You will be most engaged in a project that you are curious about that involves a topic that you are deeply interested in.
1. Get out your notebook and a pencil.
2. Write “BRAINSTORM” at the top.
3. Try some of the brainstorming techniques below. Make notes in your notebook.
Look Around You Right Now
What do you see? What do you wonder about all of the things that you see?
…how much sunlight comes through the window?, how much weight can the chair that I am sitting on hold?, how many words can be written with one pencil?, how long do the light bulbs last in my class?, how long will markers work if I leave off the cap? how long will it take for my gummy bears to get hard if left out?, how can I make the biggest shadow from light in the windows?, how can i make the floor less slippery?, how much paper does our class use in a day?, how many staples are needed to make a strong envelop?
Look at Pictures
What interests you about pictures you see today? Look through books and find things that spark your curiosity.
Are you interested in the light from the sun, how wheels work on a bike or car, how can we get a swing to swing high, how can i make a tall structure like a skyscraper?, how much weight can tree branches hold?,
Take A Walk: Explore with your Senses
Notice what you see, smell, hear, and feel. Look around, listen for sounds, and smell flowers.
Ask Questions about Anything!
Why is the sky blue? Why do I have two legs? Why do cats have 4 legs? What is the purpose of my cats toe fros? What if wheels were triangles?
Blue Sky Brainstorm
Write down words that pop into your mind.
Imagine
Use your imagination. Draw whatever comes to your mind. From this drawing, you might discover what you are most curious about.
Go Somewhere New: Take a walk to somewhere you have never been
Sometimes being a new place can inspire you to have new ideas or to see things a different way.
Notice a Problem: What needs to be fixed?
Pay attention to all of the things that you think could be improved in the world around you. Do you think the desks are too short or too small? Do you think the table could be a different shape? What about a new idea for your shoes? Or a new idea for a backpack? Noticing things that are hard in your world can inspire you to come up with ideas for engineering design ideas.
As you look through the topics below, write down those that make you curious.
Are you interested in plants?
Flowers, soil, green beans, succulents, water, grass, trees,
Are you interested in sports?
basketball, soccer, football, surfing, biking, running, swimming.
What brand of basketball bounces the highest? How does changing the temperature of a tennis ball change its bounce height? How high does a soccer ball bounce on different types of ground? How many more shots would you make if you made the basketball hoop wider in diameter? Do you swim faster in cold or warm water?
Are you interested in cooking & baking?
clouds, rain, fog, rainbows, sun,
Are you interested in the weather?
clouds, rain, fog, rainbows, sun,
Are you interested in animals?
worms, ants, cats, dogs?
Are you interested in buildings?
bridges, skyscrapers, playground equipment
Are you interested in rocks, rivers, ocean, soil, mountains, desert?
types, weights,
Are you interested in machines?
bikes,
Are you interested in computers?
scratch,
Are you interested in art?
watercolors,
4. Write down several ideas in your notebook.
You can also look at example science fair projects or answer questions about yourself to get ideas. When you look at examples, in order to make a science fair project that you are interested in and that you can apply your creativity to, one suggestion is not to do the exact project listed, but to look at how the project is structured, so you can apply this method to your own question.
Resources
Science Fair Ideas 