Help Science Fair Projects

Some of the ones I have seen at my kids science fair are:
see how fast bread molds
effects of smoking on lungs
blind taste test- like pepsi vs. coke

I can't think of any more.

Hi K.,
When my eldest daughter was in the fifth grade, her class did a rocket ship project...they learned about jet propultion and trajectory...things like that. She really liked it and at the end of the project, all of the kids got to send the rockets they built "in to space". What a blast! Don't rely on just the internet for information...the public library is free!
Have fun! L.

Hi K.,

I'm an elementary school teacher and have judged science fairs before. Let me tell you that often the simplest ideas win the prizes. Complicated pre-designed projects aren't very thought provoking and are not really an "experiment" anyway.

My suggestion is start with a question like the scientist do. For example, "what environmental factors affect a plant's growth." You could try depriving it from sunlight, adding fertilizer, not watering for a week, etc. For more ideas check out http://www.ipl.org/youth/projectguide/choosingatopic.html

The main thing is to find out what your dd is interested in. If she's really interested in music, maybe she can experiment on her friend. Have one group do their math homework while listening to music and the other group without music. Who do you think will do the best?

Follow the scientific method and she'll do great. You can look at info about that at http://www.sciencebuddies.org/mentoring/project_scientifi...

Good luck!

I found a ton of sites, and a great book on Amazon.....

Here's the links:
http://www.ipl.org/youth/projectguide/

http://www.yoursciencefairprojects.com/

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

http://www.all-science-fair-projects.com/

http://www.agclassroom.org/kids/science.htm

http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~desry/introduction.html

and the book:
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Handbook-Science-Fair-Proj...

You can also check your child's school science book... often there are a lot of experiments and a science fair tutorial. Also check your local library... I'm sure they have lots of books to help you.

K.,

I suggest going to the library. As out of date as it seems. you can check out books "for free" on science projects. They should have several books in the youth section. As cool as the internet is, sometimes you cant beat the good old library.

Dear K.,
My son has to do a science project every year. We have a book, that you can surely get at your library, called ' You can do it with Beakman' or something like that. It definately has Beakman in the title. It has TONS of inexpensive science projects in it. Here are a couple that my son has done. One is a prism. On a small strip of paper about 4 inches in length and half an inch wide. At the bottom, you cover the bottom of the strip thickly about 1/4 deep with black ink and blue ink on the other. in a small glass, submerge the ink portion of the strip in water and watch it for about 3 days. The ink will separate and spread up the strip with all the colors that are in the in. Red, Blue, yellow and such. Have your daughter monitor and write down the order of color and the different amounts along with the length of time it takes for all the colors to 'show'. Also, My son did a study on the affect of different types of music on the heart rate of people. This one is a bit more involved and requires more than just you and your daughter. Basically, you have your test group sit and listen to different types of music and you monitor thier heart rate before and during the music. Get different ages and sexes and show a graph. A hypothises in the beginning and then the results after. I hope this helps a little. Good Luck!!!
E.

Hi K.. I have a list of science project ideas on my website's Science page. All are free. And some are really fast and easy. (Like the popcorn science or the mentos candy experiment.)

http://www.earthskids.com/ek_science.aspx#experiments

Dear K.,

Well, for one thing. Go straight to the school, do not pass go, do not collect $100. Just go and be calm. Ask politely for the instructions about doing the science projects. They should have sent that home long, long, ago. March 3rd is like almost tomorrow ! I used to teach in a district that thought that the science projects were so grand, then they did not give any help with the process until I dug it out. Then I wrote a step by step for my class. It is really irritating to me that schools expect so much from parents. Just keep your cool and ask, they should be able to help you. If they do not, then start asking who would know until you get to someone who will help. If they act 'mean', then that means that you are hitting a raw nerve and MAYBE they will start being more forthcoming with helping the students.

It can be a fun thing, but not so soon as only a few days. Just, like you said, do what you can that is easy. The library has a lot of books that show neat little, easy and fun
experiments. There is one that has science experiments with food. Cooking is a science, you know.

