Ideas for STEM Fair
The following ideas are just suggestions, you can come up with your own ideas too.
I will not approve of boring projects that have been done over and over.
(For example: How long chewing gum lasts, potato clocks, baking soda volcanos, Mentos
rockets, etc…)
Do you like plants, studying germs, the outdoors, or animals: (Biology)
What effect do household cleaners have on a bacteria culture? What about temperature?
What is the best or worst environment in your house for bacteria growth?
Where are the most germs found at your school?
What types of food mold the quickest? How does temperature affect mold growth? Are
there some
practical ways to slow down the growth of mold?
Is there a natural alternative to hand sanitizer?
How much bacteria grows in the mouth and what effects do common cleaning techniques
have on bacteria growth? Consider brushing with a dry toothbrush, comparing different
toothpastes, mouth
washes, and flossing as well as time spent cleaning teeth to find
which methods work best to keep
the mouth clean.
Are there substances in your kitchen (garlic, red pepper, curry, tea tree oil, etc.) that have
natural
antibacterial properties?
Does your nose have anything to do with taste?
How does age affect peripheral vision?
How does the pH level of hair products affect hair quality?
Can petting an animal lower your heart rate? Is there a difference between petting your
own pet and
petting an animal that you are not attached to?
Does the heart rate of an animal decrease while it is being petted?
Is there a difference between video games that make the player be physically active versus
Non-physical video games on the player's heart rate or blood pressure?
Does your pet prefer a certain kind of food?
Can you train your pet to do something useful?
What can affect plant growth?
What is the best way to keep a fishtank clean?
What do insects do during the winter?
Do you like watching the weather, digging in the dirt, studying rocks, or earthquakes? (Earth
Science)
Which de-icing agent used on roads in winter has the least negative environmental impact?
Which kind of plants prevent erosion?
Can I design a building that is earthquake proof?
Can I design a building that is Tsunami proof?
How does the weather affect the economy of Round Lake?
What soil is in your garden? How can you make it better?
Is there a way to provide clean water to people in poor countries?
Can you make fresh water from salt water?
Do our soils show the effects of acid rain? Can a base such asused to
protect plants from acid rain? Can an antacid tablet like Tums or-seltzerused to protect
soils from acid rain?
Ideas for STEM Fair continued
Do you like to look up at the stars, think about space, watch eclipses?
Can you make a astrolabe?
Can you predict weather patterns based on sun spot data?
What kind of weather is best for star gazing?
How does light pollution affect star gazing?
Should we rename the constellations to modern day references?
What is the best location and date to study solar or lunar eclipses in the next 5 years?
Can you invent a safe way to watch a solar eclipse?
Do you want to work with electricity or magnets? (Physics)
What is the best way to prevent static electricity in your home
Can I make a better electromagnet?
What makes a better battery?
What affects the reception of a crystal radio?
Is there iron or other metals in the food I eat?
How are electromagnets used in roller coasters?
How can magnets be used around the house?
How does the efficiency of an incandescent bulb compare to a fluorescent? What about
LED? How much heat energy do they produce?
How could I generate electricity at home? (Wind turbines, solar, etc...)
Do you like to watch things bounce, run, move, fly? (Physics)
What makes a good paper airplane?
What affects the bounciness of a ball? Can I make a better one?
Rockets
What reduces fraction?
What affects gas mileage, can you find ways to save on gas?
Can I make a catapult?
How can pulleys help?
What makes a better bow & arrow?
Are those expensive gym shoes really worth it?
Do you like to cook, mix chemicals, work with metal?
Does adding salt to water help it boil faster?
Can you dissolve an egg shell? How can you dissolve an egg yolk?
How does using oil in the pan affect how something cooks?
What food items are most biodegradable?
What is the best way to compost your garbage?
Do other fruits or vegetables work like red cabbage to create aindicator?
Ideas for STEM Fair continued
Do you like to cook, mix chemicals, work with metal? continued
How do cola products compare in acidity with other common drinks or food?
Can I use solar power to cook food?
Test several different types of cereal or juice to do a comparative study on which product
contains the most sugar, vitamin C, etc. Do you expect that cereal made for children has
more sugar in it than cereal made for adults?
Carbon dioxide (obtained from a baking soda, vinegar, and water mixture) can put out a candle
flame; how does it work?
Do juices that claim to have more vitamin C really have more vitamin C than their counterparts?
How does temperature affect theof different liquids?
Pennies can be used to make aplate an iron nail, without damaging them. Experiment to see if
pennies minted before 1982 (when they were 95% copper) provide more power or a thicker
coating than newer pennies do (with only 2.5% copper). Do other metals work as well for
batteries or plating a nail?
Which pH level is most conducive to corrosion in iron or copper? Try suspending iron or copper
electrodes in solutions with different pH levels (try water and vinegar, for starters).
Most people in the U.S. and Canada wash their clothes with synthetic laundry detergents rather
than real "soap." What are some differences in the properties of each, and which do you
think gets clothes cleaner? Come up with a similar experiment comparing face wash to face
soap.
What is the difference between hard water and soft water? How do things likesaltscounteract
the effects of hard water?
Experiment with polymerscan expand in water, turn a liquid into a solid, and more. Design a
project about surface tension, polarity, osmosis, saturation, viscosity, molecular bonding,
etc.
Grow and experiment with: Does temperature have an effect on the growth rate of crystals?
What about leaving them covered or uncovered? Does dry air or moist air seem to grow
more crystals?
Most of these ideas came from this website
http://www.hometrainingtools.com/science-fair-project-ideas/a/1282
However I have never ordered from this company so I can not “endorse” ordering from it. All of
the supplies needed for these experiments are readily available for order on the Internet.
Do your research first and get approval for your experiment before buying anything!
Other Web sites:
Science Buddies is another great site
http://www.sciencebuddies.org
Building engineering projects
fair/engineering
http://www.education.com/science-
Museum of Science and Industry
science/activities
http://www.msichicago.org/online-
NASA
http://climatekids.nasa.gov/science-fair
NASA
http://missionscience.nasa.gov/scientist/sci_fair_gallery.html