Water can be a great subject area for your science fair project. The physical, chemical, biological or social aspect of water in your life can be considered. The surface tension of water that is different temperatures, the capacity of household products to absorb water, the survival rate of plants being irrigated by different types of water and the ability of younger versus older family members to conserve water are just a few ideas worth investigating. If you are looking for a science fair idea, consider the role of water in your everyday life and you’re sure to come up with a fun and interesting topic.

Read the science fair tips below to help you on your way. There are many Web sites that can provide additional assistance. Listed below are some sites you might want to explore.

www.cpet.ufl.edu/sciproj
The Science Fair Encyclopedia covers all aspects of planning and implementing a science fair project.  It includes a photo gallery of science fair projects.

www.scifair.org
Scifair.org is an extensive resource on science fair projects, science fair ideas, tips on carrying out science experiments, and winning your science fair.

Discovery School’s Science Fair Central
This site provides a comprehensive guide for creating your science fair project.

Science Fair Project Resource Guide
The Internet Public Library’s Science Fair Project Resource Guide provides a variety of Web site resources, leading a student through the necessary steps to successfully complete a science fair experiment.

Science Buddies
This site provides science fair project ideas, information on how to do a science project, including a timeline, and other science fair resources. Resources and information are provided for the student and educator.

Florida State Science and Engineering Fair
This site will give you information on official science fair requirements, competition dates and resources that can be used by students and educators.

For background information for water projects, consider visiting the following sites:

www.sjrwmd.com
The St. Johns River Water Management District’s Web site provides a student with water resource related information for the St. Johns River watershed.

www.dep.state.fl.gov
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is the lead agency in state government for environmental management and stewardship. This site includes diverse information about protecting Florida’s air, water and land, including restoring the Florida Everglades.

www.epa.gov
The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency site offers an array of information for students, teachers, the public and research students about all aspects of protecting the environment.

www.usgs.org
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) focuses on biology, geography, geology, geospatial information and water. The USGS Web site provides a wealth of education resources for students, teachers and adults.

Are there differences in water quality between a local stream and pond/lake, and why?

What do the macroinvertebrates found in a local river tell me about its water quality?

Which type of water treatment/filter works best for removing different contaminants?

How can I design a simple water treatment system for my home/cattle/fish tank?

What type of contaminants are found in runoff from local parks, neighborhoods or highways?

What is the best method for keeping eroding sediments out of a stream?

Why does dissolved oxygen content differ between water bodies, seasonally, and at different times of the day? How does this affect aquatic organisms?

How does the pH of soil differ between sites that are under pine trees and those that are not, and why?

How does sediment enter a waterway and what effect does it have on the temperature and the dissolved oxygen of the water?

What ecological and water quality changes occur when different restoration practices are conducted for a lake or stream?

The scoring rubric below can be used by teachers for science fair projects.

Science fair rubric

Roger Bacon, (1214-1294) an English philosopher, is thought to be one of the earliest advocates of the scientific method, which simply stated is an orderly approach to acquiring knowledge in the natural sciences. The scientific method involves several steps:

• Identifying a problem
• Developing a hypothesis (an assumption made to be tested)
• Deciding on a procedure to test the hypothesis
• Collecting and analyzing the data
• Formulating a conclusion

To further investigate the scientific method, visit
http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio104/sci_meth.htm
http://school.discovery.com/sciencefaircentral.