The stars have fascinated mankind since ancient times, so why not base your science fair project on them. The two branches of science that have emerged from this fascination are Astrology and Astronomy. The early Astronomers grouped the shiny stars at night into shapes. These came to be known as constellations.

The twelve most famous constellations relate to the Zodiac Signs. This is where Astronomy comes into play. The different signs of the zodiac are based on these twelve different constellations, namely Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces.

Wouldn’t it make an interesting science project to display the Celestial Sphere divided into these 12 large sectors based on these signs. Make the shapes of the twelve main zodiac constellations in the model. Have each constellation joined up with straws or string to show the shape.

This model will need to be made like a jigsaw puzzle that you can assemble on the spot. After all a large project like this is also likely to be rather delicate. Try and stick to the actual size scale of the constellations to maintain some authenticity in the celestial sphere.

The model could be supplemented with a display of the symbols of all zodiac signs along with their shape. As an interesting add on you could describe the main characteristics of the people born under that particular sign below the astronomical symbol.  You could add trivia regarding famous people born under particular zodiac signs as well. Get more help here

The science fair project is just half the story at the fair. The actual presentation of the project, including the display board adds to the project.  So what does one do to make the whole project a success? You have to pay attention to all the details from start to finish. Remember the proverb, “Well begun is half done”?

So also think about the proverb “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”. The first step to your science project is topic selection. Make sure that your display board makes the topic of your presentation as clear as possible. Don’t be ambiguous about what you have to say here.

Think of your project display board as the headlines in a newspaper. Only if the headline is attention catching will the reader come close and read all that is written. It helps to be a bit color coordinated to make the board look attractive. If you can not draw illustrations, take print outs. Be as neat and tidy as possible.

Check out this post about improving your project display. You do not want to make a display board that seems more attractive than your actual science project. So be careful about what all you add to it. Remember it must introduce the project and make the reader want to see it. It is used to draw the interest of the visitors and the judges to your project.

Science is best explained with practice experiments. You may talk about air pressure and its effects, but the same principle when seen in action will have a far higher impact. Similarly you can talk about the buoyancy of fluids, but to actually see a ship floating in the tub is far better.

The more you put science into action the faster you understand how it works. That’s why when the air comes rushing out of a deflated balloon the concept of air pressure catches your attention far better. The mere reading about it, is never as much fun or memorable as the experiments or science projects that you can do.

Education is not just what you read in the books. It is what you live out in life each day. Learning never stops, it is only the forum which changes. In fact no matter how many days we studied there would never be enough time to actually go through all the knowledge  that has been collected by the human race.

If you have fun you learn faster. That is an accepted truth. So why not have fun with science at home?Here are some slimy and silly experiments for you to do. If you enjoy them you can read up more about why exactly these materials tend to act the way they do.

And if these science experiments appeal to you there are a whole lot more that you can try out. There is a whole world of fun and learning out there. Chart your way into it.

In  the last post I described the effects of misusing one resource, namely electricity. Many of the science experiments need this resource.  In fact a lot of science fair projects tend to need some source of power often supplied by batteries. The truth is that you can make a science project without using a source of power. No electricity and no batteries required.

Most of us think that without using power sources only boring science projects are possible. This is just not true. Even without using electricity you can do interesting projects. In fact without buying any new material and by merely reusing things that are lying around the home you can make a great new science project. All it takes is a little imagination and creativity.

Try out this science project. I am sure you will enjoy it and yes it uses no electricity. Plus it uses a universal favorite food – ketchup. It also explains a scientific principle really well. It may not be science fair material but it does prove something. Making it is a creative , easy to do project which does not use electricity.

Similarly you can pick up other things from around the home and make a science project for the fair. You can check out more recycled products and convert them into a science project. Think about possible material such as cans, bottles, newspapers and even old magazines. Anything can be converted into an interesting project if you give some thought to it.

Resources are limited. The need to conserve what we have is very important. Here is what an official from the Ministry of Defence from Brazil had to say, “In the coming era of scarcity, we’re going to have to defend what we’ve got with our claws, our feet and our weapons”. Does it sound too dramatic? It may just come true.

So what is the real problem here? Does the Earth not have enough resources to help keep all its population comfortable? It does have the resources, the problem lies in the distribution of these resources. The bulk of these resources are available to a marginal percentage of the population. For instance things that we take for granted like electricity, clean water and a home are not available to a majority of people in poor nations.

How often have you left the bulb in the basement on all night? Did you know that you were wasting electricity? Its is not just about the mounting electric bill that your parents have to pay. It is also about respecting the fact that you have a responsibility to use the resources at your command.

YOU can make a difference by taking small steps. Use Eco Friendly Material for your Science Project. You don’t have to buy new things to make a project out of. Use stuff from around the home. Try out this experimental gluep. I’m sure you will enjoy making this and it will not be a burden on nature’s resources.

