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 ‘Scientific Method’
1st Grade Science Fair Projects
April 29th, 2010High School Science Fair Topics For a Winning Science Project
April 28th, 2010
High school science fair topics are known to be difficult; the competition is fierce, the judges expect more, and the project often counts for a percentage of your grade. For these reasons, you want to do high school science experiments that will cause the judges to take notice.
One way to decide on a topic is to look at problems in the world around you and try to explain them or even solve the problems. Demonstrations and models are generally not accepted in high school, as you are expected to use the scientific method within your experiment and explain your results in report form. It can be a challenge to come up with a science experiment topic suitable for your education level, but with a little work you should be able to come up with an appropriate experiment that interests you.
One science fair project suitable for high school would be to test and see if a black light is able to pick up invisible stains around your house. Another is to find out if insects are attracted to lamps at night because of the light or the heat. Another idea would be to see which brand of anti-freeze is the safest for the environment. You could also find out if different brands of orange juice contain different levels of Vitamin C, and does the level of vitamin C in orange juice change over time?
If you are a girl and you like to dye your hair, maybe you could experiment and see which brand of hair color holds its color the longest. You could go a step farther and see if previous treatments such as a perm or straightening will affect how long the color will stay in your hair. If you know someone with gray hair, you could test the brands that claim to cover grays and see how well they really do their job.
By: Dee Schrock
Good Science Fair Projects For Winning Science Experiments
April 3rd, 2010
Good science fair projects are all around us. Anything can be turned into a science fair project. Any question you have ever asked about anything can be turned into a science project. No science fair project is “bad” unless you haven’t put the effort into it. As long as you pick a topic that interest you, use the scientific method to come up with your answer, make a hypothesis, present your project in a nice organized fashion, and completely understand your project and are able to explain it to the judges, you will have a good science fair project.
If you are having trouble getting started, just think of a topic that interests you. Do you like animals? Do you like looking at the stars and wonder what the universe has in store? Do you like studying plants? Does machinery interest you? Or maybe you would like to do an experiment on something that’s in the media these days, such as global warming or the economy? The possibilities are endless. Would you like to find out how a specific animal behaves in the wild as opposed to the way it behaves in captivity?
Would you like to find out about ways you and your family can help out the Earth, such as through recycling, composting or being aware of the affects of pollution? Or maybe you would like to conduct a simple experiment such as finding out what type of treat your cat or dogs prefers. Whatever you choose, as long as you put the effort into it, it will be a great project.
By: Dee Schrock