One little thing that I used to do at the beginning of the school year was to put a raw egg into a cup of vinegar and just let it sit. The vinegar is an acid and it will eat the outer layer of the shell off and a foam will come to the top of the cup that the egg/vinegar is in. So you can talk about that, also after about 4 days, you can pick it up and 'bounce' it, but not too hard, just hold it up about 2 inches and it will not burst. The experiment could be to soak about 12 eggs in 12 different jars or cups, and let them sit for exactly the same time, say 4 days. Making notes about them each day, calling them egg #1, etc. With a label on each cup. Then take a picture of them. Enlarge that picture at the local printing shop, so that will be the first picture on your
'board', (hopefully the school will tell you about that) then each day take pictures to show the foam and contrast which one is more or different (The talking about it with your child is very important to his learning) maybe they won't be different, but that is what scientists find out. THEN at the end of the fourth day. Line them up #1 etc. and bounce them one by one, seeing how high you can get before the eggs start bursting. So there you will have a conclusion or have proved your hypothesis.

In the beginning of the experiment have your child guess (hypothesize) if they could make an raw egg bounce without its shell, then answer that one by bouncing the #1 1 inch high, then so on and so forth, you get the picture.

Call it the Rubber Egg Experiment. If you like this do it, if not then just do it for fun at home. Sincerely, C. N.

there are lots of book at the library with projects in them. Reference as well as ones you can check out. I would recomend looking through those books. They'll have step by step directions and everything. Also her school should have given her a list or some kind of guide lines. She is a lucky girl to have a mom who wants to help her with this. My mother kept putting me off until it was the night before and then she decided to go out with her friends instead of help me and my babysitter had to help me. I didn't even have a board to do the display my babysitter found a box in the garage and used tinfoil to cover it. Of course this is the babysitter who would melt plastic in the backyard with her lighter and set little fires with leaves and sticks. It's surprising I turned out as well as I did.

K.,
Hello! I would check the library. You can likely check out any book that you can buy. Several easy projects.......stalagmites and stalagtites, one year we did one on bacteria in water, I like the paper towel one mentioned earlier, you could do a variation on that with cleansers, if she is a girly-girl maybe which hairspray holds the strongest....the possibilities are endless!! Good luck

There are some wonderful science books at educational stores like Learning is Fun or Lakeshore, if either are in your area. They will actually have Science Fair Project Idea books, with age appropriate experiments, that walk you through the entire project from start to presentation. Or, stop in and speak with her teacher real quick. I am sure she/he will have tons of ideas, and can let you know a little more about his/her expectations. Good luck, and have fun. Don't forget... It's your daughter's project, so help her, but don't do it for her, haha.

Here's a couple cheap and easy ideas:
1. How classical music affects the growth of a plant.
2. Buy 3 plans and water them each with a different type of liquid. (Apple juice, sugar water, vegetable oil, etc.) Then, record which plant grows better.

Hi I am an elementary school teacher and we just had our science fair. Some of the things that my kids did was:

1. See if you can make a rainbow by putting a full glass of water on your kitchen counter and having the light go through it. It actually works. Then take pictures of your child doing the experiment. Have a hypothesis and a conclusion. Its free and fun!!

2. Another one was which diaper is most absorbent. Take different liquids and test.

3. Last suggestion. If you have a plant...see how long it takes to die if not watered.

I hope this helps.

We tested our 3 dogs to see who was the smartest- I found the test online- it includes things like seeing if they come when you say their name a certain way or if you say the word bucket the same way you say their name and getting a bone from under a low table and getting a towel off their head- it's really fun and the display board always looks really cute with pics of your pets! I can find you the test if you decide to do it.

Here is a free link with several ideas.

http://www.helium.com/tm/180878/child-brought-dreaded-ass...

