Revised: June 2009

Have you ever wanted to build your own telescope? How about a rocket? Either way, you could be on the road to a great science fair project. This bibliography lists books and Internet resources that will help you create a science fair project that should be second to none. You may also find some interesting resources at our webpages on Resources for Amateur Astronomy and Model Rocketry or Children's Space Resources. Note: Before you start on a science fair project, especially one that will use rockets or one about the Sun, talk about it with a responsible adult, like your science teacher.

All items are available at the Headquarters Library, except as noted. NASA Headquarters employees and contractors: call (358-0172) or email Library@hq.nasa.gov for information on borrowing or in-library use of any of these items. Members of the public, contact your Local Library for the availibilty of these items. NASA Headquarters employees can request additional materials or research on this topic. The Library welcomes your comments or suggestions about this webpage.

Books

Bohren, Craig F. Clouds in a Glass of Beer: Simple Experiments in Atmospheric Physics. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, 2001.

QC861.2 .B64 2001 BOOKSTACKS

 

__________. What Light Through Yonder Window Breaks?: More Experiments in Atmospheric Physics. New York, NY: J. Wiley, 1991.

QC871 .B64 1991 BOOKSTACKS

 

Discovery Channel. Night Sky: An Explore Your World Handbook. New York, NY: Discovery Books, 1999.

QB64 .N495 1999 BOOKSTACKS

 

Dyson, Marianne J. Space Station Science: Life in Free Fall. New York, NY: Scholastic Reference, 1999.

TL797 .D97 1999 BOOKSTACKS

 

Ghose, Partha, and D. Home. Riddles in Your Teacup: Fun with Everyday Scientific Puzzles. Philadelphia, PA: Institute of Physics Pub., 1994.

QC75 .G48 1994 BOOKSTACKS

 

Heywood, John. Radio Astronomy and How to Build Your Own Telescope. New York, NY: Arc Books, 1964.

QB475 .H47 1963 BOOKSTACKS

 

Johnson, Gaylord and Irving Adler. Discover the Stars. New York, NY: Sentinel Books, 1957.

QB801.6 .J65 1957 BOOKSTACKS

This book provides instructions on making simple astronomical instruments.

 

Levy, David H. The Sky: A User's Guide. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 1991.

QB63 .L42 1991 BOOKSTACKS

 

Menicucci, D. How to Implement the Science Fair Self-Help Development Program in Schools. Albuquerque, NM: Sandia National Laboratories, 1994.

LB1532 .M46 1994 BOOKSTACKS

Note: Also available through ERIC as document no. ED368555.

 

Prochnow, Dave. How?: More Experiments for the Young Scientist. Blue Ridge Summit, PA: TAB Books, 1993.

Q164 .P84 1993 BOOKSTACKS

 

Rogers, Melissa J. B., Gregory Vogt, and Michael J. Wargo, (eds.). Microgravity: A Teacher's Guide with Activities in Science, Mathematics, and Technology. Washington, DC: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Office of Life and Microgravity Sciences and Applications, Microgravity Research Division: Office of Human Resources and Education, Education Division, 1997.

TA357.5 .R44 R64 1997 BOOKSTACKS

Also available through NASA's publicly accessible technical reports server as document no. 20000025037.

 

Stine, G. Harry. Handbook of Model Rocketry. New York, NY: Arco Pub., 1983.

TL844 .S75 1983 BOOKSTACKS

Note: Stine's Handbook is the basic guide to the science of model rocketry. It has gone through several reprintings.

 

Taylor, Peter O. Observing the Sun. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 1991.

QB521.4 .T39 1991 BOOKSTACKS

 

Texereau, Jean. How to Make a Telescope. Richmond, VA: Willmann-Bell, 1984.

QB88 .T413 1984 BOOKSTACKS

Note: This title is usually referred to as Texereau. It has gone through several reprintings.

 

Thomas, Donald A., et al. Inspiring the Next Generation: Student Experiments and Educational Activities on the International Space Station. Hanover, MD: NASA Center for Aerospace Information, 2006.

TL797 .I575 2006 BOOKSTACKS

In addition to describing the experiments of high school students that have gone to and from the International Space Station, it also describes experiments that can be perfomed on Earth. This book is also available through NASA's publicly accessible technical reports server as document no. 20060015718.

 

Wood, Robert. When?: Experiments for the Young Scientist. New York, NY: TAB Books, 1995.

