Science Fair

Update: One source of meaningful projects are GLOBE Campaigns.  I’ve recommended  the Urban Heat Island Effect as a project.  It does require an infrared thermometer and air temperature thermometer.  

 I have hosted, led, and judged many, many science fairs.  I plan to discuss Science Fair with the local Co-op group.  In the mean time, let me help with a few good web sites.

1. A Project Worksheet is a way to plan your research project.  This worksheet has students think about the topic, hypothesis, materials, etc.  Start here!

2. Most Science Fairs at the regional or state level comply with ISEF.  Here are the ISEF rules.  Try the Rules Wizard once you have a project idea.  Certain experiments are banned, such as explosives and experiments on animals.  

3.  Get an overview of a project with Google’s Science Fair Project Template.  

4. Look at Science Buddies’ Science Fair Project Guide.  Here is a comparison between the scientific method and the engineering method as approaches to designing the project.  They have sample Display Boards.  Here are more examples.

5. Teens need ideas. One popular idea is Cell Phone Radiation.  HST has ideas.  Look at the ISEF winning projects.  It is better to do a project which interests the child.  Does he like to fish?  Do a project comparing the relative water quality at different fishing spots.  Does she golf?  Try Temperature and Rebound.  

6. It is important to do background research.  Science Buddies has suggestions.NASA/JPL has videos, too.   Look at Langley’s Science Fair Research Plan.   

More graphing calculators at Good Will: TI 83

 Wow!  Good Will online has a lot of 15 TI 83 graphing calculators at a fixed price.  All have been tested. I lend TI 83 models to students because I can usually buy them for about $15 each.  This is a tremendous deal!

Measures Lab

 Students of all ages benefit fro a lab on measures.  You can add Thermometer Calibration and some lab techniques, too.  Basic tools include a 100 mL graduated cylinder, a ruler or meter stick, a thermometer, and a scale.  Triple beam scales are pricey.  I have one; however we use digital scales for labs.  Measures is a good lab to do the first day of class or lessons.

1. Basic Measures include length, volume, temperature, and mass.  

2. Measuring with Metric has a lesson, and more detailed measures, such as measuring volume by displacement and measuring with a triple beam scale.  

3. Penny Density lab compares the density of pre-1982 with post 1982 pennies.  If you have a large jar of pennies, there are still many older pennies in circulation.  

Good Will online: Huge Lot of Scientific Calculators!

 Good Will online also has a large lot of scientific calculators.  I already have a set for Co-op or I would be very tempted.  The shipping is a flat rate and all of the calculators have been tested and work.  What a deal!

Good Will online: Huge Lot of Graphing Calculators!

 Wow! Good Will online has a huge lot of graphing calculators at a flat shipping rate—which have been tested!  Watch the bids.  This is a tremendous deal!

Read and write more!

 There is a program called Writing Across the Curriculum.  The idea is that kids write in every subject.  For example, kids would write a paragraph explaining how they solved an algebraic problem.  I can tell you from personal experience, kids do NOT love writing in every subject.  How do you get them to write in science?  I use interesting articles: Otzi, How Did Otzi Get His Tattoos?, and Cash, Chemistry, and Counterfeit. (Test Money is a fun activity to do with the Counterfeit article.). Read the article together.  Some articles, such as 3D Printed Food generate a good discussion.  Write a brief reaction.  Would you eat 3D printed food?  Bugs and the Future of Meat also is provocative.  Would you eat bugs?  Your Co-op might like to try Cricket bars.  Then ask them to write about their experience.  Would they eat one again?  

Here is an article about spotting misinformation in science.  You might discuss the Cold Fusion episode.  How do you know if information is true?  Which resources are reliable?  What type of problems arise through misinformation?  It helps to read an article together and discuss it before trying a writing prompt.  Sometimes the discussion will generate a good writing topic.  I teach a Composition class, too.  We do read and write about interesting science articles from time to time.  Try it!  I think you’ll be surprised how interested the kids are and the quality of work they produce.

