Science research » Science Fun

Science Projects Should Be Fun and Informative

admin — Tue, 18 May 2010 06:41:06 +0000

It’s very difficult for a parent to stand on the sidelines and watch their child work on a complicated science project without trying to jump in and take over. Even though the temptation is always there, parents must only help; they should not get in the way. The key to a child’s successful learning about science, or anything for that matter, is for the parents to do their part to guide, not drive.

For basic elementary science projects, all that parents really need do is help the child get started, assist with the presentation and ensure that proper recording of events takes place. The presentation part is where a parent can really assist, but before that, a project really needs to be the child’s for the youngster to learn. Resist the urge to take over, but remain active.

Here’s how a parent can guide without getting too involved:

* The first step in any science project, elementary level or otherwise, is to come up with a project. Science projects don’t have to be earth shattering to be effective. The entire concept is to teach a youngster how to reason out a problem and come to a conclusion on his or her own. With this in mind, it’s often more than acceptable to recreate tried and true projects, such as seedlings’ responses to different types of light, what type of water enables better floating and so on. Let the child come up with the project, but guide him or her in a direction of one that you know he or she can handle. Too complicated and the child can become frustrated; too boring and the lessons won’t be learned.

* Make sure your youngster is following instructions. Ask to see the details of the assignment and guide the child along the path to getting this done. Oftentimes, school science teachers will ask for a child to first present a question and then seek to solve it. This involves setting up an experiment, watching it and recording it. Sometimes three repeats of the same project are needed to help prove or deny the theory the child sets forth. Remind the child here the hypothesis, or theory, is meant to be a guess and it’s OK for that guess to be proven wrong. That’s the whole point of science!

* Assist with the presentation. If your youngster has followed directions correctly, she will likely have a question formulated the project is supposed to answer, a guess at that answer and a series of recorded data that covers the extent of the project and possibly some pictures of the action. It is now time to create a workable visual presentation that shows what the project was about, gives the results in a nutshell and makes it easy for anyone to understand what was done and why. Follow school instructions here as they may vary.

The temptation to get in and take over a child’s project to ensure they have the “best” might be high, but that takes away from the valuable lessons a youngster learns through these efforts. Science projects not only teach lessons about science itself, they also help a child develop a sense of wonder, reason and an ability to question their surroundings.

Copyright (c) 2006

By: Aaron Vaughn

Summer Activities – Fun Easy Science Projects

admin — Mon, 17 May 2010 14:28:58 +0000

   When school lets out for the summer, many parents send their children to camp. While many children do enjoy going to camp, a lot of other children like staying home as well. Staying home can actually be good for a family. It saves the money that you would have spent on the summer camp, and it gives you the chance to spend more time with your child. The only problem with staying home is that many times parents feel like their children have had unproductive summers.

            Parents can fix this problem by making sure their children read their summer reading lists, and by coming up with some fun easy science projects that their children can work on. Doing these activities will keep your child productive and learning all through the summer! You can also get involved in the activities of your child so that you spend time together doing something fun, and learning together. At the end of the summer, not only will your child have a whole list of things that they did, but they are likely to be well prepared for the next school year, and they will not have that lull that many students have when they first get back to school!

            When it comes to doing fun easy science projects with your kids, start by asking their teachers what they will be learning in the next school year. Giving your children a preview of what they will be learning will help them perform better in class. You can also choose to come up with fun easy science projects that tackle concepts your child has already learned, though. This makes sure that your child really understood and mastered the concept.

            Next, tailor your fun easy science projects towards fun easy summer activities. For example, making a sun dial out of a stick and some stones is a fun and easy project that will be great for the summer because you are assured of good weather, and you will be able to help your child create an accurate sun dial. Use the sun dial to tell the time as much as you can so that your child will feel like they have created something really useful. Ask them to run out and check what time it is every once in a while. It is also a good way for them to master clock reading!

            Another good example of fun easy science projects tailored towards the summer is building a small hydro-electric power generator with a water pump or with the garden hose. Depending on how much power you want to create and what your design is, creating the tiny generator is a great way to teach your children about alternative forms of energy or renewable energy! It is also a good excuse to get into your swimsuits and cool off with the water while you work.

   There are many other fun easy science projects that you can do with your children all summer long. Harnessing solar energy is a good one, and so is making a solar oven. For as long as your child is having fun, they will appreciate the different projects. Just remember that it is the summer, and fun should come first while learning is just a great added bonus!

By: Ethan Jeremy

Home Science Experiments Made Fun and Easy

admin — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 08:04:10 +0000

Home science experiments are great for rainy or dreary days when the kids are restless and looking for something to do. If you take a look around, you will see that you have a lot of things that can be used to experiment with. For example, you could have your kids test different things to drop eggs onto, such as a couch, a bed, a carpet, a stuffed animal to see which will accept the egg without it breaking. Unfortunately this experiment can often result in a mess!

Cleaner home science projects might be to see if you can make an egg fit through the neck of a bottle that is smaller than the egg. For this you will need a hardboiled egg, a glass with a mouth just slightly smaller than the egg, a 3″ x 3″ piece of newspaper and a match. Remove the shell from the egg and set it on the mouth of the bottle to see that it does not fit through. Then, fold the piece of newspaper into a strip that can be dropped into the bottle.

