Janice VanCleave's A+ Science Fair Projects

Whether your favorite middle or high-school student is interested in the demonstrating the greenhouse effect (with shoeboxes, soil, and plastic food wrap), sympathetic vibration (with a couple of soda bottles), or the breathing rate of goldfish, former science teacher Janice VanCleave provides helpful advice for designing experiments to impress judges at the science fair. In the first section, the author explains the importance of understanding the scientific method, selecting a topic, identifying its category, research, overview, experimental data, project summaries, the display, and presentation and evaluation. The second part of the book offers project ideas for 35 science fair topics within the categories of astronomy, biology, chemistry, earth science, and physics, stressing that "The point is not to copy the projects in this book but to use them as exploratory experiments...." Each experiment is clearly presented with a brief introduction, a statement of purpose, a list of needed materials, a step-by-step procedure, a description and explanation of the results, and ideas for taking the experiment in different directions. Nine appendices provide additional information on random error of measurement, percentage error, sources of scientific supplies, and more, and a glossary and index conclude the book. VanCleave comes through again with this inspiring, no-nonsense resource for science fair participants. (Ages 11 and older)