Winning science fair projects are not made overnight. In fact, it is almost impossible to create a great project literally overnight. They take time, thought, and effort. The most important part may be in the presentation made to the judges.
Choosing a Project
The first thing to think about in choosing a project is to choose one that you can be enthusiastic about. If the reason a project is chosen is because "I had to do one," or "I found it on the internet," or "my momma told me what to do," then you are off to a bad start.
Pick something that interests you. If you know what you want to be when you grow up, there may be something of scientific merit to choose from that. For example, if you wanted to be a pilot you could do a project about jet engines or how wings on a plane create lift. You could also think about something you don't understand how works in your life and then research it and show it.
The most important thing is to be enthusiastic about your project. If you are excited about it then your excitement will show throughout the entire process of making it and showing it the judges.
Projects Take Time
Whether your science fair project is a model, poster, collection, or experiment, it will take time to do it. Days or weeks of time, maybe. Think about what you want to accomplish and how you want to demonstrate it. A project that has several steps in it shows that you are really working at something, learning something, and that goes a long way with judges.
Be sure and document the steps you do for your project in a journal with pictures. Taking your time and proving that you did all the work makes your project look nicer. Mom and Dad or other older family members may have to help on some things, but the bulk of the project should be done by the presenter.
Project Presentation
A great experiment or idea needs a great presentation. There are two parts to the presentation: the verbal and/or demonstration and the poster board that documents your work. There are usually two to five minutes of time for you to explain your project to the judge. Explain why you chose the project, how it was done, and what you found out when it was completed. How your project can relate to something in the real world is also important. This applies to models, collections, posters, and experiments.
The poster board should have information about your project on it. The project title, your hypothesis, a list of materials, steps in the project, results, and a conclusion should be on the poster in one form or another. Photos of you doing the project could also be on the board as well as pictures of things that relate to it.
Make the poster board neat. Borders around the board or or behind small articles make it look better. Stickers and computer print outs are good, as well. Make sure the majority of the work is written, typed, or cut by the person doing the project. The only way to get good at something is to practice, not have Mom and Dad do it for you.
A winning science fair project needs to be on something with scientific merit. A project that you can be enthusiastic about will encourage you to go the extra mile as you prepare it to make it work great and look great. There's nothing better than having something you are proud of that enables you to talk about it in great detail.
Ryan Bright - Ryan has had a love of technology since an early age. He first got the home theater bug when he bought his first stereo VCR back in the ...
