How to design a science fair project from scratch: day 1
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Scientific Method Types of students Words you need Stuff you need Fatal flaws Graphing 101
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Designing your own project Practice Experiment Measure something! Presenting Results Tips for Judging It’s due when ?!?!? My Guest Blogs
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science-fair-coach.com Helping parents help kids with a Science Fair Project
Here is some insight into life with a scientist: My daughter tried some freshly sprouted mung beans from a friend at school –> She looked up mung beans and discovered they are very healthy and wanted to start eating them more regularly –> I went to the store to buy mung beans and discovered you have to sprout them yourself –> My daughter’s friend’s mom teaches me how to sprout mung beans –> After two days, beans sprouts…. and I (insert light bulb here) immediately realized mung beans would be a great tool to conduct science fair projects with!! Mung beans are cheap, easy to sprout, and the results are quick. So here I will design a science fair project – from scratch – so you can see how I work my way through the process.
The key is that the mung beans need to sit in clean water for 6 to 8 hours; clean water leads to most beans sprouting in 2-5 days. MY OBSERVATION: What happens if the water is not clean? So –> CHANGE THE WATER… MEASURE THE NUMBER OF BEANS THAT SPROUT.
This is a model system – the mung beans represent living organisms. With this model system I can ask many questions that have real world applications. For example:
What if the water has a low pH? = Ocean acidification and/or Acid Rain
What if the water is salty? = Salt water intrusion and/or Rising Sea Levels
What if the water is polluted? = Non-point Source Pollution and Runoff
What if the water has growth additives? = Use of Fertilizers or Effects of Vitamins
What if the water has tannins? = Chemical Ecology
What if the water has sediment? = Erosion and/or Sediment pollution
What if the water has an anti-biotic in it? = Effects of Anti-biotics
I haven’t decided which one I will tackle here – but the point is, with this system you could test the effect of WHATEVER YOU ARE INTERESTED IN as long as you can add it to the water.
My first task: Figure out what I need for materials….
I know I need a CONTROL set and an experimental set and I know I need REPLICATION; so that means I will need 6 jars/bags/sprouters for a basic experiment and 9 to 12 for a more advanced design… Here I am thinking:
BASIC 3 jars for control (clean water) 3 jars for a “test” condition
ADVANCED 3 jars for a control (clean water) 3 jars for a “low” condition 3 jars for a “medium” condition 3 jars for a “high” condition
Each jar needs a square of cheese cloth and an elastic and I need enough mung beans for each. My initial thought: count out 100 beans for each… (I was a pharmacy technician so I can quickly count by 5s) but that might get tedious so I could use a standard measure like a 1/4 cup or 1/3 cup. We’ll have to see how many fit in the jar leaving space to expand.
I am also envisioning what the eventual data will look like (most likely a bar graph with condition on the x-axis and % of beans that sprouted on the y-axis) and thinking about making a data sheet to keep track of the washing schedule and observations regarding the beans….
For now I need to go search my house for jars … or maybe red Solo cups… and go to the store to buy beans and cheese cloth … more later
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About my blog… The Science Fair has become a competitive sport and well-coached kids increase their odds of success. This blog is designed to help parents, teachers, and other mentors become better coaches for students wanting to successfully compete in a Science Fair. Throughout the website, you’ll see many sports-themed analogies because I want to connect science with something that might be more familiar – sports. You can follow me on Twitter @ScienceFairInfo
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Junior Varsity Skills Types of students Fatal flaws Stuff you need Scientific Method Words you need Getting Started Practice Experiment
Scientific Method
Varsity Skills Tips for Judging Designing your own project Presenting Results Measure something! Graphing 101
Designing your own project
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