Best Science Project ideas recommended for 2008-2009 school year

A group of project advisors at ScienceProject.com identified the 10 best science projects for the school year 2005-2006. Not surprisingly, most of these projects are related to energy, environment and health. Selections are based on the educational value, attractiveness, versatility and availability of materials and equipment or kits. The 10 best projects are listed below:

Air Battery/ Saltwater Battery In this project you will experiment making electricity using a revolutionary method. You may call this air battery because it uses the oxygen from the air. You may also call it salt water battery because it uses a solution of salt water as electrolyte. The electricity you produce can be high enough to light up a light bulb. You can extend the power by adding oxygen.
You can also perform experiments to see how does the amount of salt, the amount of oxygen, or the size of electrodes affect the amount of electricity or the battery life. Write your results in a table and use them to draw a graph. Recommended for ages 11 to 18. This is an experimental (investigatory) project. [See More Details]

Wooden Generator In this project you will experiment making electricity by spinning a magnet inside a wire coil. This is the principle of electric generators. Make all parts using wood; only the magnet and wire will be non-wooden material. The electricity you produce can be high enough to light up a light bulb; however, it will just flicker if you spin the magnet by hand.
You can also perform experiments to see how does the number of wire loops or the diameter of wire affect the amount of electricity it produces. This is an experimental (investigatory) project. Recommended for ages 13 to 18.[See More Details]

Fruit Battery (Make Electricity From Fruits) Even fruits can make electricity and if you be lucky, you may even get enough electricity to light up a light bulb. The electricity produced by fruits can easily be measured using a multi-meter. In this project you compare different fruits for the amount of electricity they can produce. Find out if sour taste and acidity of fruits can contribute to the production of electricity. This project is a safe version of other battery projects that use corrosive chemicals.

The electricity from fruits is important because it also indicates the concentration of minerals available in fruits. You can also use this method to compare the quality of different potatoes or different oranges. This is an experimental (investigatory) project. Recommended for ages 10 to 16. [See More Details]

Make a DNA Model DNA is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions specifying the biological development of all cellular forms of life. By changing parts of DNA, scientists are able to produce plants, animals and other live organisms with new properties and abilities. Genetically modified crops and genetically modified fruits are widely known and used. For students who like biology and want to understand the structure of DNA, making a DNA model can be an exiting display project with special learning benefits.

A model can simply be made using foam balls. This can be a complete display project or an addition to any DNA related project. [See More Details]

Starch test kit Starch test has been the most versatile science project in the past few years. Students can modify it and make totally new projects that are all based on starch test. Some variations of starch test program are: 1. Test apple maturity. 2. The effect of sunlight on production of starch on plants. 3. Effect of enzymes on starch

In a basic starch test project you test different foods, fruits or products for presence of starch. Find out how widely the starch is used in different industries. You may expand the starch test topic to many new project ideas. For example you may research the effect of sunlight in production of starch or the effect of enzymes on starch. Determination of starch in foods is important due to dietary concerns of many people who are on a low starch/ low sugar diet. This is an experimental (investigatory) project.

Air propulsion Motor Boats (Simple Electric Circuit) Combine the joy and excitement of mechanical toys with your science project by constructing an air propelled motor boat. This is also a good way of learning about simple electric circuits. Your boat will have a battery, a switch and a motor with propeller. This can be used as a science project related to electricity, force or floatation. This idea is good for a display project, an engineering project and an experimental (investigatory) project.

Finally you can make a vehicle that can drive both on land and in water. To do that simply attach the wheels to the sides of the boat. With your kit you may also receive four sheaves that may be used as wheels. Sheaves are almost like the ring in a bicycle; they are just missing the tiers. Students often use sheaves to make pulleys as a part of a simple machine project.

The Gauss Rifle

The Gauss Rifle also known as the Gaussian gun is a very simple experiment that uses a magnetic chain reaction to launch a steel marble at a target at high speed. This educational and amusing project is very simple to build (it only takes a few minutes), is is very simple to understand and explain, and yet fascinating to watch and to use.

When the gauss rifle fires, it will happen too fast to see. The ball on the right will shoot away from the gun, and hit the target with considerable force. Our one foot long version is designed so the speed is not enough to hurt someone, and you can use your hand or foot as a target.

Solar Car MiniScience's Solar Racer activity introduces students to alternative energy concepts while incorporating problem solving, design and modeling. In addition, students will experience using hand tools as they construct their solar vehicle. Students can explore: · Propulsion types and drive concepts · Basic soldering techniques and electronic concepts · Alternative energies like solar power

The federal government has encouraged alternative forms of transportation due to a limited supply of oil and increasing environmental pollution. Solar cars are just one of many transportation concepts emerging. Solar cars use solar cell panels instead of gasoline as the fuel. As a result, exhaust fumes and oil consumption are eliminated. The solar cell panel generates an electrical charge that is stored in a battery and used to provide energy as the vehicle is driven. The lighter the vehicle, the less energy used and the farther the vehicle will travel. In cloudy days, or at night, energy can be drawn from reserve batteries. In the future, charge stations will be located on the road sides for quick battery charging.  

Pulley Motor Car Design ideas This page provides some pictures and ideas on how a pulley motor car may be constructed. It is not meant to serve as a step-by-step recipe or assembly instructions. You may use these ideas to complete your own design and construct your own model of pulley motor car. Some pictures may show parts that are different in shape, size or color from what you may have in your kit.

Pulley motor car is an electric car using pulleys to transfer the mechanical energy from the motor to the wheels. MiniScience's Pulley Car activity introduces students to compound machines and simple machines including pulley, wheel and axle while incorporating problem solving, mechanical design and modeling. In addition, students will experience using hand tools as they construct their Pulley Motor Car.

Electromagnet An electromagnet is by far the most important electrical structure that exists in almost all electronic devices. Most of today's Radios, televisions, door bells, telephones, telegraphs and computers could not exist without electromagnets.
In an electromagnet project, you may make some of the simple devices that use electromagnet; however the most important electromagnet projects study the strength of electromagnet. There is an electromagnet kit available at MiniScience.com; however, many students may just purchase the magnet wire (27 AWG) and find other material (nail, battery,..) at home.

METHODICAL INSTRUCTIONS
Rules for analytical reading

From Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren: How to Read a Book. Revised and Updated Edition. Simon & Schuster 1972, 426 pages. ISBN 0-671-21209-5.

I The first stage of analytical reading: Rules for finding what the book is about

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