Hope this helps!
K.
http://momof6malloyboys.blogspot.com/

Well first your daughter needs to decide the topic... Ask her what she has done in school lately that might interest her. Does she have any questions about sicene that she would be interested in figuring out. Does she want to so something with solar system, animals, plants, chemicals, physics? Then once she decides that then she will need to decide on a sub topic. Does she want to answer a question (Why do some things dissolve and some dont? use salt, honey ect in water and find chemical properties that show why it does or doesn't. How much physicaly exercise would you have to do to burn off one recese peanut butter mini (using calories, body weight and speed (you would have to time people running a certian distance, but the kids like it and they get a piece of candy.) Or does she want to document something, the life cycle of a frog. I have lots of ideas, once she figures out what it is that she would want to do. The school Library should have some books, or check with her teacher. You coudl also call the Jr. High and ask to talk to a science teacher and she if he/she could help you. I am not sure where you live, but if there is any kind of science museum around you you can go there and see what sparks her interest.

Here are a couple links you can check out...
http://www.californiasciencecenter.org/FunLab/DoItYoursel...

http://scienceclub.org//kidlink1.html

http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/projects.html

Some websites do cost money before you can get the instructions, but you can browse ideas for free. She just has to figure out the idea right now, then over the weekend you can figure out how to do it.

Best of luck, let me know when she picks a topic and I can try and help with an idea

Pick a subject aht can be tested in a relatively short time & then do online research for it. My DS did a 'Rube Goldberg' project once.

Do you know what that is? THere is lots of info onine about it. You build a 'machine' the more complicated the better, to do a simple task. You can use blocks, legos, toys ect so it can be fun for her. (& inexpensive cause it uses things you already have around the house)

Like making the marble roll down to lift the bucket that hits a switch to turn on the light, kind of thing.

You cna also do a comparison type project. For example; testing & comparing which cake mis tastes the best or which bar of soap lasts the longest ect.

Did the teacher give a list of suggestions? ALso your local library should have plenty of books on 'science fair' projects and or experiements.

Good luck! ;-)

Hi K.,
If you google the California State Content Standards and click your daughters grade level and science it tells you what science topics the students must know and are learning that year. You can then use one of the standards to create a science fair project. It will definitely help you narrow your search topic to something appropriate for her grade level. Good luck and have fun!!!

Here is a link for you. Hope this helps.

http://www.science-fair-project.org/projects/test_tube/?c...

Hi K.,
Here are 2 simple projects:
1: Is the length of your foot the same as the length of you forearm?
2: Are you as tall as the length of your arms stretched? Measure from fingertips to fingertips.

either of these is very simple call some friends or family members ,get their measurements. Track age, sex and see if there is any difference. My daughter and many other friends have done these. Good luck

My son created a "hook/latch" to keep the garbage lid closed from racoons.

We kicked around doing a "hair gel" experiment to see which gel held the longest. - For girls, put the hair in a pony and gel the whisps on the sides back - document at what point the gel began to stop holding.... - try 3-5 brands (use the trial size) - this can be done in a short time frame

Last year he got plants from home depot and water/milk/orange juiced them to see which grew faster or died soonest - but that took longer than a week for results

Well - just some suggestions
good luck

Hey it is raining outside how about putting a ruler in a jar or other container and measuring the rain

Well there was this science project me and my son did with water and paper towel. Like the one on the commercials to see which one really can asorb and hold fast. Then there was Volcano's for both my kids. Other then that we really looked as well and yes i see u have to buy everything from the computer. I believe it's getting out of hand. We already pay enough just to get online.

Definitely talk to your local librarian. They have tons of books with free information on science projects, and I'm sure they'd be happy to help you find something. Good luck!

Hi K.,
When my son did his we bought a pet Rat. What we did was every day we would see what the Rat liked better; cheese or peanutbutter. This project accomplished a few different things. First since we live in the country I learned what to use to bait mouse traps and secondly my son learned the responsibility of keeping a pet. I know Rats sound gross but they are very sweet animals and don't bite like hamsters.Not to mention they are cheap. You can buy them at PetCo or any pet store. Its better to get them young.
Good Luck
S. B.