Need help with 7th Grade Science Fair Project

[4_2_it]

My daughter has to select a science fair project this weekend. Any suggestions or good websites would be appreciated. I know that several of you are engineers and rocket scientists so try to keep it to something that an accountant can deal with. There is no limitation other than she do the project and be able to explain how the project/experiment works.

I thought about the Bobby Brady volcano, but it seems the teacher vetoed that idea.

[swede123]

cue Patrick...

[Dynasty]

Build the solar system out of styrafoam balls. That's a classic.

[Shajen]

http://www.parlorcity.com/awinterrowd/sarina/boom/sarina.jpg

[MelchyBeau]

something on zombies would be an excellent choice.

Melch

[Lazymeatball]

serious answer:
surface tension
that won my sister a best in show.

batteries won my brother a 2nd place in his category

containing oil slicks got me an honorable mention (notice the trend)

or go with the science fair staple, "Does playing music help plants grow?" be sure to include one of those soda cans that dances in response to sound.

[drewjustdrew]

I would like to see the Super-size me experiment run from a different angle. Can you expose mcdonalds fries to a stomach acid (or something similar) and see if they degrade like normal potatoes?

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

I judged a 6th and 7th grade science fair a couple years ago. The theme there seemed to be growing little plants in various environments and with varying types and amounts of food. I graded these ones quite harshly. I was actually a bit disappointed in the majority of the projects. Too many of them were not very exciting or original ideas and the kids that did have good ideas didn't execute very well.

I'm not very good at thinking of these things because it's hard for me to remember exactly how much these kids know and what you can do that's very exciting at that level.

[MrWookie47]

All you're going to get here are canned, overused ideas that your daughter won't be interested in. Ask her about what she has been wondering about the world. It will be much more interesting, enjoyable, and competitive if tthe judges see a kid with something they personally are curious about and want to investigate rather than some recipe you got off the internet.

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

I recommend this (http://www.backyard-ballistics.com/) website as a starting point for something exciting.

Trebuchets (http://www.williamgurstelle.com/books3.php) are badass.

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

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http://www.parlorcity.com/awinterrowd/sarina/boom/sarina.jpg

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If your 7th grader can convincingly explain what makes a boomerang come back, then I would have to imagine that she'd win as long as her presentation isn't absolute crap.

[GuyOnTilt]

Have her explain to me how the hell this (http://www.grand-illusions.com/videos/dragon%20illusion.wmv) works, 'cause it still confuses the hell out of me.

GoT

[Rob Blackburn]

This is the stock one my mother and I created. Since it has been done by both of my siblings and a few cousins we all got A's. I actually won a County Science Fair in 8th grade doing this one, though I admit I was in the boonies of NC where the avg. IQ was of mental retard level. I went to state and got smoked by kids who spent year(s) doing their projects, while mine was done in two weeks.

"Effects of Enviromental Extremes on Plants".

Which sounds alot more complicated than what it is. You need 4 of the same type of cheap plants. A microwave, vinegar, ammonia, and spot light/uv light. You are supposed to be re-creating extreme enviroments on the plants, microwave is radiation, vinegar and ammonia is acid rain, uv light would be loss of ozone/extreme UV, then one control.

Just subject the plants to these enviorments and study how they die, write up a nice report, make some charts, talk about saving the earth and other hippie stuff. Get an A+.

The most expensive thing in the whole project was the stupid tri-folder display thing.

[steelcmg]

[ QUOTE ]


Trebuchets (http://www.williamgurstelle.com/books3.php) are badass.

[/ QUOTE ]

I wish i would have made one of those in a science fair they are badass


im pretty sure i made one of thos volcanos.

[4_2_it]

I like the trebuchet idea. We love playing Civilization and LOTR and it would be fun trying to build one. I like the ideas, I was drawing a blank and this is helpful.

[WackityWhiz]

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Have her explain to me how the hell this (http://www.grand-illusions.com/videos/dragon%20illusion.wmv) works, 'cause it still confuses the hell out of me.

GoT

[/ QUOTE ]

that's awesome, I've never seen that one before

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

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I like the trebuchet idea. We love playing Civilization and LOTR and it would be fun trying to build one. I like the ideas, I was drawing a blank and this is helpful.

[/ QUOTE ]
DO IT!

[Cancer Merchant]

My fave was adventures in solution supersaturation, or the Rock Candy Experiment.

[swede123]

That stuff's crazy man. Cool.

Swede

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

[ QUOTE ]
Have her explain to me how the hell this (http://www.grand-illusions.com/videos/dragon%20illusion.wmv) works, 'cause it still confuses the hell out of me.

GoT

[/ QUOTE ]
These are pretty cool. I saw one in a store at the mall a couple weeks ago.

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

This actually reminded me of another thing usually seen at the same kind of store you'd see the crazy dragon thing at. It wouldn't make much of a project on its own, but it could be incorporated into a project about optical illusions. It's that thing that's rigged up so it looks like a ball is rolling uphill when you let it go. Do you know what I'm talking about? It's just a dumb little desk ornament type thing, but it's cool.

[J.A.Sucker]

What kind of questions does your daughter have that you are afraid to answer? This is a perfect opportunity for you both to explore these things together. For example, why is the sky blue during the day and red at night? This is actually a great one, and would make a great science fair project. If she's into clouds, then cool. Do clouds. If she likes bugs, study bugs - track some ants around your basement or something.

