A note about this list:
Remember that every science fair project needs a question and a hypothesis. Yes, even research projects! A hypothesis for a research project can be something based off of personal experience and prior knowledge, or formulated after some initial research. Some of the items on this list already have the question part covered, while others do not. So, for example, the topic of "The Bermuda Triangle" would need a specific question for the project, such as "is there a scientific explanation for the ships and planes that go missing in the Bermuda Triangle?"
Research Ideas
Space
- The Earth vs. Venus
- Black Holes
- Is terraforming on another planet possible?
- Is there other life in the universe?
- Alternate theories to the Big Bang
- Is it possible to colonize Mars?
- Is time travel possible?
- What is dark matter and energy?
- What is gravity?
- The future of the universe
- Why the Earth can’t be flat
Technology - How does wifi work?
- How do you build _______? (cell phone, computer, GPS, etc)
- Navigation: now vs 100 years ago
- How does GPS work?
- Solutions for the space junk problem
- How does AI work?
- How do self-driving cars work?
- How many people does it take to make a _______? (supply chain deep dive)
- How to live off grid
- What contributions did (choose a specific scientist or tech person) make?
- Can cars run on fuel sources other than gasoline?
- What is cryptocurrency and how does it work?
- How does the internet work?
Earth Science - How will the climate change in the next 20 years?
- What’s the deal with Radon gas? (this could include testing levels in their house)
- How do crystals form? (and how do different types differ)
- How to live a low-emission lifestyle
- Why do hurricanes happen? (or other natural disaster)
- How do eclipses work?
- The Bermuda Triangle
- What is the cleanest energy source? (hydroelectric, solar, wind, etc.)
- Electric vs. gas vehicles, which is better for the environment
- The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
- Asbestos (what is it/why is it bad/how to get rid of it)
- How much freshwater do we have left? (+what to do about it)
- The polar vortex: what is it and how does it affect climate?
- Environmental impact of AI
- The ozone layer
- How are synthetic oils made and are they better for the environment?
- How to decontaminate land (contamination from nuclear, chemical, oil, etc.)
Biology/Health - Genetic Modification: good or bad?
- The importance of bees (+ other pollinators)
- How to grow your own food (garden)
- Selective breeding (plants or animals)
- The long-term effects of Chernobyl
- Organic vs non-organic food
- Health effects of vapes
- Are cell phones bad for our health?
- The importance of sleep
- How does bioluminescence work?
- How to make a sealed terrarium or self-sustaining aquarium
- Epigenetics
- The importance of vaccines
- Hydroponics
- Effects on animals kept at a zoo
- What is CRISPR and how does it work?
- Effects of deforestation on humans and animals
Math - How is (specific math topic) used in life?
- How do social media algorithms work?
- Can a computer ever truly generate random numbers?
- How are passwords kept safe online? (or just computer security in general)
- How does the stock market work?
- The probability involved in poker/black jack or other card games
- The rubix cube algorithm
- How many number systems are there? (roman numeral, arabic, binary, etc)
- Is math a human invention or the language of the universe?
- Calculating carbon footprints
Chemistry/Physics - What are the northern lights?
- What makes a rainbow? (can include different types like double, numerary, etc)
- An exploration of particle physics
- Types of nuclear bombs and how they work (or gun or other explosives)
- How does dissolving work?
- Is radiation always bad?
- How do batteries work?
- The breakdown process of plastic
- In nuclear energy safe?
- Vehicle crash tests
- The Fukushima Nuclear Incident
- The theory of general relativity
- How can oil be separated from water? (ocean oil spills)
- How do noise-canceling headphones work?
- Is it possible to travel at the speed of light?
- The chemistry of household cleaners
- Breaking down the ingredients (pick a product like shampoo and explore each ingredient)
Psychology - Pick a specific psychological issue to research (schizophrenia, autism, epilepsy, ADHD, etc.)
- How do physical health and mental health connect?
- How do different drugs affect the brain?
- How were drugs used 100 years ago?
- How does society lose knowledge? (lost knowledge in history)
- How do we learn?
- Comparing brains (healthy vs. mentally ill, low intelligence vs high, serial killer vs good samaritan, etc.)
- Is IQ a legitimate way to test intelligence?
- Is there any validity to Myers-Briggs Personality types?
- Astrology: legit or not? (can be applied to any pseudoscientific topic)
- What is pseudoscience and how to spot it
- What does music do to the brain?
- How antidepressants (or other medications) affect the brain and body
- Ways to improve mental health
- Ethics in scientific experimentation
Experiments
It’s usually easier to help a student develop an experiment from some initial idea, making sure they identify appropriate variables and methods. Here are a few examples of things that can be done:
Psychology
The experiment portion of a psychology project can involve interviewing a sample of people or having them fill out a survey or test on a specific topic.
Examples:
Engineering
Examples:
- How good are people at reading facial expressions?
- Does screen time affect sleep?
Engineering
The experiment portion of an engineering project can involve the student making various models and testing them to find which one is the best.
Examples:
Biology
Examples:
- Which paper airplane design flies the best?
- Which bottle rocket design goes the highest?
- How to bake the perfect cookie (change ratios of ingredients)
- Fastest method to lighting a fire
- What ingredients make the best bar of soap?
Biology
The experiment portion of a biology project can involve growing simple plants like beans/peas/zucchini, documenting the decay process of mold/rot, or measuring germs present in sample using agar plates.
Examples:
Chemistry
The experiment portion of a chemistry project can involve the use of basic testing materials such as pH paper, iodine for starch tests, and scales.
Examples:
Examples:
- What conditions grow the largest (type of plant)?
- Conditions that promote mold growth
- Do different types of molds grow on different foods?
- Do genetically modified seeds grow better or worse than others?
- Does Lysol really kill 99.9% of bacteria?
Chemistry
The experiment portion of a chemistry project can involve the use of basic testing materials such as pH paper, iodine for starch tests, and scales.
Examples:
- pH of various household items
- How much vitamin C is in different store-bought fruit juice?
Students can also use Phet simulations to conduct experiments that may be beyond their capabilities to carry out themselves: https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/filter?type=html
No comments:
Post a Comment