he mowed grass last summer and saved all his money."

"I know mom. When I get older I want to do that, too."

"I just wish our lawn looked better. Remember how we worked so hard last year to make it look better?

"You and dad were out there almost every night. I see you have those catalogs out. Are you going to try something different this year?

"Well Jenna, we want our house to look nice."

"Why is it that Mike's grass across the street looks so much better?

"I don't know honey. Dad and I were talking the other night, we would love to find the answer."

"Wow mom, I just had an idea."

"What's that Jenna?

"This fall in science class, we had a lesson on how different kinds of soil makes things grow differently. Maybe I could use that as an idea for a science fair project."

 

"Go get your science book Jenna. Let's look at what it says." "See here mom, grasses need many things to do well. Sunlight, water, soil and nourishment."

 

 

 

 

 

"Maybe our problem is the soil."

"Look mom, the book shows that there are different parts of the soil in this part of the state. Sandy soil, rocky soil, clay soil, and plain dirt. It says that plain dirt with nutrients is the best."

"I think you have something, Jenna. Your instructions say you have to have a hypothesis."

"That's the question, right mom?"

"No Jenna, the hypothesis is what you think the answer is."

"This sounds like a fun project mom. We could figure out how to make our lawn look better."

"Oh yes Jenna. I think you have a winner here. Let's write this down in one sentence.

"Okay, Mom. Soil makes a difference on how grass grows."

"That's good Jenna."

"What do we do next mom?"

"You need to get some more information. One minute, the instructions say that we shouldn't pick a topic that we can't do. I don't think we will need more than some of my empty flowerpots, some dirt and some grass seed. That won't be very expensive. Why don't you go to the library and find out some more information."

 

"Can we go now mom?"

"Why don't you just go yourself Jenna? If you have trouble I'll help you. But the library is open until five, and you can walk there in ten minutes."

"You won't drive me mom?"

"No Jenna, you can just walk up there. Be home by five."

 

 
 
 

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