Why using school science project ideas you get from other people can be a good thing…
When you are choosing school science project ideas to use in a science fair, there is often some confusion when the teacher emphasizes that you cannot copy someone else’s project. Now you would think that this is pretty standard teacher talk: Do no hand in some one else’s work as your own. Don;t use the same project your older brother or sister used, or neighbor’s project from a couple of years ago. That is out and out copying. On top of that it will do nothing to help you learn anything, and it is just plain wrong, and the teachers almost always can tell. They recognize the writing style is not yours, or that the level of work is above or below your standard.
Sometimes families get confused and misinterpret that to mean cannot even use the same idea that someone else did in the past and so they have to go out and find an entirely new project. Parents have been known to spend hours online trying to find a new and different school science project idea because they fear their child will be accused of copying. Actually the opposite is true! The projects others have done in the past are a great starting place.
Here are reasons why using school science project ideas from others for your science fair project is a good thing:
- A successful science fair project someone else did means you know ahead of time that is is one that will work, and is not a dud.
- When an assignment is given without guidelines, or topic choices, other peoples ideas can help jump start your creative juices.
- What you really are doing is what scientists do, you are proving or disproving the results the other people got, or conclude that further study is needed.
- The bottom line is there are certain scientific principles that teachers are trying to get across, and one of the best ways to do this is with a science fair project. So you want a project that you know is going to help teach you about that idea. So if you are studying evaporation, then you want to find an interesting project that not only is fun but teachers the concept in a way you can understand it. The best way to do that is often from a project some one else did and enjoyed, or won an award for.
Sometimes other peoples ideas can steer you away from an idea. If you remember seeing the same project being done every year, you might look for a school science project idea that is not quite so popular. It could be on the same topic, but a different angle, or different way entirely of exploring this topic.
This is where the internet comes in handy as you can find a variety of great projects, many can even be quick and easy science fair projects, on different topics. You might get the original idea from a project you saw someone else use, and then end up using good science fair project ideas from another student across the country or the world!
