Education 101 - Putting the Focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics [sciencetechnology-center.blogspot.com]
Question by D. M.: Any suggestions for a good science fair project that is NOT a demonstration or a consumer report/comparasion? I need a 7th grade level idea for a science project that isn't a demonstration (like a volcano or a solar system model) and that isn't a consumer report (Brand A has more raisins than Brand B). Please send me your suggestions. Best answer for Any suggestions for a good science fair project that is NOT a demonstration or a consumer report/comparasion?:
Answer by nickipettis
there is always growing plants under different lighting conditions
Answer by Wise Old Man
My granddaughter did one on fingerprints, and whether the same characteristics were genetic or not. It was interesting!
Answer by ♥Nurse Kimberly♥
Problem to be Solved: Does supplementary vitamin C prevent colds? Hypothesis: Vitamin C will prevent people from getting colds. Procedure: Materials: 500 mg vitamin C, eight people, calendars Control Group: no vitamin C group Variable: vitamin C group Procedure: I have four people take one 500 mg vitamin C per day for one month. They write down on a calendar each time they experience cold symptoms (unusual coughing, sneezing, runny nose, stuffy nose, sore throat, etc.). I have four different people who do not write down each time they experience cold symptoms on a calendar for one month. I have no one take any vitamin C for one week just to get it out of their system. Then for the next month I do the same as the first, but I switch the people who do and do not take vitamin C. When the month is over, I compare the calendars to see whether vitamin C prevented colds. Results: Recorded Cold Symptoms Over a Month Severe Symptoms Minor Symptoms With Vitamin C 21 53 Without Vitamin C 31 49 Conclusion: There were more severe cold symptoms without vitamin C than there were with vitamin C. There was no significant difference between the minor cold symptoms. In further experimentation, more people could have been tested over a longer period of time. Also variables such as other health problems people had would be better controlled to obtain more accurate measurements.
Answer by d9p_in_the_village
Most good science fair project subjects are simply something you are curious about or something that you have a question on. Once you develop your question, you develop a "hypothesis", which is a guess at what the answer to the question might be. Then, you design experiments to see if what you guessed is correct, or supported by the evidence or the results from the experiment. After you complete your experiment(s), you develop a conclusion. In the conclusion, you evaluate both your original hypothesis as well as your experiment technique and your experiment results. If your hypothesis is not supported by the experiment results, then you either can either change your hypothesis to fit the results, change your experiment techniques and continue to experiment, or use the conclusion to disprove your original hypothesis. A simple example question that I have always thought would make an interesting experiment: "Does colored water evaporate faster than clear water?" A possible experiment design would be to measure out the same amount of water into several containers that are the exact same shape and size. Since we are interested in testing different colors of water, it would be a good idea if the containers were clear glass. Add different colors of food coloring to each of the different water samples. You can use primary food colors, or you can mix different colors together to come up with your own colors. After you have prepared your samples, you will need to put them is a place where they all receive an equal amount of light, heat, and air flow. It might even be a good idea to rotate the samples so that the results aren't skewed by having one sample in a spot that is hotter or gets more light than the other samples. I suggest setting them in a window where they all get the same amount of sun light. You will need to check in the morning and in the evening to make sure that all the samples are getting the same amount of sun. After a week, evaluate the results to see what happened. I am going to guess (my hypothesis) that a water sample with a dark color will evaporate faster than a light or clear water sample. If you are slightly ADD like me, and don't want to have to wait for a week to see results, you might try doing something like this in the microwave and seeing which color boils fastest. But, that should only be done with parental supervision and guidance. If you decide to use this option, you can even turn it into a race to see which color wins. And if colors don't make a difference on which one boils fastest, then you can continue experimenting. Maybe different shapes of containers, or different materials for the containers will make a difference.
Answer by Imaka
Try these sites. They should give you the help you need.
