It's all in the question: expert advice on creating a judge-wowing project.

The science fair is nearing and you haven't come up with a winning idea ... yet. Don't panic! Science World talked to Steven Jacobs, a judge for the Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge, for expert advice on creating a judge-wowing project.

ALL SCIENCE PROJECTS BEGIN WITH A QUESTION, says Jacobs. Searching the Internet for ideas can be helpful, but Jacobs suggests thinking up a question that relates to your daily life. That way you'll actually want to work on your project.

For instance, you love playing video games, but your parents wish you were doing something more "productive." You might ask: Are there any benefits to playing video games?

But that question is too broad to answer with an experiment. To form an experimental question, the possible answer must be testable, measurable, and repeatable, says Jacobs.

YOUR EXPERIMENTAL QUESTION COULD BE:

How does playing video games affect a person's hand-eye coordination? To find the answer, test the hand-eye coordination of several people. Then, have them play an hour of video games each day for a month. Measure their hand-eye coordination again. If they improved, you may have proof to support your gaming interests. Parents still not convinced? Have them repeat your experiment with their own friends.

NEED A FEW MORE IDEAS? Check out "The Question Game" to see how any everyday activity can spur a research question.

Then, flip the page to learn how three teens turned their questions into stellar science projects.

THE QUESTION GAME

Roll the die. Move to the section of the wheel that corresponds to the number rolled. If you roll "6," roll again until you get a number "1-5." Begin at the center of the wheel, follow the directions in the red circles to move outward. Once you reach the outer edge, you'll have written an experimental question that's sure to wow judges. Want another idea? Just roll the die again and start over.

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