Transcript science fair flair

Catalyst (Left Hand Side of Notebook):
What is science fair? How would you
describe it? How would you draw it?
NBC Newsclip From 2007 Fair
It’s your chance to BE CREATIVE!
SCIENCE FAIR CATEGORIES
Chemistry (CH)
Environmental
Sciences (ES)
Biochem /
Microbiology/Cell
Molecular
Biology/Medicine &
Health (BMMMH)
Biology / Plant
Sciences (BPS)
Engineering /
Computer Science
(ECS)
Physics (PH)
Astronomy / Earth
Sciences (AES)
Mathematics (MA)
When is the science fair?
Class Science Fair:
Tuesday, 02.17.2009
School Science Fair:
Thursday & Friday,
02.18.200902.19.2009
AzSEF (State Science
Fair): SundayTuesday, 03.21.200903.24.2009
ISEF (International):
Friday-Friday,
05.08.200905.17.2009
EXAMPLE PROJECT IDEAS
How do different conditions affect the speed at which
fruit and vegetables ripen?
Temperature, light,
placement, in sealed
bags, exposure to
other ripe fruit--all
have different effects
on different fruits.
You'll need to look
into ethylene gas.
What happens when you grow sweet potatoes next to
other plants ?
Compare how fast the other
plants grow at different
distances from sweet
potatoes. Remember to
grow some control plants
nowhere near the sweet
potato
ALLELOPATHY
 Some plants prevent other plants from growing
too close.
 HOW: by making and releaseing special chemicals
called allelochemicals.
 scientists looking for ways to use these substances
as natural weed killers.
EXAMPLE PROJECT IDEAS
Does regular exercise affect memory?
Compare two groups of
volunteer participants
and test memory using
specifically designed
flashcards (numbers,
letters, pictures).
How much bacteria grows in your mouth after using
teeth-whitening gum?
Compare different types
of gum in subject’s
mouths. Take cultures
and grow bacteria on
agar plates.
EXAMPLE PROJECT IDEAS
How do the properties of plastic change when the
material of the plastic changes?
Make natural plastic from
dairy. Compare the plastics’
properties when the dairy
source (percent of milk fat
in milk or sour cream)
changes.
Plastics are generally produced from
petroleum, but they can come from other
sources as well! All that is really required is
the ability to join molecules containing
carbon and hydrogen together, which you do
Whenever you curdle milk.
RECIPE
http://chemistry.about.com/cs/howtos/ht/dairyplastichhtm
EXAMPLE PROJECT IDEAS
Does the viscosity/thickness of liquids affect the
shape of droplets?
This experiment involves
the observations of
different shaped drops of
liquids of varying
viscosities. The purpose is
to observe and compare
these different forms.
Compare liquids with
higher viscosities to liquids
with lower viscosities.
EXAMPLE PROJECT IDEAS
Does the type of bridge construction affect weight
distribution?
This experiment
looks at different
types of bridges
and how much
weight they can
support.
EXAMPLE PROJECT IDEAS
Can you make a mathematical model that
predicts football game winners?
This type of
project looks at
football game
statistics and
tries to figure
out a pattern of
winning (or
losing).
AROUND THE ROOM
* You will write 1-2 sentences about each of the categories
around the room IN YOUR NOTEBOOK.
On the left hand side of your notebook, write 4-5 sentences
explaining which two science fair categories seem most
interesting AND WHY.