TrexlerMiddle School

Topic Selection

A science fair topic should be a broad statement describing the overall idea of what your project will be about. A topic should not be written in the form of a question or be overly specific. The point of having a topic is so you can research your idea and refine it overtime as you gather information. Only after you have fully researched a topic should you begin to develop a testable question.
A good example of a topic statement would be “The effects of different water on paper towels.” or “The effect(s) earthquakes have on different regions.”
If you are having trouble choosing a topic, you may want to check out the following websites:
If you use one of these websites, it does not mean you have to do exactly what is said there. These sites are only meant to be used as a resource to help you develop your project.
Please note that once your topic is submitted and accepted by your teacher, you will not be allowed to change it without approval from from Mrs. Preston or Mr. Holzman.
Mr. Holzman and Mrs. Preston reserve the right to reject any topic that they feel is not appropriate for the science fair.

Here are a few suggestions on what you may NOT want to do and why:

Topics that involve personal preference such as tasting food or drinks require huge numbers of participants to be considered valid. Any experiment like this involving less than 100 people would be considered a simple survey rather than a science fair project.

Topics that measure the effects of color on memory, mood, emotion, taste, etc. These types of experiments and their results have a tendency to be very subjective and difficult to measure.

Topics that involve astrology or extra-sensory perception (ESP). There is little to no scientific validity with these topics as they are based largely on cultural myth.

Topics that involve paper towels, popcorn or chewing gum unless given specific permission by your teacher.

Topics that require dangerous, hard to find, expensive, or illegal materials. Safety, cost and legality are always issues that should be considered when conducting experiments.

Topics involving growing bacteria, yeast, or fungi unless done so in a scientific lab equipped with proper containment apparatus.

Topics that involve anything in violation of the ASD Code of Conduct, state, federal, or international law. This includes unacceptable risk to human subjects; the collection of tissue samples from living humans or vertebrate animals; drugging, pain, or injury to a live vertebrate animal; the use of illegal or prohibited materials. Any attempt at a project in one of these or similar areas will result in an automatic zero on your project and possible disciplinary action depending on the level of violation.