Having a winning science project isn’t the reason teachers send kids to the science fair, but most kids really want to have a winning project. Here are four ways to improve your chances of grabbing one of those first place ribbons:1. Choose a Project That Interests You. Whether it be animals or vitamins, plants or race cars, pick a project that will let your enthusiasm shine through. Judges can tell if you have put your heart into your work, so choose a project you really like. You’ll learn more, too!2. Follow the Science Fair Guidelines. There are several types of science projects, and you must make sure your project is the correct type for the science fair you are entering. Most fairs require an investigatory project (an experiment), which means your project must follow the scientific method. Don’t make the mistake of turning in a collection or a demonstration if these are not allowed.You must also make sure that you include each required element of the science project. You may need a log or a journal. Almost all judges want to see a materials list and the steps you took for your project. Sometimes a chart and graph of results are necessary. Check the directions, and make sure you have everything you need.3. Make Your Display Attractive. Your science board should be colorful, well organized, and easy to read. Use bold fonts, bullet points, and borders around papers and pictures. Be neat! Use glue instead of tape, and make sure your cutting is even.4. Stand Out From the Rest. A catchy title will attract the attention of judges. One of our boys tested the biodegradability of toilet paper and called it ” A Straight Flush “. One girl tested which fruit had the most vitamin C, backed her board with great big pictures of fruit, then used coordinating paper for her information. A boy we know used toy cars in his experiment, and his display included the race track and cars. Include something that makes your project stand out from all the others in the science fair.

Homeschool science education is fun! It is more fun when you can use things found around the house to demonstrate some naturally occurring phenomena such as air pressure. Flying a toy plane is every child’s dream, and if it is combined with education, it can promote better understanding.Before we go into the fun learning activities that you could co-ordinate with a homeschool science program, let me teach you some principles on which airplanes fly. There are some forces working on an airplane as it flies. They are the forces of thrust and drag and lift and gravity.
 
Thrust moves the airplane forward, and is provided by the jet engine and the propeller. Drag is a force of resistance that works in the opposite direction of thrust and slows down the airplane. Lift works in the upward direction and is produced by the wings. Gravity works in a direction opposite to the lift and pulls the plane down due to its weight. The right balance between these four forces keeps the plane flying.
 
Airplanes are shaped in such a way so as to minimize drag caused by air pressure, in order to allow them to glide smoothly. When air hits a moving object having a smaller area, it does not cause much resistance since there is less air pressure working on that object. On the other hand, when air hits a moving object with a larger area, it causes resistance as there is a higher pressure working on that object.
 
This is why airplanes are aerodynamically designed with cone-shaped noses so that the air pressure on the airplane body is reduced. This reduces drag and allows them to glide effortlessly through the air.
 
As an airplane moves with great speed on the runway, the wings are tilted upwards, increasing the air pressure on them. Therefore the airplane is lifted off the runway and rises higher. The angle of the wings determines how high the airplane will lift. In the same way, air pressure is used to maneuver the plane using the tail rudder.
 
You can blend the following fun activity with your homeschool science program. Buy a balsa wood toy airplane at your local store or drug store. As we assemble the airplane, we will experiment how it flies as we add each part.
 
To begin with, fly only the airplane body without the fins or wings. You will find that it is no better than a shoe flung in the air. The thrust is of no use, as it cannot make the right use of air pressure to fly.
 
Now attach only the large wing and fly the airplane. Your plane will seem to lift but then somersaults or plummets to the ground.Next attach the horizontal stabilizer tail and fly it with a curve. You will notice that the somersaults have stopped but there is a zigzag movement.
 
Attach the vertical tail or rudder and now check out your toy airplane. This time you will notice a successful flying spell without any fishtail movements.
 
Here’s something for you to figure out on your own. Fly the airplane without the metal nose clip and see what happens. What is the purpose of this metal clip?
 
If you enjoyed your airplane lesson and experiment, let me tell you that I have loads of similar activities to enhance your homeschool science learning. To get great science experiments and activities visit the free “Homeschool Parent’s Guide to Teaching Science” at the link below.

There are a lot of great kids science projects for any age. Physical science is a good category for kids to experiment with because they can do this with their family or friends at school.A good science experiment for kids is to see if they can determine the gender of a person simply looking at their feet. To do this, you can take pictures of all the kid’s feet and put them on a poster and see if the kids can guess if each foot belongs to a girl or a boy in the class. Another option would be to have the kids cut pictures of people’s feet out of magazines and mark on the back if it is a man’s foot or a woman’s foot. Then, have the other students try to guess if it’s a man or woman’s foot.Other fun kids science projects can be to to see if water always drains in the same direction. They can do this by checking a few places around the school, such as a toilet, a sink and perhaps a floor drain, if available. Have them flush the toilet and make note of which way the water drains, then plug a sink, fill it with water and take the plug out. Make note of which way the water drains, then doing the same with a floor drain, dump a small bucket of water over the drain and see which way it drains. Did all the water drain in the same direction?