Things to Consider ...

There are a few things to think about when preparing the presentation of your science fair experiment.  You may want to ask yourself these questions:

• Did I follow the scientific method?
• Did I determine my hypothesis?
• Did I test my hypothesis different ways?
• Did I document the results that I found?

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Here are things that judges may consider when evaluating your experiment:

• use of scientific thought
• creativity of approach
• thoroughness of investigation and research
• skill of experimental technique
• clarity of expression in presentation and report

Think about these things when you're preparing your display and presentation.  Share what you learned as you went through the process of experimenting!  Even if the experiment didn't turn out as you thought it might. :-)

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The big event where we get to see everyone's experiments is right around the corner!  Hopefully everyone will be finishing up their projects over the long weekend coming up.

Remember to enjoy the process of your science fair project!

There is so much to learn!!!

Science Fair Process Chart

This is a great flow chart showing how we go through the process of creating science fair experiments:

You can find out more information about the above chart by clicking here:

The Project Based Learning: The Science Fair Project ...

Where are you in the process of your experiment?

Group Experiments

We enjoyed learning about some experiments with our classes a couple weeks ago - do you remember what we were experimenting with in these photos?  Tell your parents what we were doing!

(information on each of these experiments can be found in a previous blog post - click here:  
This Week in School)

Thanks to everyone for your participation!

Display Boards at Walmart!

Some of our YCES parents found science fair display boards at Walmart for a great price:

Have you seen a better price somewhere else?  If so, please comment on this post and share with us!

Thanks parents for helping children to learn and enjoy science!!!

Display Board Examples

Hello all of you Mad YCES Scientists!

How are your projects coming along?
Are you hypothesizing?
And experimenting?
And documenting what you're learning?

We sure hope so!!!

Here are some examples of science fair display boards.  Maybe they will give you some ideas of how you can design your own board!

(all of these examples were found by searching "science fair display boards" on Yahoo)

Remember to enjoy yourself during your research and your project.
There is so much to learn!

We hope you're all having a fantastic time!!!!!!

Do's and Don'ts for the Science Fair

Here is a great list of things to remember when working on your Science Fair project:

Do

• Choose a topic you are interested in
• Be Original
• Make a plan before you begin
• Use material that you have around the house
• Use material that isn't too expensive
• Plan your time wisely
• Ask an adult for help when you need it
• Have FUN with your project!

Don't

• Don't do a redundant project (one that has been done over and over by many students like: growing plants with different light, fertilizer, soda pop, etc.) 
• Don't create a model volcano
• Don't be disappointed if it doesn't work out the way you planned - that's how science works most of the time!
• Don't wait until the last minute!!

Most important - remember to have fun!!!!!!!

Enjoy learning!!!!

Registration forms due TOMORROW!!!

Hello to all of the Mad Scientists at YCES!!!!

This is just a quick reminder that all Registration Forms for the 2014 YCSD Science Fair are due in the Front Office tomorrow, January 17th by the end of the school day.  Remember to complete the forms with your parents and bring them to school!!

We're so excited to find out what experiments you'll be doing!!

This Week in School ...

This week we have been demonstrating scientific experiments to classes at YCES.  We are studying "Scientific Method in the Kitchen."  Thanks so much to our teachers for adjusting their schedules to make this happen.

Have you attended a session yet?  

They've been so much fun!

We wanted to share the experiments with you so that you can try them at home if you like.  Also, maybe these experiments will give you an idea of what you can do for your own entry in the Science Fair!  Please remember to ask your parents for help.

Also - remember that registration forms are due in the office THIS FRIDAY!

Scientific Method in the Kitchen

*** Fizzy Lemonade ***

Materials

2 drinking glasses

1 teaspoon of baking soda per glass

2 T of lemon juice

Water

Sugar (to add to taste)

Measuring cup(s)

Experimental Procedure

1. Gather material over waterproof surface.
2. Pour 1/4 c of water in glass - add 1 tsp baking soda.
3. Mix well and observe.
4. Pour lemon juice into 2nd drinking glass.  Add the same quantity of water to the drinking glass.
5. Mix well and observe.
6. While stirring add 1 teaspoon of baking soda to the drinking glass.
7. Mix well and observe.
8. Add sugar to sweeten if desired

Why does this work?

