Experiment with ideas
Let’s transform “don’t try this at home” to “don’t you dare try that without me!” Nothing ruins the fun of a science experiment like waiting until the last minute, and nothing ruins education like draining the fun out of it.
School is back in session, and it’s never too early to start planning a science fair marvel.
That’s easier said than done, but science projects shouldn’t intimidate you.
Consider this: science fair projects give you and your family an opportunity to not only learn something together; you’ll create something together, too.
Ideally, your child will come up with an idea organically. Listen for words including, “I wonder if,” and “How come?” These indicate a spark of curiosity, and as parents, I encourage you to nurture it.
“Inspiration can happen anywhere,” Alan Brown, senior programs manager at Sci-Port: Louisiana’s Science Center and co-owner of Cotton Tails Diaper Service of Louisiana, said.
“Isaac Newton wasn’t the first person to see an apple fall; he was simply the first to ask “why?” Brown and other Sci-Port staff will host a science fair bootcamp Oct. 11- 12 highlighting the scientific method. Parents and students will want to be there to learn the “Method to the Madness” of a winning science fair project.
If you’re struggling to develop a topic idea for your child(ren), there’s a great resource online at sciencebuddies.org.
The topic selection wizard allows you to put in the timeline of the project (starting with “due tomorrow” for the procrastinators), grade level and specific area (or choose “I can pick any area for my project.”).
For me, I chose “Due in 2-4 weeks,” “Adult” and environmental science as my area of study. A 26-question quiz including questions such as, “Do you closely follow the space program?” and “Have you actually built inventions or other things you designed that were not required by your parents or a teacher?” and I was given 110 project ideas. Of the several that caught my attention, “How Salty
Does The Sea Have to be for an Egg to Float” was one I might legitimately try at home.
The site also allows you to refine your search to the level of difficulty you desire, as well as have access to the correct APA and MLA formatted citations.
Plus, the wizard gives me a list of earth and environmental science careers in which I might be interested.
More online resources include sciencefair-projects.org and education.com.
Remember, whether it’s related to the human body, math, psychics, biology, chemistry or the solar system, your child’s science fair project is a great opportunity for the family to learn together. Now that you are equipped with a few resources, hopefully you’ll feel a bit more confident in your assistance.
Plus, “There is a perception that a scientist is someone who knows all of the answers,” Brown said.
“Actually, a scientist is simply someone who knows how to ask questions.”