Chemmatters

 Chemmatters is a high school level chemistry magazine.  When I teach Chemistry, I subscribe to the magazine.  The article,  Sugar, and the Teacher’s Guide are good examples of this resource.  Here is an archive of free articles.  I like to assign a few articles with questions as enrichment.  When I have kids who are artistic, I look for articles, such as What’s in Your Paintbox?  I add artsy labs, such as Make Your Own Watercolor Paint, Paper Marbling, or Hydro Dip Painting.

Browse the articles for a theme.  I had a student interested in Ferrofluids.  You can experiment with magnetism and ferrofluids.

I used this article, about Tattoos with my Composition class this past year.  The kids read the article, discussed the pros and cons, and wrote an opinion piece.  I’ve done this in Chemistry classes, too.  Recently, there were studies suggesting a link between tattoos and lymphoma.  If your teen wants a tattoo, you might do some research together.  The original tattoo article from Chemmatters is an excellent place to start.

Olympics!

 Start here with a Physics of Olympic Sports poster.  Here is a series of summer Olympics activities for kids.  HST has these Science Explorations.  Have fun watching the Olympics!  

Electricity: Paper Circuits

 My husband, Rob, teaches Physics.  He loathes the Electricity and Magnetism unit.  The responsibility for those labs falls on me.  One idea Rob said was easy to use is Paper Circuits.  Below is a sample kit.

While, you don’t need a kit, this is one instance it can be worthwhile.  Here is an instructable to DIY yourself.  Teens like making birthday cards which light.  Teach Engineering has more greeting card ideas.  Rob says the paper circuits are easy to set up and fun for the kids.  This is another good Co-op experiment to try.  It doesn’t have to align with a unit on electricity.  Instead, bring card stock, pom-poms, and paper circuit supplies and make it into a fun activity everyone can try.

Electricity and Magnetism: TOPS Science

 One of my favorite resources is TOPS Science.  These experiments use paper clips, tape, aluminum foil, etc for simple experiments.  The two I’ve used most often are Electricity and Magnetism.  When I teach these units in Physical Science, I pull out supplies and hand the kids the books.  They work through the experiments independently.  Here and here are sample labs.  Yes, all of the labs are fabulous!  Browse their book selection.  These are widely available used.

String Slime

I have another tip I like to do at Science Camp—-compare diy or home recipes with commercial products.  For example make sidewalk chalk and compare the properties with a pack of chalk from the store.  Do the same thing with String Slime.  Make slime with Sodium alginate and calcium chloride.  Calcium lactate and calcium acetate work, too.  Color the sodium alginate solution before you squirt it into the calcium chloride.  Use tempera paint.  Compare with the commercial string slime.  This is another great lab for science camp or Co-op science class on polymers.

Chemistry with LEGOS

 Save a box of LEGOs or DUPLO blocks.  You can use them with chemistry.  MIT has these Molecule Sets.  Here are their instructions to make your own set.  Here is the key to color code atoms.  The unit uses mats to lay out reactions.  You can use LEGOS, DUPLOS, or Mega blocks to create Cations and Anions.  Just below is a teacher video explaining a synthesis equation using bricks.  Yes!  I’ve used bricks to show molecules!  It works!

You may want to put stickers on the blocks.   Teaching Chemistry with LEGO Bricks has several ideas for LEGOs including periodic properties.   Here is balancing equations with LEGOs.  

Buy used!

 A friend of mine used to say, ‘Cheaper is better.’  I buy loads of things used—particularly books and textbooks.  I’ve had good luck buying used science kits, graphing calculators, and yarn from Good Will online.  (Always check shipping!) The vast majority of the textbooks I buy are used from eBay, Thriftbooks, Abebooks, etc.  The used book companies also sell DVDs.  My target price for used books is $5 with shipping.  Textbooks have increased in price recently.  I don’t like to spend more than $10 for a textbook.  I will spend a bit more on a teacher edition.  Recently, I bought Algebra I textbooks for the families.  I bought several teacher’s editions to have on hand when a child gets stuck on a problem and the parent needs to help.  The best place to find used books is from the library book sales.  I buy cookbooks, garden books, and quilting books as presents.  I can mail a nice pile of books via media mail to family—who don’t seem to mind used books either.  