Sodium Bicarbonate (NaHCO3) is base. Citric Acid (C6H8O7 ) is an acid. When these two chemicals come together (in what’s called a chemical reaction) they change into a salt, some water, and carbon dioxide. That carbon dioxide is the stuff that makes our cupcakes super fluffy or makes our baking soda volcanoes blow. Or makes our sodas fizzy.

Here's another acid-base reaction experiment you can do at home with the help of an adult!  Click on this link:
Steve Spangler Science - Acid Base Rocket

*** Ivory Soap Souffle ***

Materials

Bar of Ivory soap

Various bars of another brand of soap

Deep bowl of water (or a plastic tub)

Paper towel

Microwave oven

Experiment

1. Fill the bowl with water.
2. Drop the bars of soap in the bowl of water.  Notice how all of the bars of soap sink except for the Ivory brand soap.  Why?
3. Remove the Ivory soap from the water and break it in half to see if there are any pockets of air hiding in the middle of the bar. If there are, that would make the soap float, right? But ... there are no pockets of air. Hmm ...
4. Place the bar of Ivory soap in the middle of a piece of paper towel and place the whole thing in the center of the microwave oven.
5. Cook the bar of soap on HIGH for 2 minutes. Don't take your eyes off the bar of soap as it begins to expand and erupt into beautiful puffy clouds. Be careful not to overcook your soap souffle.
6. Allow the soap to cool for a minute or so before touching it. Amazing... it's puffy but rigid. Don't waste the soap. Take it into the shower or bath. It's still great soap with a slightly different shape and size.

Why does this work?

Take a look at this great explanation:
Steve Spangler Science - Soap Souffle

*** Apple Juice Caviar ***

Materials

For the caviar

300ml apple juice

3g sodium alginate

20g caster sugar

For the calcium bath

500ml water

5g calcium chloride

10 drops green food coloring

For storage

250ml apple juice

A few drops green food coloring

Method

1. Pour the apple juice into a bowl. Mix the sodium alginate and sugar together in another bowl, then slowly add it into the juice a little at a time while whisking it (do this in an electric mixer if you have one) trying to avoid it making lumps. Add the food coloring and whisk gently for 5 minutes on the slowest setting, then leave the mixture to stand for 10 minutes as it thickens into a lump free gel.
2. Make up the calcium bath in a bowl by mixing the calcium chloride and food coloring into the water and stirring until dissolved. Pour the 250ml apple juice (for storage) into a bowl and set aside.
3. Draw the syrup into a syringe and, holding the tip of the syringe 10cm above the bowl, squeeze it slowly to drop regular, steady drops into the calcium bath. Gently stir the water as you do this to help the drops turn into spheres.
4. The little balls of "caviar" shouldn't stay in the calcium bath for more than 3 minutes or they will solidify too much. After each syringe-full, scoop them up using a sieve or tea strainer, rinse in a little cold water, then store in a bowl of fruit juice, adding a few drops of the food coloring to match the color of the caviar (otherwise the color will slowly fade). The caviar will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge.

Why does this work?

“Just as a teaspoonful of water dropped into a bowl of vegetable oil forms a little bubble of water in the oil, each drop of the alginated liquid tends to form into a small sphere in the calcium solution. Then, during a reaction time of a few seconds to a few minutes, the calcium solution causes the outer layer of each alginated liquid sphere to form a thin, flexible skin. The resulting 'popping boba' or artificial 'caviar' balls are removed from the calcium-containing liquid bath, rinsed in a bowl of ordinary water, removed from the water and saved for later use in food or beverages.”