Have an adult light the match and use it to light the newspaper on fire. Remove the egg from the mouth of the bottle, drop the burning paper into the bottle, and put the egg back over the mouth of the bottle before the fire goes out. Within a few seconds the egg will squeeze through the mouth of the bottle. This happens because the air pressure is pulling the egg into the bottle.

By: Dee Schrock

Simple Science Fair Projects – Two Ideas

admin — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 14:04:16 +0000

Science fair projects can be fun experiences if you find the right one. Do you know what the hardest thing is for most students when assigned a science project? Many would say it’s coming up with an idea that interests them and then getting it started. If that is the case with you, then these ideas for simple science fair projects will be just what you need this year.

Gravity

Gravity is the earth’s pull or attraction on objects. Gravity is what holds you and I to the ground and keeps everything else that moves from floating around in space. Everything from people, pets, rocks, water, books, schools, houses, cars, softballs, and more, have weight because of the earth’s gravity. You may know that things have different weights depending on how big and dense they are. A small marble for example weighs less than a baseball.

Did you know that even though a baseball weighs more, a small marble and a baseball will both fall through the air at the same speed? In other words if they are dropped from the same height, at the same time, they will both hit the ground at the same time. This idea can be easily turned into a simple science fair project that you would enjoy.

Humidity

Humidity simply means how much water vapor or moisture the air around us contains. The amount of water vapor in the air will vary depending on the time of year, where you are located, the type of air mass over your area at the time, etc.

How well air can hold moisture depends also on the temperature of the air. The higher the temperature the more moisture air can hold. The lower the air temperature the less moisture the air can hold.

This is why we see dew on the cars and grass in the mornings sometimes. The air is often warmer during the day than at night and collects moisture from evaporation. At night when the temperature drops the air can’t hold all the moisture it has collected and it condenses (the water falls out and collects on colder objects) onto cars, grass, etc. that are cooler.

Can you think of a simple science fair projects experiment to show that air can hold more moisture when its warmer than when its colder? How about taking a glass of cold water from the refrigerator and placing it on a table or counter in a warm room. Does water collect on the outside of the glass? The colder glass cools the warmer moisture laden air that is touching it causing some of the water to collect on the outside of the glass.

By: Doug Nicholson

Science Fun For All Ages

admin — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 11:54:12 +0000

You are never too old for science. Toddlers and grandparents alike can benefit from science just as much as you or I can. Science is not something that is grown out of. Science is for any age. But there are more appropriate scientific experiments depending on the age of the individual.

Different children have different interests. Therefore, it is important to develop and evolve the principles and concepts that you teach your children as they grow. Adults are no longer impressed with the baking soda and vinegar lava fountains of grade school, but many adults pay good money to see magicians put on big shows where scientific principles form the base of the different illusions and tricks that are performed.

You too can find science projects for your children that can peak their interest and have a magical influence on them. You know your children better than anyone else and therefore you are in an excellent position to teach them scientific principles that you think are most appropriate for their age and developmental level. Knowing our children is the best way to find suitable activities. Here are some tips:

• Make sure that you are not asking too much of your little one. Pushing your child into doing an experiment that is over their heads might make then discouraged and give them the impression that science is hard and frustrating. Do the experiments you want to show your children first so that you can be sure to be able to help them through the project if necessary.

• At the same time that you do not want to go over your kid’s level of understanding, you do not want to underestimate them either. If your child has an affinity for science encourage them to do experiments that may be a grade level or two higher than what they are currently studying.

• Consider how social your child is when thinking about how to best introduce science to him. Some science projects done as a group can help to develop your child’s ability to cooperate and work well with others. Solitary activities may simply bore those who prefer to work with others.

• Let your children get involved in the process of researching and deciding on science activities that you can all do together. Allow them to have some way in the things that you all do together. By choosing the science experiment or project to be worked on your kids will have a greater sense of ownership and will therefore be more dedicated to seeing the project through to completion.
With all the science project options in life, earth and physical science you are sure to find something that your child can really get excited about. You can also choose how complicated you would like to have the experiment be.

By: Chuck Lunsford

Elementary Science Experiments Made Fun and Easy

admin — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 01:03:32 +0000

Elementary science experiments can be a ton of fun. At this age, there isn’t the pressure on the students that there is in the higher grades. Science fair projects are all about fun! Children are naturally curious and full of questions and energy so it shouldn’t be hard to get them to come up with a topic. All you have to do is find something that will get them to think of something that interests them, and then help them get started on their project.

One elementary science experiment the children may enjoy is to see if water always drains in the same direction. They can test this out around the school, in toilets, sinks and drains. All they need to do is grab some paper and a pencil and head off to a washroom to begin. Have them flush the toilet and make note of which way the water drains. You can get them to check a second toilet to be sure they both drain the same way. Then get them to put a plug in a sink drain and fill it with some water. Pull the plug and have them observe which way the water drains in the sink. Next, if there is a floor drain around, if possible pour some water over the drain and have them observe which way it flows down the drain. Did the water always drain in the same direction?

