Avoid this
- Choosing a question that cannot be tested safely
- Changing too many variables at once
- Collecting observations without measurements
High school project idea · Science & Engineering
Break Something. Learn Something.
Run a real experiment, collect evidence, and discover what happens when you test your own question.
The best scientists do not just memorize answers. They ask better questions.
Original Compass project by Davisville LabsReviewed August 2026Goal real work, evidence, and reflectionEditorial standards →
Why this project matters
Learn by doing something real.
Science becomes exciting when students stop only learning known answers and start testing real questions. This project helps students choose a safe everyday mystery, design an experiment, collect evidence, analyze results, and explain what they learned. The goal is not to prove something perfectly. The goal is to think like a scientist by asking a better question, testing it carefully, and learning from what happens.
What you will create
Your project plan
Use these deliverables as milestones for Break Something. Learn Something.. Adapt the details to your interests, available time, and real-world opportunities.
- 01
Research Question Brief
Choose a safe, testable question and explain what you want to learn, why it matters, and what outcome you expect.
- 02
Experiment Design Plan
Define the hypothesis, variables, materials, method, safety considerations, controls, and how data will be collected.
- 03
Data Collection Log
Run the experiment and record measurements, observations, trial results, changes, mistakes, and unexpected outcomes.
- 04
Results & Limitations Analysis
Analyze the data, create charts or visuals, explain what the results suggest, and identify limitations or sources of uncertainty.
- 05
Experiment Case Study
Publish a portfolio-ready case study explaining the question, method, evidence, findings, limitations, revisions, and lessons learned.
Make the work stronger
What separates a finished project from a meaningful one?
For Break Something. Learn Something., use these checkpoints to protect the quality of the work without turning the project into a performance for admissions.
Evidence that it is working
- A safe testable question was chosen
- A hypothesis and experiment plan were created
- Data or observations were collected
If you want to go further
- Run multiple trials to improve reliability
- Create a simple data dashboard
Skills you can build
Capabilities that travel beyond this project.
CuriosityMeasurementData InterpretationPersistenceEvidence-Based Thinking
College application value
Use the project as evidence, not decoration.
Demonstrates curiosity, initiative, scientific reasoning, analytical thinking, persistence, creativity, and the ability to investigate a real question through evidence.
Scientific CuriosityInitiativeAnalytical ThinkingPersistenceProblem Solving
The goal of Break Something. Learn Something. is not to manufacture an impressive activity. Do real work, keep evidence of the process, and reflect honestly on what changed.
Related college majors
Which fields connect to this work?
Use Break Something. Learn Something. as a clue, then open a related major guide to compare coursework, career directions, reality checks, and other ways to test the field.
How this guide was made
Read editorial standards →Break Something. Learn Something. is an original Compass educational starting point designed around real work, visible evidence, feedback, and reflection. It is not an admissions guarantee.
Ready to build it?
Try this project in Compass