Great Science Project Books at the Book Fair!

I was at school library previewing the book fair. There are lots of really great science books, including some fantastic Science Project books and kits. Here are some ones I got to look at:

Last Minute Science Fair Projects by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen had some wonderful project ideas that do not take too much time. I plan to get a copy of this book myself. Word of warning: Procrastinators of the purest form, who think that "last minute" means the night before, will find that some of the coolest projects in this book take a few days or weeks.

Beetles and Stinkbugs, both by Mary Packard combined readability with a surprising level of depth of information. Carol Schwartz did a good job putting together the illustrations for this book. Each book comes with a set of trading cards and an insect specimen in a plastic box. I think this would be good for a younger student who is interested in creepy-crawlies.

I liked the Rock and Mineral eguide by John Farndon. It had beautiful pictures to describe the different types of minerals, and a good description of the geological processes which formed each type of rock. If your child is interested in rock collecting, this might be a good book.

There were also some good kits. Steve Spangler Science has put out Great Geysers and PH Power. These kits come with all the materials and equipment to perform several experiments. They would be good for a birthday present, or as an emergency last-minute science project.

I also saw a kit with a book about bones and a small model skeleton which could be assembled as a demonstration, a magnet kit, a rocket kit, and a great white shark model. All of these could be demonstration-type science fair projects.

So make sure you stop by the Book Fair in the School Library!

In Honor of the Reopening of the Texas Memorial Museum

Hurrah! The Texas Memorial Museum is Reopening! Sunday Sept 30th!

The Texas Memorial Museum on the University of Texas campus has been closed for renovation. On Sunday September 30th they are having a fun event to celebrate their reopening!

At 12:45 the museum will unveil a new statue of a saber-toothed cat. From 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM there will be a Family Fossil Fun day, with presentations at 1:30 PM, 2:00 PM, and 3:00 PM. There is a new interactive learning exhibit on evolution, too.

My kids enjoy the Texas Memorial Museum. The staff is quite friendly and helpful, and the museum store is good too -- I am always having to drag my kids out of it at the end of our visit.

Here is where you can find directions to the museum and more information.

Items Not Allowed at the Austin Energy Regional Science Festival, as Interpreted by LOLCATS and Other Popular Internet Phenomena (Part Three)

No bacteria or mold cultures


Note: The popular Internet phenomenon of LOLCATs has given rise to LOLBUNNIEs, LOLHAMSTERs, LOLBEESs, and other fauna captioned with pidgin English.

This, however, is the first known appearance of LOLGERMs.

Thank you for joining us at this exciting moment in Internet history.

Another Fun UT Activity -- Star Gazing

Another fun activity at UT is the Wednesday Night Stargazing through a 16 inch telescope on top of the UT Physics Building, courtesy of the Astronomy Outreach Program. It is from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM every Wednesday Night until October 31, and 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM Nov 7 to Dec 5 (no viewing November 21)

I have taken my boys to this event in the past, and it is a lot of fun for elementary school students , partially because of the stars and planets (Jupiter is prominent in the evenings now), partially because it is a huge honkin' telescope, and partially because the view from the top of the Physics building is great!

UT Environmental Science Institute Lectures

A member of the PTA Science Fair Committee found an interesting lecture series by the UT Environmental Science Institute. The lectures are monthly, on Friday nights, at 7PM. Two cool things I saw on the web site:

• They have an archive of lectures, so if you need info on various subjects, including hurricanes and earthquakes, this is a ready source of information
• There is a pre-lecture activity at 5:45 PM with demonstrations, hands-on displays, and question-answer sessions

The next lecture is October about Exploding Stars. Sounds Fun!

Ladybird Wildflower Center and Museum Sunday

I see that Ladybird Wildflower Center is also having a special Museum Sunday presentation:

Enjoy 279-acres of gardens and hiking trails—all while learning about the importance of native plants. Special happenings will include our Women in Science program designed to inspire young women to pursue careers in science. Our store will offer a wildflower seed sale, plus planting demos at 1, 2 and 3 p.m. Mary Haverfield signs “Harriet the Homeless Raccoon,” and the creators of “Please Don’t Eat the Bluebonnets” will be here from noon to 3 p.m.

