A first grade science fair project enables a first grader to learn science in a fun way. Science fair projects plant the seed of interest in science, in a child. It inflames their imagination and arouses their interest in the world around them. The first grade is the ideal time to introduce a child to the amazing world of science and allow the child to explore and satiate his or her curiosity. The child also learns to be methodical and organized as the project follows a scientific method and is based on scientific concepts and principles which children are able to grasp easily.
While a classroom lecture often tends to be one-sided with the teacher giving the maximum amount of inputs, a project focuses on the creativity and initiative of the child. The child is involved in his project a hundred percent. Science fair projects also help in strengthening the bond between parents and children, as the child usually turns to the parent for topic ideas and finally choosing the topic.
For a first grade science fair project to be successful, the following tips should be kept in mind.
1.Allow the child to choose the experiment only if the topic interests the child. If they don’t want to do it, you’ll struggle the whole time.
2.While the teacher or parent can lend a helping hand and guide the child, the child should be allowed to work independently. No adult should ever take complete control of the project. The adult should just keep an eye open to ensure that there are no accidents or mishaps. Suggestions and guidelines can also be given but the child should be allowed to do the experiment and draw his or her own conclusions from it. This way a child learns much more.
3.Allow the child to have fun while doing the project
4.Allow the child to experiment as one project idea can lead to many questions and new ideas.
5.Allow the child to be creative as a child can have an entirely different perspective about the project.
There are thousands of ideas. A few are:
1.To explain the concept of density, put an egg in a bowl of water and see if it floats or sinks. Replace the water with salt water, sugar water, oil and various other liquids of different densities and record the results.
2.Make a simple lever with a pencil and an ice cream stick. Balance coins on both ends and explain the principle.
3.Test the magnetic force of a magnet by covering it with paper, plastic, aluminum foil etc. Check its magnetic power.
4.Make different designs of airplanes and test which ones fly the best.
5.Find out if white or dark objects get heated faster in the sun.
6.Demonstrate how a solar/lunar eclipse occurs.
7.Make a compass with a needle and cork.
8.Plant seeds and watch them grow.
9.Explain the water cycle.
So, a first grade science fair project is a scientific experience and will be one that child will never forget.
By: Jordan Matthews
Posts Tagged ‘Science Fair Projects’
1st Grade Science Fair Projects
April 29th, 2010Quick Science Fair Projects For All Ages
April 27th, 2010
A quick science fair project can be less time consuming and it will not be too taxing for an eager student to wait for the results or target of the experiment to emerge. Also, a science fair project should be interesting and inspiring to a student. If the project is due and if time is running out, a quick science fair project can be done. Step-by-step instructions with tips prove to be of great help. The ideas for a quick project can be had from books, internet, TV programs and newspapers; or it can be one’s original idea. Either way, a quick science fair project is just as valid and has just as many reasons it can succeed as a long, in depth study, though you do need to follow the basic guidelines.
To give a jumpstart to your project, you must first get all the materials needed ready before starting. The materials needed for a quick science fair project must be easily accessible from home, naturally (in your backyard, for instance) or a local shop. Always keep in mind that your experiment should be based on scientific principles. Instead of just displaying a project that someone else has already done, consider adding personal input to make yours stand out and be much more meaningful. Have a clear idea about what the judges will be looking for. This will help you to refine the experiment to score good grades.
The student’s experiments are demonstrated for the audience who are usually from other local schools and parents of students. Projects should benefit them and also be of interest to them. The judges will also be looking at the utility value of the conclusion or the results of your study. These are the people who are doing the voting on the projects, and they are the ones you must impress if you have any plans of winning the science fair. If you do it right, there may be scholarship opportunities or other prizes available to make it worth your while. Even without a prize as a motivator, you still need to earn a passing grade, and you can’t do that without interesting the person to whom you are presenting.
The science fair encourages the students to demonstrate the scientific methods with the help of experiments. They encourage originality and creativity. The project can be chosen from any area of science; like biology, physics, chemistry, etc. Some have to be repeatedly experimented to check for consistency before displaying it in the fair, though in a crunch, this does not need to happen for a quick science fair project. Avoid selecting such projects that will be time consuming which may not be in a position to sustain the interest. Anything involving plants or animals should not be considered if a project needs to be done quickly.
Before starting the project, make a timetable and stick to it, as time is of essence for a fast experiment. For electrical experiments and chemistry projects, seek safety advice first. Plant growth experiments need growing conditions and can take a considerable amount of time. Unfortunately, these will not be suitable for last minute projects. Regardless, there are still many options to consider and plenty of information available in books or on the internet if you know where to look.
Quick science fair projects must have a solid abstract. It includes the title and purpose of the project, hypothesis, procedure, result and conclusion. Ideas for quick science fair projects can be searched on the web, and there are many paid guides available for download that will lay out, step by step, a quick science fair project that can be completed and written up in an afternoon. A hypothesis can be proved right or wrong by scientific methods. Importantly the student should be able to understand this and explain their project in his or her own words.
By: Jordan Matthews
Bread Mold Science Fair Projects Ideas
April 26th, 2010
If you’re looking for an interesting science fair project, then you may want to read more about bread mold science fair projects that you can do. They are easy and inexpensive to do but also allow you to follow all the steps of the scientific method.
It helps to first understand a little about mold. Mold is another word for fungi whose bodies gather and congeal together to form cottony vegetative bodies. Not all mold is cottony, however. Types of slimy mold are more like amoeba than their cottony cousins and leave a moister, slicker mass on the molded surface. However when it comes to bread, you will most always see the drier, threadlike mold.
Mold commonly grows on bread faster in warm, dark, moist conditions. However, mold can grow in light, and some molds can even grow on frozen foods. Molds grow in varying conditions, at varying speeds, in every color you can think of.
Not just a disgusting addition to old food, mold can be beneficial in many ways. One of the most common ways mold is used positively is to make antibiotics such as penicillin. In 1928, Alexander Fleming accidentally discovered penicillin when he found mold growing on a discarded petri dish. The mold itself was not the miracle. Fleming discovered that the mold that had grown had killed the Staphylococcus aureus that he’d been growing in that particular petri dish. The rest is history!
Now that you know a little more about bread mold, you can use the ideas below to help you find potential bread mold science fair projects.
Does sodium have an effect on the growth of bread mold?
How and why does mold form on bread?
Is bread mold harmful to the human body if consumed? Why?
What are the optimal conditions for growing bread mold? Why?
Does light have an effect on the growth of bread mold? If so, what kind?
Do certain types of breads mold faster than others?
How to grow bread mold…
Take a cotton swab and collect some dust. Wipe the dust over the bread slices you want to experiment with. Place them in a bag with a few drops of water and seal the bag so the slices don’t dry out.
Now you know a little more about bread mold and the types of experiments you can do. You may have an idea of what you would like to try as a project. Simply by asking questions about things that interest you, you can come up with great bread mold science fair projects that can be fun to do!
By: Doug Nicholson