Spherification, Wickipedia, the free encyclopedia

Here's a great link that has step by step photos of this process: 
How to Make Spherified Fruit Juice

Important Dates Added

Please notice that we added a new section to the top of the blog.  We want you to easily be able to see Important Dates about our Science Fair.

The deadline for submitting Registration Forms is coming soon!  Please remember to submit those to the school office no later than this Friday, January 17th.

If you have any questions at all, please make a comment on this post and someone from the YCES Science Fair Committee will contact you as soon as we can.

Thanks parents for all of your help and support!!!

More New Ideas Added!!!

We have even MORE great ideas that were added to the "Science Fair Ideas" page for first and second graders.  Take a look to find out if there is something you are interested in learning more about!

There are various tabs at the top of this page with a wealth of information.  The tab to the far left is "Home".  The tab to the far right is "Science Fair Ideas".  Click on each of the different tabs to find out more about our science fair here at YCES! 

And remember to have fun with science!!!!!!

How To Choose A Topic

Here is a wonderful discovery that one of our Science Fair parents found and wanted to share with everyone.  Take a look at the Science Buddies website and navigate to their Selection Wizard by clicking here:

Science Buddies:  Top Selection Wizard

This looks like a great way to walk through steps to figure out what you want to do for a science fair project!  It can be used by kids of all ages - walk through the questions to figure out what might interest you.  You might be amazed at what you find!

Have fun everyone!!!

Remember!!!
Your Science Fair Registration Forms are due next Friday, January 17th.

New Ideas Added!!

Take a look at our "Science Fair Ideas" page!  (It's one of the tabs toward the top of this blog.)  We added a number of neat ideas to the third and fourth grade lists.

What creative science experiment will you come up with and present???

How To Choose a Topic for your Science Fair Project

STEP ONE

Choose a category of science that interests you.

There are basically three different categories to choose from:

1. Life ScienceThis category involves all animal, plant, and human body topics. This also includes human and animal behavior. If you choose a topic that deals with animals (example: does a dog prefer homemade dog food?), please have an adult assist you. Remember it is absolutely against science fair rules to intentionally hurt an animal during an experiment!

2. Physical ScienceThis is the category for figuring out how things work! Physical science includes topics about matter and structure, electricity, magnetism, sound, and light. This category also includes the science experiments involving chemistry … those great bubbling, oozing, mixing   experiments. It's within this category that you'll likely ask, “How does it work?” and “If I do this to it, will it still work?” Remember, if you are experimenting with possibly dangerous things (like electricity), you need to have an adult on hand!

3. Earth ScienceThis category covers all sorts of topics that involve earth and space. Here's where you'll find topics dealing with rocks and soils, stars, the sun, water, weather … FUN! But take care –this is also the category where many kids end up doing a collection or a model (like a model volcano) instead of an experiment. So be very careful to find a testable question within this category!

  

STEP TWO:

Find a topic that interests you.  Are you curious about flowers?  Wind?  Stars?  Bones?  Colored light?  Rockets?  The speed of sound?

STEP THREE:

Come up with a good question.  Once you have found a topic that you are interested in, it’s time to form a question about that topic.  Here's a great way to practice what we mean!  You can start off by filling in the blanks using the following list of words as examples:

(courtesy of University of Texas Elementary School)

1. The Effect Question:

What is the effect of ________________on ____________________?

sunlight                           the growth of plants

eye color                          pupil dilation

brands of soda                 a piece of meat

temperature                     the size of a balloon

oil                                    a ramp

2. The How Does Affect Question:

How does the ___________________ affect _____________________?

color of light                           the growth of plants

humidity                                the growth of fungi

color of a material                  its absorption of heat

3. The Which/What and Verb Question:

Which/What ____________________(verb) ______________________?

paper towel                             is most absorbent

foods                                      do meal worms prefer

detergent                                makes the most bubbles

paper towel                             is strongest

peanut butter                          tastes the best

Now it’s your turn!

Think about your chosen topic.  Create your Science Fair question using one of the three options above.

Good luck everyone and remember to have fun!!!