Idea lab
Whatever project you pick, be certain it starts with a testable question (science) or problem to solve (engineering).
These websites have lots of project ideas: - sciencebuddies.org - thehomeschoolscientist.com - geekpackhack.com
tricks & ideas a lá Mark Rober (video)
Below are the beginnings of a project question.
Get thee to the library! Observation and research are the best way to begin a project.
What can you learn about a topic to help you ask a better question? To understand how to test that question?
Talk to your parents, teacher, an older sibling, cousin, neighbor, etc to help you develop your project plan.
Do people remember information better when reading from a book or from a screen?
How do different types of music change a person's blood pressure? Will changes in blood pressure help predict if the person likes the music or doesn't like the music? What about heart rate?
Plants breath in carbon dioxide. Will increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the plant's environment help it grow?
Can you create a candy delivery system for Halloween? Roll delivery system for Thanksgiving?
Can you invent a "Rube Goldberg machine" of your own?
Which part of your skin is more sensitive and which parts are less sensitive?
Your sense of taste and sense of smell are closely connected. Which flavors are most influenced by the sense of smell? Which are least influenced by the sense of smell?
Will ice melt faster in one type of liquid verses another? What kind of liquids do you think will melt ice the fastest or the slowest?
Teeth begin to lose calcium below pH 4.0. Sour candies can have a pH as low as 1.6. Whoa!!
How can I keep a toddler from going out a door without locking the big kids outside (or inside)?
Child-safe caps aren't that difficult for children to open. Yikes! Can you design a safer bottle to store your vitamins and medicines?
Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Toothpaste bits, laundry detergent squares, dissolving handsoap tablets, and cardboard (instead of plastic) trays for grapes are examples of innovations that reduce our use of plastic for every day items. Look around your house for something you could improve!
Which type of soil is most stable for a structure?
What volcano shape produces a taller spurt? Wider spurt? More mess altogether?
Can you tell if a child is a boy or girl by how they respond to certain pictures? Can you tell if a person is an adult, teen or child by how they respond to certain pictures?
How good are people at reading another's emotions when they can only see someone's eyes (wearing a mask)?
Can you build a water filtration system from items around your house? How will you show that it's working?