Answer by â–ºJustinâ—„ The Risque Business
There are some great ideas out there that need to be discovered. One's you can understand best are abot things you have learned about already. Go through your notes from previous years, and there's a few ideas for science projects, you just gotts get creative. here's a couple sites to help you: http://www.all-science-fair-projects.com/ http://www.sciencebuddies.org/mentoring/project_ideas.shtml http://www.terimore.com/ http://www.cdli.ca/sciencefairs/ http://parentingteens.about.com/cs/homeworkhelp/a/blscproindex.htm http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learning/kids/sciencefair.php http://www.tryscience.org/ http://www.ergonica.com/educators.htm http://www.juliantrubin.com/fairprojects.html http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/kids/fair/ideasframe.htm http://members.ozemail.com.au/~macinnis@ozemail.com.au/scifun/projects.htm http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/projects/index.html http://biology.about.com/od/biologysciencefair/a/aa010807a.htm http://www.homeworkspot.com/sciencefair/ http://www.scifair.org/
If you've never seen the acronym STEM before, you will from now on and quite often. The letters stand in for science, technology, engineering, and math, four subject areas that have become a top educational concern and priority from the federal government on down to the preschool level.
And with good reason.
The Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) tested one-half million students from 41 countries. On the science portion, American fourth graders came in third, but slipped to 17th place in grade 8 and sixth from the bottom in grade 12. In advanced science, our kids came in last.
In math, our fourth graders placed 12th, our 8th graders placed 17th, and our 12th graders scored sixth from the bottom.
It is for such reasons that the Obama administration has launched its "Educate to Innovate" campaign, focusing on improving America's performance in these STEM subjects and gaining the support of major corporations, foundations and non-profits--even Discovery Communications and Sesame Street.
Their aim: every child. Yes, even your preschooler. It's coming, of that you can be sure. Reassuringly, though, Temple University's Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pacek says, "Efforts to expand preschool science teaching need not necessarily conflict with young children's need for playtime. Science can be taught in the context of play."
And you can support those efforts at home by doing simple experiments right there in your kitchen, starting with your toddlers and then continuing as they get older. Such activities serve to pique curiosity and engage youngsters in seeking answers, as they learn more and more about how the world works. And that's crucial.
As President Obama has said, "Reaffirming and strengthening America's role as the world's engine of scientific discovery and technological innovation is essential to meeting the challenges of this century."
As you know, science has been included in the N o Child Left Behind testing mandate since the 2007-08 school year. And now with "Educate to Innovate," there's an even stronger push to engage all of our students in thinking deeply and critically in STEM subjects, boosting our international standing and informing our kids about careers in related fields--opening up possibilities for girls, as well as boys.
According to the National Science Foundation, while women make up 46% of the American workforce, they hold only 25% of the jobs in engineering, technology, and science.
Helping to change those numbers is the stated purpose of the non-profit organization Expanding Your Horizons, which says it is "encouraging young women to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers." To that end, EYH coordinates 85 hands-on math and science conferences annually-and one is sure to come your way.
For instancee, open to middle school girls, an Expanding Your Horizons conference will be held on Ma rch 20th at Swarthmore College. "All workshops are led by female role models who not only have a deep knowledge of the topics they teach, but also serve as positive examples of successful women in technical fields... Our conference is perfect for girls who have already discovered a passion for math or science, but it is also a great opportunity to reach those who may be beginning to lose interest in these typically male-dominated fields. We hope you or the special young women in your life will consider spending a day learning and discovering with us." Average cost to participants: only $ 10.65.
Meanwhile, Wilkes University has received a $ 2.9 million Pennsylvania Department of Education grant to train middle-level teachers from five counties in math and science, including those in Montgomery County's Springford, Upper Perkiomen, and Perkiomen Valley school districts. This specialized program integrates content with teaching skills, thus enhancing our students' class room experience in these core subjects--and the timing couldn't be better.
Says John Holdren, Obama's science advisor and director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, "America needs a world-class STEM workforce to address the grand challenges of the 21st century, such as developing clean sources of energy that reduce our dependence on foreign oil and discovering a cure for cancer."
Recommend Education 101 - Putting the Focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Issues
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