I’ve had good luck buying used graphing calculators from Good Will online, but not from Amazon or eBay.  I can’t remember getting one that doesn’t work.  However, I only bid on operable calculators, not untested devices.  I don’t buy electronics used anymore, either.  I wait for Black Friday or Prime Day to buy an iPad or laptop.  I bet you scour the local thrift stores for bargains already.  Branch out!  See if you can get more textbooks and curriculum used, especially from Good Will.  Below are a few screenshots of educational bargains.

Elementary Science Curriculum

 Wow!  Have you seen ads for Noeo Science?  It’s expensive.  I like Apologia’s Young Explorers series for elementary age kids.  I first learned about the series when a home-schooling family talked about Zoology taught at their Co-op.  As a Biology teacher, I was amazed at the quality of the program.  I taught Human Anatomy and helped Rob teach Chemistry and Physics.  You don’t need a kit.  (Yes, there are kits available if you want to buy one.). I like to use the student notebook with the textbook.  The notebook has the syllabus and schedule.  The sample has an excerpt from the textbook, the materials, and pages from the  student notebook.  There are two levels for the student notebook.  When I taught Human Anatomy, the kids were 6-11.  We used both notebooks.  

The Young Explorers series is a great choice for Co-ops.  Don’t feel as though you need a science degree to teach this series.  Look things up as you go.  I would do the Try This! activities before you do them with the kids.  You’ll need to plan ahead for the projects.  There are three Zoology textbooks.  You could do Zoology for three years in a row or mix in Human Anatomy, Botany, or Astronomy.  I feel the Chemistry and Physics textbook works better for upper elementary age children.  Look for used copies and sales on the student notebooks.  

Book Themed Science

I used to do an outreach program to kindergarten classes.  I incorporated stories linked to experiments.  These are also called Storybook Themed Science Experiments, such as Edible Butterfly Life Cycle and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. How do you present this lesson?  Read the book and then do the experiment.  Be open to questions.  Ask a few, yourself.  Here  are a few more STEM ideas for storybooks.  I made a list below.  Take a look.

1. Oobleck and Bartholomew and the Oobleck.

2. Rainbow Fish and Rainbow Fish STEM.

3. Germs Make Me Sick and Glo-germ Handwashing.

4. Zack’s Alligator  and Grow Beast Alligator.

5. Mouse Paint STEM and Mouse Paint.  

Science Reading Log

A member of the National Chemistry Group on Facebook posted this reading log.  What a great idea!

 

Great Chemistry Websites

 There are a few trusted websites many Chemistry teachers have used for years.  These sites predate TPT, MsRazz, It’s Not Rocket Science, or Chemistry Corner.  Instead, try the Cavalcade O’ Chemistry and Mr.Kent.  The New York Science Teacher is another good resource.  Look at the Chemistry Share-a-thon for ideas.  The New York State Regents is both a course and a test.  Please note that these websites tend to be vanilla.  But you won’t pay for materials which should be free.

Challenging Labs for Biology

The next Biology class has some very bright kids and kids with learning differences.  I’m looking for labs I can do with everyone and differentiate among the class.  The AP Biology Lab Manual is inquiry based.  I want ideas to adapt.  For example, the Osmosis lab in the AP lab manual has ideas.