Sounds like just the thing to inspire our young ladies to start off a wonderful career in science with a wonderful science fair project!

Now With Even More Feedback Goodness!

You liked the comments, you loved the polls, and now there is yet another means of providing me with the attention I so desperately crave. You can email me at the address to the left. It is an image -- apparently using an image prevents spam -- so you cannot cut and paste it as ordinary text.

So What IS Allowed at the School Science Fair?

When you review the rules for the regional science fair, you will find them rather, uh, restrictive. Not to worry, most of the restrictions can be handled by including models or photos in your display rather than the real thing.

How about the School Science Fair? Two basic guidelines:

1. Common Sense
2. Ask your child's teacher

So if you want to do an experiment growing bean sprouts, and you are worried because the regional science fair will not allow animal or plant matter, ask your teacher, and if your child is selected as a representative for regional, use pictures instead of the real exhibit.

The one rule that cannot be avoided is no experiments that make animals unhappy.

Don't Forget about Austin Museum Day!

This Sunday, September 23, is Austin Museum Day. Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve will be having an exhibit on insects from 9 AM to 3 PM. Austin Nature and Science Center will show off Austin Reptiles and Amphibians from Noon until 4 PM.

Friday Nights at Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center

Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center is a fun place to visit, and they have good nature science programs on the third Friday of the month -- which is tomorrow, Friday September 21!

This Friday night the topic is Wild Plants and People:

From dyes to jelly, medicine to your daily meal, find out how native plants influence our culture in the past & in your future. Learn something new through demonstrations on dyeing with native plants, on cooking with native plants, & crafting with native plants. We'll also lead wild walks through our nature trails.

It runs from 6 PM to 9 PM. I have gone to previous events at the Wildflower Center and have always been pleased.

Items Not Allowed at the Austin Energy Regional Science Festival, as Interpreted by LOLCATS and Other Popular Internet Phenomena (Part Two)

No human or animal food

Items Not Allowed at the Austin Energy Regional Science Festival, as Interpreted by LOLCATS and Other Popular Internet Phenomena (Part One)

No organisms; living, dead or preserved (plants or animals)

More on Buying Science Fair Projects

Madeline Binder, of http://www.super-science-fair-projects.com/ had some good comments about buying a science fair project. Her full discussion is here and I think she makes some good points.

It is good to expose your child to cool science projects, and there are some really cool science projects out there. You can get something really advanced. On the other hand, I still don't like the thought of buying a science project to "Guarantee Victory", and with any science project, the main thing is what the student contributed to it.

When your child does a science project for the fair, it is important to list any outside help from either the parent or one of these sites.

Austin Area Rocket Group

In honor of International Talk Like a Pirate Day, I direct your attention to AARG.org -- the Austin Area Rocket Group. I found out about this organization during one of their community education events. They have launches the first Saturday of the month, from about 9 AM until noon.

Model rockets come in all sizes from tiny ones that go a few hundred feet to large ones that go just about into space. You can get rockets that have little cameras or ones that have cargo compartments.

Lots of good science project opportunities!

Buying a Science Fair Project?

In a previous post I linked to a couple of sites that are good science fair resources. One of the comments (My first comment! Hurray!) noted that one of the sites -- "Dr. Shawn's Super Science Fair Support Center sold science fair projects. My commenter asked if this was how it was done -- buy a science fair project?

What I like about Dr Shawn's Super Science Fair Support Project:

• Most of it. Lots of good resources, many good ideas, good experience.
• Dr. Shawn is obviously a highly educated person with great dedication in bringing science to our children.
• Dr. Shawn's experience. The man knows science fairs. He has done this for years. I have done this for months.
  
