Need help with 7th Grade Science Fair Project

[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]

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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Bah! Tell Mom not to stand in the way of science....or else

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[4_2_it]

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