Any recommendations for how to go about a science fair project with a 2nd grader?

[HappyGrace]

Older dd11 is going to do a project for a fairly informal sci fair and I thought I'd have ds (almost 8) work on a simple one.

 

I've never even done or been to a sci fair so I'm not sure where to start with him! (Older dd will be researching, etc., on her own with my help when needed.)

[TechWife]

Take a look at the 4H science discovery series.

 

Age/grade appropriate 4H project guides are available for many science topics - you can get as specific as his interests are (butterflies, environment, aerospace, etc.).

[deanna1949]

I'll be watching this thread with interest. We've got a science fair coming up this spring, and I just want to "call in sick.":willy_nilly:

Edited December 19, 2010 by deanna1949
need to reword

[Cindyz]

My guy has one in March and I'm super excited! I really want to try to find something that relates to what we're currently studying. I think that will make it a lot more meaningful for him.

 

http://school.discoveryeducation.com/sciencefaircentral/

 

I also plan to look through these two books (library) for ideas.

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471205478?ie=UTF8&tag=whispesprin0e-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0471205478

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471330965?ie=UTF8&tag=whispesprin0e-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0471330965

 

This looks interesting:

 

http://thehappyscientist.com/

 

The main idea that I have in my mind that we've been studying comes from this site:

 

http://handbookofnaturestudy.blogspot.com/

[HappyGrace]

Wow, great start-thanks!

[PeterPan]

Vicki Cobb has a book on science fair projects. I didn't look at it real closely, but I definitely made a little mental checkmark, given how much we're enjoying her other stuff. Might be at your library. When I did a science fair project with my dd at that age we talked about what interested her and used that to develop a question and testable hypothesis. So it wasn't anything fancy, just a topic she found relevant (bee pollen, lol). At this age science fair projects can just as much be demonstration as experiment.

[specialmama]

We did one when my dd was in 2nd or 3rd grade and although it wasn't presented, it was intended to be. We started off with a question: which toothpaste brightens best? We bought 10 toothpastes from Walmart, from cheap to expensive. We hollowed out 10 white eggs which left the shells. We then soaked the entire eggs in strong coffee, and when dry, brushed the sides of each egg with each different toothpaste. The results were really cool. She had a folding presentation board which we adorned with pictures and the steps of the Scientific Method. I think it was a great project for that age range, especially great because everyone with teeth would be interested in the results! ;)

[love3es]

Our HS co-op has an informal science fair each year. The displays are mostly just knowledge displays. Only the older children actually do a project that involves hypothesis, experiment, etc.

 

So, if you're looking for ideas on knowledge type displays, here's what I remember from my dc's displays:

 

5 Senses: optical illusions, short written narration on biography of Helen Keller, name written in braille, results of our sniff test (I held different things under his nose while he was blindfolded to see if he could identify them), a touch box (box full of items that people could stick their hands into and try to guess what it was), list of food items that tasted sour, sweet, salty.

 

Solar System:moon phases drawn by ds, moon phase calendar kept by ds, model of the planets and sun, short written narration on biography of Neil Armstrong.

 

Magnets: display included drawing of magnets attracting and repelling, a box of small items such as paper clip, coin, plastic action figure, etc. and a magnet to test if items would be attracted, a plastic baggy of iron fillings and bar magnet held under it to show the magnetic field, a homemade compass using a cork, pin and a bowl of water.

 

I hope this gives you some ideas! I tried to make it as hands-on as possible. That way other children in our co-op could participate in the display. I don't know how your science fair will be set up, but the hands-on stuff gave my dc a chance to explain what they had learned.

[PeterPan]

We did one when my dd was in 2nd or 3rd grade and although it wasn't presented, it was intended to be. We started off with a question: which toothpaste brightens best? We bought 10 toothpastes from Walmart, from cheap to expensive. We hollowed out 10 white eggs which left the shells. We then soaked the entire eggs in strong coffee, and when dry, brushed the sides of each egg with each different toothpaste. The results were really cool. She had a folding presentation board which we adorned with pictures and the steps of the Scientific Method. I think it was a great project for that age range, especially great because everyone with teeth would be interested in the results! ;)

 

Love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

[HappyGrace]

Thank you! I love the toothpaste idea too!

 

I love love3es' idea about a knowledge display. I had not thought to differentiate it that way, and that's what I plan to do with him. Thanks!