Frankly, I'm torn about science fairs. Even though I'm a scientist, I hate them, because usually some kid has his/her dad do all of the stuff for them, and he's a staff scientist at some company or a professor at a school. They win the fair, and all of the other kids who actually did kid stuff lose. This sucks for the kids who actually are curious and actually turns more people off from science than turns people onto it, which I think is the point of these things. Personally, I hope you and your daughter get a lot out of it, because science should be about looking at your world as a kid - the best scientists all act like children and take an unbiased view towards things, just like kids do. If neither you or your daughter know anything about the topic, this is good - you can learn together, and that should be fun for the both of you. That's why I recommend doing the things I listed above, or some other "mundane" thing. There are tons of things that people are afraid to ask about, and assume that they know the answer to, but don't really have any clue. Here's your chance to cross one of those things off the list.

[4_2_it]

[ QUOTE ]
What kind of questions does your daughter have that you are afraid to answer? This is a perfect opportunity for you both to explore these things together. For example, why is the sky blue during the day and red at night? This is actually a great one, and would make a great science fair project. If she's into clouds, then cool. Do clouds. If she likes bugs, study bugs - track some ants around your basement or something.

Frankly, I'm torn about science fairs. Even though I'm a scientist, I hate them, because usually some kid has his/her dad do all of the stuff for them, and he's a staff scientist at some company or a professor at a school. They win the fair, and all of the other kids who actually did kid stuff lose. This sucks for the kids who actually are curious and actually turns more people off from science than turns people onto it, which I think is the point of these things. Personally, I hope you and your daughter get a lot out of it, because science should be about looking at your world as a kid - the best scientists all act like children and take an unbiased view towards things, just like kids do. If neither you or your daughter know anything about the topic, this is good - you can learn together, and that should be fun for the both of you. That's why I recommend doing the things I listed above, or some other "mundane" thing. There are tons of things that people are afraid to ask about, and assume that they know the answer to, but don't really have any clue. Here's your chance to cross one of those things off the list.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for your thoughtful response. I am trying to hit on a topic that she (not me) would find interesting. She loves sports, music and all the normal 12-year stuff, but science is one subject she has always struggled with (I am not much help because I struggled as well). I really like the why is the sky blue question. I am looking for things to stimulate her thinking process.

I really want her to do the project with my help/support and not have her watch me do it.

[rory]

do you guys have any pets to experiment on

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

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She loves sports, music and all the normal 12-year stuff

[/ QUOTE ]
How about what makes a curveball curve?

I think she could also make something pretty good out of how a guitar/piano string makes different notes. She could build a little something with differing lengths of string/wire and show how each one vibrates at a different frequency. She could have pictures of strings vibrating with different modeshapes and wavelengths. She doesn't necessarily have to know that they're called mode shapes or wavelengths, but the pictures could be cool.

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

I still think she'd be the coolest kid on the block and you'd be the badest dad in the neighborhood if you had a trebuchet in your back yard. Does she have any concept of lever arms or energy (potential, kinetic, etc.) yet?

[4_2_it]

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I still think she'd be the coolest kid on the block and you'd be the badest dad in the neighborhood if you had a trebuchet in your back yard. Does she have any concept of lever arms or energy (potential, kinetic, etc.) yet?

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I think so. We watched something about 6 months ago on the History Channel (or was it Discovery?) about a guy who reconstructed Roman catapults. She loved it. The only obstacle I see is mom not wanting her daughter to build a medieval WMD in the backyard.

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

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The only obstacle I see is mom not wanting her daughter to build a medieval WMD in the backyard.

[/ QUOTE ]
Bah! Tell Mom not to stand in the way of science.

[TheWorstPlayer]

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The only obstacle I see is mom not wanting her daughter to build a medieval WMD in the backyard.

[/ QUOTE ]
Bah! Tell Mom not to stand in the way of science....or else

[/ QUOTE ]

[4_2_it]

Check this out (http://www.trebuchetplans.com/)

[Jingleheimer]

There are a bunch of really simple but very cool experiments you could do to explore the Coanda effect. This is the effect that enables airplanes to fly (**not** the Bernoulli effect).

For example, running water off the surface of a spoon, blowing air across the surface of curved pieces of paper, that kind of thing. I'm sure Google will be your friend here.

These experiments will be pretty simple, give you results that are not trivial, and also have a good chance at educating your judges (who may have the incorrect standard view of a lot of these things) which will definitely allow you to score well.

J

[mmbt0ne]

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She loves sports, music and all the normal 12-year stuff

[/ QUOTE ]
How about what makes a curveball curve?

[/ QUOTE ]

4_2's daughter = Scooter?

Also, somewhere I have a video of a trebuchet me and my friends built. As soon as I find it, I'll upload it.

[4_2_it]

[ QUOTE ]

There are a bunch of really simple but very cool experiments you could do to explore the Coanda effect. This is the effect that enables airplanes to fly (**not** the Bernoulli effect).

For example, running water off the surface of a spoon, blowing air across the surface of curved pieces of paper, that kind of thing. I'm sure Google will be your friend here.

These experiments will be pretty simple, give you results that are not trivial, and also have a good chance at educating your judges (who may have the incorrect standard view of a lot of these things) which will definitely allow you to score well.

J

[/ QUOTE ]

I never realized that scientists were still arguing about what makes airplanes fly. Thanks for making me nervous next time I get on an airplane. I think this is my back-up plan in case mom vetoes building a 6-foot medieval weapon of death in our background.

[cwsiggy]

forget the trebuchets - build one of these.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b277/cwsiggy/grond.jpg