Q164 .W68 1995 BOOKSTACKS

 

__________. Who?: Famous Experiments for the Young Scientist. New York, NY: TAB Books, 1995.

Q164 .W69 1995 BOOKSTACKS

Internet Resources

Benson, Tom. Beginner's Guide to Rockets. Dec. 9, 2005 [June 16, 2009].

http://exploration.grc.nasa.gov/education/rocket/bgmr.html

 

Chambers, Lin. S'COOL: Science Project/Science Fair Ideas. March 29, 2006 [June 16, 2009].

http://asd-www.larc.nasa.gov/SCOOL/scifair.html

 

Colon, Gilberto. Stargazers: Students: Science Fair Projects. April 9, 2009 [June 16, 2009].

http://stargazers.gsfc.nasa.gov/students/science_fair.htm

 

Davis, John M. Solar-B: For Educators: Science Fair Projects. July 30, 2007 [June 16, 2009].

http://solarb.msfc.nasa.gov/for_educators/learn/science_fairs.html

 

Leon, Nancy. Do a Weather Science Fair Project. 2007 [June 16, 2009].

http://scijinks.jpl.nasa.gov/weather/projects/sciencefair/

 

NASA Competitions

 

Globus, Ruth. NASA Space Settlement Contest. June 15, 2009 [June 16, 2009].

http://www.nas.nasa.gov/About/Education/SpaceSettlement/Contest/

 

Watanabe, Susan. Competitions. July 1, 2005 [June 16, 2009].

http://education.jpl.nasa.gov/k12/competitions.html

 

Willshire, William L. Student Competition. April 23, 2009 [June 16, 2009].

http://aero.larc.nasa.gov/competitions_high.htm

 

Science Project Sites Elsewhere

 

Beaty, Bill. The Science Club. Jan. 12, 2006 [June 16, 2009].

http://scienceclub.org/

 

Carlson, Shawn. The Ultimate Science Fair Resource. Feb. 24, 2007 [June 16, 2009].

http://www.scifair.org/

 

Discovery Communications, Inc. Science Fair Central. 2008 [June 16, 2009].

http://school.discovery.com/sciencefaircentral/

 

Drexel University. Internet Public Library: Kidspace: Science Fair Project Resource Guide. Dec. 5, 2006 [June 16, 2009].

http://www.ipl.org/div/projectguide/

 

Kenneth Lafferty Hess Family Charitable Foundation. Science Buddies. 2009 [June 16, 2009].

http://www.sciencebuddies.org

 

Library of Congress. Science Tracer Bullets Online: Science Fair Projects. Feb. 12, 2009 [June 16, 2009].

http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/tracer-bullets/scifairtb.html

 

__________. Science Tracer Bullets Online: Space Science Projects. Feb. 12, 2009 [June 16, 2009].

http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/tracer-bullets/spacesciencetb.html

 

United States. Congress. House. Committee on Science and Technology. Science is Fun. Feb. 28, 2006 [June 16, 2009].

http://science.house.gov/resources/science_fun.shtml#

 

Some Major American Science Fairs

 

Aerospace Industries Association of America and National Association of Rocketry. Team America Rocketry Challenge. 2009 [June 16, 2009].

http://www.rocketcontest.org/

 

American Junior Academy of Science. Sept. 2008 [June 16, 2009].

http://www.amjas.org/

 

BEST Robotics Inc. 2009 [June 16, 2009]

http://www.bestinc.org/MVC/

 

Discovery Communications, Inc. Discovery Science Challenge. 2008 [June 16, 2009].

http://school.discovery.com/sciencefaircentral/dysc/

 

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). 2009 [June 16, 2009]

http://www.usfirst.org/default.aspx

 

Junior Engineering Technical Society. National Engineering Design Challenge. 2009 [June 16, 2009].

http://www.jets.org/programs/nedc/index.cfm

 

Junior Science and Humanities Symposium. National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium. 2009 [June 16, 2009].

http://www.jshs.org/

 

National Engineers Week Future City Competition. 2007 [June 16, 2009]

http://www.futurecity.org/index.htm

 

Society for Science and the Public. Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. 2009 [June 16, 2009].

http://www.sciserv.org/isef/

 

__________. Intel Science Talent Search. 2009 [June 16, 2009].

http://www.societyforscience.org/sts/

 

Siemens. Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology. 2009 [June 16, 2009].

http://www.siemens-foundation.org/en/