The Telegraph reported that, “Britain is bracing itself for one of the coldest winters for a century with temperatures hitting minus 16 degrees Celsius”. So how does the cold winter work out for science projects? Well since temperature can be quite crucial to some science experiments there are a number of science projects which work out better in winter than in summer.

For instance if you are looking to freeze liquids for a project, it may help to have a naturally cold atmosphere around. One great science project is to make a mock cave with stalactites and stalagmites. You can use water or any other chemical to make this entertaining science project. While other fluids may be more stable at a higher temperature, water works well in winter.

Of course this project will not be possible using water if the science fair project is being held in summer. For one very simple reason, the water will melt and there would be nothing left to show. Other experiments in the winter can use the natural resource of snow. How about designing the ideal sleigh as your science project? You could use different materials and designs. Then check the sleighs for efficiency.

Not only would you have a whole lot of fun doing this experiment, it would also make a good comparison study in your project report. You could exhibit the best model along with the others in you display. Are you looking for more ideas? Here’s more help for your science project. Remember that winter is a great time to do some experimenting on your own. Just be safe.

We have five senses and they help us to perceive the world around us. The truth is that without these senses we would be no better than the rock out there in the garden. It makes no difference to the rock how hot the sun is or how cold the snow is. However because of our senses we can feel the heat and appreciate the cool breeze on the skin.

Do you feel chilled when an ice cube is placed on you skin? That again is the magic of senses. Imagine going to the bakery when they have just finished baking a fresh batch of bread. That aroma of freshly baked goodies hits your sense of smell and triggers instant hunger pangs. Or at least a little craving for a fresh sweet bun.

Not all the senses can be pleasant. Remember that trip to the  emergency room? The smell of disinfectant and the prick of the needle as you got that tetanus shot? These are sensations as well, even if they are ones that you do not much care for. That’s why we tend to indulge our senses with pleasant sensations so that we feel good.

When your parents want you to tone down the music system or television, they are actually trying to calm their sense of hearing. Sounds make for interesting sensations. This is a great experiment with sound. Give it a go to see just how effective your sense of hearing is.

The air around us is what makes it possible for earth to sustain life. The air is every present and you can feel it every time it moves as breeze. If it is faster we call it wind. It is this air that we can use for a number of science projects. It is easily available at any time of the day or night, no matter where on earth you are.

Now you know that air is around us all the time, yet you can’t see it. So how do you know for sure that it exists? You can prove its presence by blowing up balloons. The content inside is air, if you release the air inside it will loose the shape that it has taken. A balloon changes its shape and stretches to  accommodate the air that is being filled inside it.

Also if you light an incense stick you will see some smoke. Now if the air around the incense stick is disturbed the smoke will make different patterns. Try blowing lightly at the smoke to see what form of waves you can make in the air. If you blow too hard the smoke might disappear all together.

Why does that happen? It happens because the air replaces the smoke at a very fast rate. So though the smoke is there it can’t really be seen.  This hot air balloon experiment is great fun. Try it out if you have some time.

We have five primary senses. These are the sense of sight, smell, hearing, tasting and feeling. Each of these senses is essential to our experience of the world. They are all related to a part of the body as well. We see with our eyes, smell with the nose, hear with our ears, taste with our tongue and feel with our skin.

So how do we use these in a science project? If you think about it, without the senses there would be difficulty in doing any science project. For instance if you were unable to see the water being turned into ice, how would you know that putting it in the freezer would change its form from liquid to solid?

Again if you were unable to hear, how would you know that the motor of the toy car is running? Or if you were unable to smell how would you know that the cake is cooking in the oven. If you think about it all that you do is related to one sense or the other. The way we live is dictated in a large manner by how effective our senses are.

That’s why the blind, or hearing impaired live in a different manner than us. They are challenged each to to experience the world in the way we do. It is a constant struggle for them to navigate the world with one sense missing. Try going without using a sense for a day to see how dependent you are on it.  Here’s one project that will belie your sense of sight.

We live on a planet which has an atmosphere. That is nothing more than the air around us. It is because of this air that we can breath and live on earth. It is this air that is absent on the moon and so the moon has no life. The atmosphere around us is made up of different elements.

There is oxygen, naturally as it allows us to breath and live, but there are also other gases such as nitrogen, and other material such as dust particles that make up the atmosphere. All these components of the atmosphere tend to put some pressure on us.

In fact when you stand you have air pressure acting on you on all sides. The body also exerts some pressure with the same force so you can stand and not get swayed by the air pressure. This is true of any substance that you see around you. Ever imagine what would happen if the air pressure was more than the pressure the substance you create?

How would the item react? Will it shoot out into outer space? Or will it react in some other way? You can conduct your own experiments and find out. Here is a link to a fun science project that you might enjoy doing.   These cans can be quite entertaining. They also give you the answer to the air pressure equation.