• Lots of tips.
• Resources for science fair ideas. The CD of Scientific American columns is great -- I have it at home, although much of it is beyond the scope of elementary school scientists.
• Supply for science equipment
• Lots of good links
• That LabRats program looks really good, though I do not have any experience with it.
  

What I do not like about Dr. Shawn's Super Science Fair Support Project:

• Cookie-cutter hypothesis-to-conclusion packaged science fair projects. Seems like such a project entry would be Dr. Shawn's victory rather than the student's.
  
• Focus on winning the science fair ("Victory Guaranteed").
  

Now one qualification: I think that the projects would make GREAT non-fair science projects -- that is, something you do just for fun to learn about an area of science. Heck, I may buy a project just for myself!

Finally, I fully admit that Dr. Shawn is more qualified in the areas of science, science education, and science projects that I am or ever will be.

Parents and teachers: what are your thoughts on this matter?

The Judging Committee

The previous science fair coordinator at our school was a brilliant and justifiably renowned scientist, whose discoveries are known far and wide. She had an excellent system, which she documented quite well, and was quite generous with her time and advice when I spent the first year in her tutelage, learning the ropes.

I am NOT a brilliant and justifiably renowned scientist. My intellect was dished out in more meager portions. In everyday life, this is not such a problem. My stunning good looks, which only improve with each passing year, pull me through. Sadly, When it comes to judging science fairs, beauty -- even beauty as intense and dazzling as mine -- is of little use.

Our school is full of brainy kids who toil long and hard on splendid projects, which deserve the best in judging. These brainy kids have brainy parents who know good science fair judging and are not hesitant to voice their objections if the results don't meet their approval.

I solve this predicament in a manner well-known to executives everywhere. I enlist people far smarter than me to do the actual work of judging.

Thanks to our location, we have an abundance of intellect among our parents. Last year we were able to assemble a team which would be the envy of any elementary school science fair coordinator.

This seems to work quite well. I was quite pleased with the diligence, attention to detail, and discernment of our volunteer judges. Our team had the credentials to appraise doctoral dissertations or start a scientific journal. Between them they had decades of experience in scientific evaluation and mentoring.

My only fear about the qualifications of our judging staff is that other science fair coordinators, envying my treasure trove of judging talent will swoop down upon our school like Vikings upon a sleepy village, carrying our judges away!

The Early Bird...

The science fair is not until the end of January -- so why start looking for a science project now? Well, the earlier you start, the easier it will be, the better it will be, and the more educational it will be.

First, familiarize yourself with the three types of science project. Review the science fair handbook so you understand what constitutes each type of project.

Then all you have to do is watch your child and wait. Sooner or later, your child will do something and you will thing "THAT would make a great science project!" Thinking back, how many great science projects have passed under your nose?

As an example, if your child asks you about some bug in the backyard, all you need to do is have them research some background information about the bug and you have a demonstration-type project. Find a few different bugs, and you have a collection -- all that must be done is for the child to classify them by shape, number of legs, or color and you have a collection with classification. Questions about how the bug is behaving? Well, find out what happens -- and you have an experiment.

Have your child spend ten minutes writing it up. Then let it be for a bit. It may be that your child's interest increases. Now you have an even better science project and maybe a hobby.

If your child changes their mind and gets interested in something else, not to worry -- soon they will get interested in something else.

The coolest thing about this is that the project is truly your child's -- not something you had to convince them to do or even suggest to them. Furthermore, since it is your child's idea, there will probably be more enthusiasm for the project.

So familiarize yourself with the rules NOW and the science project will do itself -- with no last minute hassle!

What Sort of Posts Would You Like to See?

OK, after a full 36 hours and four posts, the survey shows that 50% of the visitors find the site very useful, and 50% find it not useful at all. There were only two respondents, but still I think this is a good time to ask what sort of information would be useful on the blog?

Comments are open. You are welcome to post a comment anonymously or with your name.

You are also welcome to bend my ear at school if you catch me in the halls.

