It can come in the form of either new data that helps address an open question in a particular scientific field, or a new technique that improves upon methods currently being used in a scientific field. Advanced science projects can also be done in the engineering field see sidebar. Most advanced science projects are undertaken with the goal of competing at a top science competition or, if you have a mentor who is in academia, publishing the findings in a scientific journal.
There are many good reasons to do an advanced science fair project , but before you start, you should understand the scope of the time and energy commitment you're making. This roadmap will help you understand the steps needed to tackle an advanced science project. You can find out additional details by reading through the articles and personal blogs in the Advanced Science Project Guide. An advanced science project isn't something you can do in a weekend, or even in a month!
It takes many hours of thought and work, so the topic needs to be something in which you're interested and it needs to be fairly specific. The first step in coming up with a topic is to pick an area of science in which you're interested.
You can start with something general like "biology," but from there you need to refine your interest to a sub-area, such as "the biology of aging," or a question in which you're intrinsically interested, like "How do people's cells change as they age?
There are many ways to arrive at an area of interest. Perhaps you've already done a science fair project that you want to significantly expand and take to the next level. Or maybe you have an intrinsic interest on which you'd like to build. Do you have a hobby, like building model airplanes, astronomy, or setting up aquariums, from which you can draw inspiration? Maybe there's a question that's always stuck in your mind that you'd really like to get to the bottom of. Other people, especially mentors, as discussed in the next section, can also be a great source of ideas.
For a glimpse into how six different award-winning students found their science project topics, check out the roundtable discussion about Finding an Idea for an Advanced Science Fair Project.
This step may be reversed with Step 1, depending on your personal circumstances. If you already have a mentor from a previous experience either from another science fair, a summer internship, or some other interaction , then that mentor would be a great resource as you decide on an area of interest.
If you don't already have a mentor, it is highly recommended that you seek one out! Who makes a good advanced science fair project mentor? The How To Find a Mentor guide has more details about the role of a mentor and how to find one, but the bottom line is that a mentor can be instrumental in helping you navigate the intellectual side of your science project and even offer physical resources, like lab space and equipment.
Once you have selected your general area of interest and you have your mentor lined up, it's time to narrow your topic down to a testable question and to formulate your hypothesis. Ultimately, the goal for the national high-school-level top competitions is to make a novel scientific contribution.
In order for your contribution to be novel you need to know what has already been tried in the field and what the outstanding questions still are. You can do this by speaking to experts in the field like your mentor and by reading the scientific literature. To have the best possible science project, you will need to do both! You should first get an overview of the scientific papers already published in your area of interest. Reading review articles, which are papers that sum up and examine the results of many previous publications in the field, is a good place to start.
The How to Read a Scientific Article guide explains what a review article is in more detail, and how to effectively read both review and primary research articles. Consult the Resources for Finding and Accessing Scientific Papers guide for an overview of how to get your hands on scientific papers. Once you've gotten a better overview of the field, you'll want to delve into the primary literature, papers that originally reported the experimental methods and data.
It is especially important to read the papers that are seminal in the field. A seminal paper is the first article to present an influential or important experiment or theory in the field. Experts in the field, like your mentor, are the best people to inform you about which are the seminal papers in a specific area of science.
Ask for recommendations. In addition, because of their ground-breaking content, seminal papers are cited frequently by subsequent publications. So, as you're reading the scientific literature, if you see an article that is cited frequently, it is likely to be seminal and you should read it, too. A well-done engineering project differs slightly from a science project. Visit the Engineering Design Project Guide for more details.
But in summary, with regard to advanced engineering projects, students will find that some areas of engineering have extensive academic literature, some areas will be documented in trade journals industry news magazines that, unlike peer-reviewed academic journals, do not require articles to be critiqued by others in the field prior to publication , some areas will rely on patents, and other areas may have little or no documentation at all.
Any combination is also possible. This is essential if the results are to be trusted by the entire science community. Follow the Scientific Steps below to complete your scientific process for your investigation. What do scientists think they already know about the topic? What are the processes involved and how do they work? Background research can be gathered first hand from primary sources such as interviews with a teacher, scientist at a local university, or other person with specialized knowledge.
Or use secondary sources such as books, magazines, journals, newspapers, online documents, or literature from non-profit organizations. After gathering background research, the next step is to formulate a hypothesis.
More than a random guess, a hypothesis is a testable statement based on background knowledge, research, or scientific reason. A hypothesis states the anticipated cause and effect that may be observed during the investigation.