Exploratorium’s Agar Cell Diffusion Science Activity has clear instructions.  Knox gelatin works well.  Just reduce the amount of water.  Here is a similar lab with a data table.   Another lab is Photosynthesis with spinach leaf disks.  I already do this lab.  But, we could modify the data.  In truth, I didn’t realize the lab was an AP Bio lab.  Whoops!  I’m planning Bottle Biology.  Here is the AP Biology lab.  Carolina’s Systems Modeling might be interesting to try, too.   If your teen is bright, look for similar labs which can be scaled up to make experiments more interesting.  I’ll keep you posted.

Why do you use Apologia Science textbooks?

Right now, many schools follow tNext Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and use inquiryHub or iHub and Storylines.  Here is a sample.  I like to understand educational trends.  But, I’ve been trained and taken part in enough programs, such as Project Based Learning (PBL), I am cautious. It’s interested in phenomena and new labs, such as Yeast Fermentation.  But, I am always leary of an agenda.  Where do you fit Biomolecules or Comparative Morphology?  Instead, I’m sticking to a traditional, Biology program and using Apologia.  Do I plan to add labs, exercises, POGIL, and concept maps?  Yes!  But, I won’t adopt a program which carves away huge elements of a traditional Biology course.

Science on a Budget: Human Anatomy Teaching Materials

 You don’t need to spend tons of money to teach Human Anatomy.  First buy an oversized book.  I use this book as a set of posters.  

Buy a used anatomy coloring book. Try to find one ‘like new’ or ‘very good’.  I’ve purchased several, Anatomy coloring books which did not have any marks at all.

Buy a toy skeleton.  Stores put out Halloween decor so early you should be able to buy a skeleton before school starts.  The fist lesson is to do a detailed comparison of the skeleton with an atlas to look for errors. Print out a free skeleton to label with sticky notes.

Be sure to print a Brain Hemisphere Hat.   Buy clay to make bones and organs.

Additionally, there are inexpensive  labs: Nervous Experiment (paperclip), Reaction Times (ruler), Muscle Fatigue (clothespin), Exercise and Cellular Respiration Lab (straw and bromothymol blue),and Digestion Lab.

Yes, you’ll want a microscope and a set of slides. This set of slides is pretty comprehensive.  

I have several battery powered microscopes which are essentially toys.  I was astounded at the quality of these microscopes.  

Organization

I’m in the middle of doing a two-week, Faith Camp for kids behind in their religious education.   I’ve been thinking a lot about organization.  Rob and I took over a classroom at our church.

My organization style is more ‘pile-file’ than anything else.  I like kits—boxes organized with all of the materials ready.  I want title in large letters on the outside of the box.  Please note the box with bingo games, bingo chips, and candy prizes.  (I seldom have time for Element Bingo; if I did, I would have a labeled box ready.)

My lessons are usually a list of titles for activities and labs.  I look at the list and pull the kits or equipment.  I check that the links are posted in Google Classroom for the kids.  Then I check for the lesson masters or print from the Google Drive folder.  Our library has free copies.  I keep a library bag in the hall closet with master to make copies regularly.  

These strategies have helped improve my organization.  I still have to print out materials occasionally during class or run upstairs for a lab component.  But, the more organized I am the smoother things run.  Truthfully, my chief management style is to keep kids busy.  The one tip that has helped me run any class or Camp is to have more things to do than the kids can accomplish.  I usually pull six activities form each class, knowing we’ll never get that far. In the case of a two week camp, I planned over 50 activities, songs, games, and crafts.   Hey! I’m covered!

Summer Projects!

 I’m not into summer bucket lists.  But, there are some classic summer projects to try.

1. Make S’Mores With a Solar Oven.  I’ve done this with Science Camp.  If you have a window, the marshmallows will melt even more quickly.  Here is a pizza box, Solar oven from HST.  Box ovens work. Plan for a hot day!

2.  Make Sun Prints.  These are easy and use construction paper.  Put a pair of open scissors out for a cool shadow pattern.  Try Cyanotype paper, too.  The pix below are with Inkodye; Amazon still sells some bottles.

3.  Make Ice Cream in a Bag!  Everyone should try this once!