Good Link for Science Fair Ideas

There are a lot of good sites out there that will suggest ideas for science fair projects. One of my favorites is the Society for Amateur Scientists (SAS) You do not have to be a member to browse through the site, though membership ($5 a month, one month free trial membership, or $47 for a family membership for a year) has its benefits. I am a member.

I like the SAS's The Citizen Scientist, which is a on-line publication. It has some interesting articles, and my favorite column is Wanderings which is a semi-weekly report on interesting science web sites, with some good links to science fair project ideas and hints.

The SAS home page also links to something called "Dr. Shawn's Super Science Fair Support Center". I am not familiar with that site.

The Three Types of Exhibits

A science fair project for our school can be one of three types: Collection with classification, demonstration/model/display, or experiment. This corresponds to the types for the regional science fair. Here is my take on the three types:

Collection with Classification

The collection should be somewhat science-y. A collection of leaves would be pretty good. A collection of toys, not so good. The collection must be classified according to some criteria, hopefully also scientific. Classifying leaves according to the number of lobes or what type of tree they came from is good. Classifying leaves according to which type is the prettiest is not so good.

Some people write this type off as something for a Kindergarten or First Grade student -- Sort of a starter science project. Sure, it can be simple, but a collection can also be quite sophisticated. Lots of important science types are known primarily for gathering a bunch of stuff, slapping labels on it, and putting it in a museum. Carl Linnaeus made a pretty good name for himself classifying stuff.

If you have seen the Indiana Jones movies, you know that a Collection with Classification science project could be the gateway to an exciting life of romance and adventure.

Demonstration, Model, or Display

Lots of kids like this one the best, because it basically is find something cool and show it. Again, the subject should be somewhat science oriented, and sometimes it is a bit hard to explain to junior that just because something is cool does not mean it is a good subject for a science project. A demonstration of the Carnot cycle is a good science project. A model of the liver is a good science project. A detailed diorama of the Battle of the Alamo, while undoubtedly cool, and educational, and in general a glorious beacon of inspiration to all freedom-loving peoples, is not such a good science project.

A successful demonstration/model/display requires that your child learn a lot about the subject, and can be a rewarding science project indeed.

Experiment

This one is generally considered to be the hardest type, because it requires that the student go through the process of observation, formation of hypothesis, testing of hypothesis, and so forth. Lots of parents think that this is the only type to do, and I used to agree. Not anymore. I would rather see a demonstration or collection that the student obviously did and enjoyed rather than an experiment where the parent obviously dragged the kid kicking and screaming through the whole procedure.

On the other hand, some might assume that an experiment is too sophisticated for a kindergarten or first-grade student. Not necessarily so.

Science Fair Guidelines

Our school science fair will be January 30 to February 1, 2008. Lots of parents are interested in getting an early start -- many had questions during parents' night.

A good first place to start is the science fair guides for the regional fair. Our school generally follows the same guidelines and rules as the regional science fair. The link to elementary school regional science fair information is here. An excellent starting place is the Elementary Division Handbook. The handbook has a lot of good information, including items that are not allowed, the three types of entries, and the judging criteria for each type of entry.

That said, there are some important differences to remember. Although we choose projects to represent the school in the regional science fair, the school science fair is a teaching tool, not just a precursor to the regional science fair. Different classes may have different requirements. Some teachers require participation and some do not. The science project may be a graded project...and the criteria by which it is graded may be different than the criteria for selecting representatives.

The science fair is run by the school, and the teachers and staff have the final say-so in all matters. The PTA assists by providing support to setup, monitor, and take down the science fair and by forming a committee of volunteers to judge the science fair.

As the PTA Science Fair Coordinator, I am happy to offer advice and you are welcome to bend my ear if you wish.

By Way of Introduction

I am a elementary school PTA science fair coordinator in that greatest of all possible states -- Texas.

This humble effort represents my attempt to provide useful information to parents of elementary school students, as well as providing a peek into the exciting, thrill-a-minute life of a PTA science fair coordinator where:

EVERY day is a GLORIOUS day for SCIENCE!