Consider the following hypothesis: If ice is placed in a Styrofoam container, it will take longer to melt than if placed in a plastic or glass container. I think this is true because my research shows that a lot of people purchase Styrofoam coolers to keep drinks cool. The time it takes for ice to melt dependent variable depends on the type of container used independent variable. A hypothesis shows the relationship among variables in the investigation and often but not always uses the words if and then.
Once a hypothesis has been formulated, it is time to design a procedure to test it. A well-designed investigation contains procedures that take into account all of the factors that could impact the results of the investigation. These factors are called variables. Step D — Estimate Time Estimate the time it will take to complete the investigation.
Will the data be gathered in one sitting or over the course of several weeks? Step E — Check Work Check the work. Ask someone else to read the procedure to make sure the steps are clear.
Are there any steps missing? Double check the materials list to be sure all to the necessary materials are included. After designing the experiment and gathering the materials, it is time to set up and to carry out the investigation. Carrying out the investigation involves data collection. There are two types of data that may be collected—quantitative data and qualitative data.
As data is collected it can be organized into lists and tables. Organizing data will be helpful for identifying relationships later when making an analysis. Using technology, such as spreadsheets, to organize the data can make it easily accessible to add to and edit.
After data has been collected, the next step is to analyze it. The goal of data analysis is to determine if there is a relationship between the independent and dependent variables. Recording data on a table or chart makes it much easier to observe relationships and trends. There are many observations that can be made when looking at a data table.
Comparing mean average or median numbers of objects, observing trends of increasing or decreasing numbers, comparing modes or numbers of items that occur most frequently are just a few examples of quantitative analysis. Besides analyzing data on tables or charts, graphs can be used to make a picture of the data.
Graphing the data can often help make those relationships and trends easier to see. Line plots are used to show numerical data. Explore the power of the sun when you build your own solar ovens and use them to cook some yummy treats. This experiment takes a little more time and effort, but the results are always impressive. The link below has complete instructions.
Learn more: Desert Chica. This experiment works due to the insolubility of dry-erase marker ink in water, combined with the lighter density of the ink. Learn more: Gizmodo. There are a lot of easy science experiments you can do with density. This one is extremely simple, involving only hot and cold water and food coloring, but the visuals make it appealing and fun. This density demo is a little more complicated, but the effects are spectacular. Slowly layer liquids like honey, dish soap, water, and rubbing alcohol in a glass.
Kids will be amazed when the liquids float one on top of the other like magic except it is really science.
There are plenty of bridge-building experiments out there, but this one is unique. Learn how to build it at the link, and expand your learning by exploring more about da Vinci himself. Learn more: iGame Mom.
Easy science experiments can still have impressive results! This eye-popping chemical reaction demonstration only requires simple supplies like sugar, baking soda, and sand. Learn more: Kiwico. Eggshells contain calcium, the same material that makes chalk. Grind them up and mix them with flour, water, and food coloring to make your very own sidewalk chalk. Learn more: Kidspot. Use that homemade chalk for this activity that turns kids into human sundials! Your backyard is a terrific place for easy science experiments!
Learn more: Teach Beside Me. This is so cool! Use vinegar to dissolve the calcium carbonate in an eggshell to discover the membrane underneath that holds the egg together. Kids learn about chain reactions, chemical changes, and more.
Learn more: The Homeschool Scientist. Use simple kitchen supplies to create plastic polymers from plain old milk. You only need plastic bottles, bendy straws, and ping-pong balls to make the science magic happen.
The rockets used for space flight generally have more than one stage to give them the extra boost they need. This easy science experiment uses balloons to model a two-stage rocket launch, teaching kids about the laws of motion. This classic easy science experiment never fails to delight. Use the power of air pressure to suck a hard-boiled egg into a jar, no hands required. Learn more: Left Brain Craft Brain.
Teach kids about acids and bases without needing pH test strips! Simply boil some red cabbage and use the resulting water to test various substances—acids turn red and bases turn green.
Learn more: Education Possible. Use common household items to make old oxidized coins clean and shiny again in this simple chemistry experiment. Ask kids to predict hypothesize which will work best, then expand the learning by doing some research to explain the results. Learn more: Gallykids. Chances are good you probably did easy science experiments like this when you were in school yourself.
This well-known activity demonstrates the reactions between acids and bases. Fill a bottle with vinegar and a balloon with baking soda. Fit the balloon over the top, shake the baking soda down into the vinegar, and watch the balloon inflate. Learn more: All for the Boys.
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