If this elementary science project isn’t for you, you could have the students test different brands of popcorn. In this project, they test to see if different brands of popcorn leave the same amount of in-popped kernels. Have fun!

By: Dee Schrock

4 Great Reasons Science Projects Make Your Child Smarter

admin — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 19:09:47 +0000

There are many educational things you can do with your child to make them smarter. You can make them read books, or make them study more, or you can have them do a science project. You might be thinking that there is no way your child would do a science project. Doing science projects can be fun and educational all at the same time. Here are 4 great reasons science projects make your child smarter.

The first great reason science projects make your child smarter is it helps them to get hands on experience with what they have to learn about. Having hands on experience for a lot of children will help them grasp the concept and actually understand what they are learning about. Science projects make your child smarter because they will be able to retain the information they are learning from the science project easier.

The second great reason science projects make your child smarter is because it helps them understand how things work. For instance something like how a light bulb turns on. Not everyone knows what the process is to make a light bulb work. By doing a science project on it your child will be able to understand the concept behind it and what has to take place before a light bulb can turn on. This will make your child smarter because it will make them think more in depth about the simplest things they do when doing it.

The third great reason science projects make your child smarter is because your child won’t mind learning. When there is fun involved in learning it makes a child more willing to learn. Science projects can be fun filled you just need to make sure to go about it the right way. Interact with your child and ask questions and have discussions. All of these things will make your child smarter from doing science projects.

The fourth great reason sciences projects make your child smarter are because they make your child think on a different level. Instead of just having your child think inside the box it helps them to think outside the box. Instead of just helping your child to know the facts and expect them to remember it. Science projects will help your child to be smarter because it will help them want to figure out new ways of doing things instead of just one way. For instance you can create energy to make electrical things work with out using wire. You can use water. There are many things like this that have more than one way they can be run. Through science projects your child can figure these things out.

By: Chuck Lunsford

Middle School Science Experiments Made Fun and Easy

admin — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 02:06:36 +0000

Middle school science experiments should be more complex than the ones you would have done in elementary school. At this level, the science experiments you are doing will be preparing you for the more involved science projects you will be doing in high school, when you will most likely be entering science fairs to compete for prizes. By this grade, you will need to do your project mainly on your own and be able to explain your project in full, write a report and make up a display.

One of the interesting middle school science experiments is to see if the growth of a plant is affected by the amount of light it receives. For this project you will need three identical plants, three cabinets and three light sources, a 25 watt bulb, a 60 watt bulb and a 100 watt bulb. Mount one of the bulbs in each of the cabinets and label them so you know which bulb is in which cabinet. Then water them and check them once a day for about ten days and record your results in a chart.

Another great middle school project is to see how much starch different foods contain. You can accomplish this by getting a starch chart and a few different samples of popular foods. To test the foods, put a few drops of iodine solution (50% iodine/50% water) on each piece of food. If there is starch in the food the iodine will turn dark brown or blue-black. Record your findings on the starch chart.

By: Dee Schrock

Free Science Experiments Made Simple and Fun

admin — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 11:21:43 +0000

There are countless numbers of free science experiments out there. Just think about the materials you have around your house. There is no need to go out and buy a bunch of pricey items to create a great science experiment. You can do many experiments with water or food with items you already have in your home, such as finding out what the effect of salt is on the boiling temperature of water. For this experiment all you need is a pot, water, salt, measuring spoon and thermometer. Boil some water, test the temperature, and then add one tablespoon of salt to the boiling water, stir, and test the temperature again. You can add a few more tablespoons (one at time) and test the temperature of the boiling water after each additional scoop of salt. Be sure to record your finding so you can compare afterwards.

Or, if you want to do free science projects with food you could test and see which place is best to store fruit in order to keep it freshest the longest. For this all you need to do is get a few pieces of fruit and place them in various places throughout the room; maybe one in the fridge, one on your dining room table and one in a pantry. Then, wait and see which piece of fruit goes bad first and record your results. It doesn’t take much to think of a free science experiment that you can conduct in your own home, or outdoors where you could experiment with bugs and plants.

By: Dee Schrock

Quick Science Projects Made Fun & Easy

admin — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 05:26:55 +0000

Quick science projects are great when you have a limited time frame to complete them or are just looking for a fun way to pass some time on a boring afternoon. There are many options when you’re looking for quick science fair projects, such as how much salt does it take to sink an egg?

All you need for this project is a glass, an egg, water and salt, and you just put the egg in the glass, fill it three-quarters full of water and add the salt, one teaspoon at a time. Another quick science project would to do a food comparison on an animal such as a rodent or a bug, or you could even do it on your own pet. You simply want to find out if they prefer one food over the other. This may not work well for pet dogs though, as most dogs seem to want to eat anything!

You could also do a fairly quick test on depth-perception in humans. All you need is a few cylindrical rods on a table next to each other but at a varying distance from one another, and have a friend cover one eye and try to grab the rod that you specify out of the bunch on the first try. You can then re-arrange the rods and have the friend try to do it with both eyes open. Ask him if he felt he could do it easier with one eye covered or with both eyes open.

By: Dee Schrock