8 Year Old's Science Project... Help!

tiggerhammon
tiggerhammon Posts: 2,211 Member
in Chit-Chat
Nope, we aren't knee deep in a science project we can't figure out. That is both the problem and what I don't want the problem to become.
My daughter (age 8) needs to come up with and start working on a science project. I am here to pick everyone's brain for ideas because science is totally not my game at all (I always found a way to sluff out of the science projects and even went home "sick" the day we dissected frogs.)
I am also up to my elbows in baby and everything else so I am not going to have a lot of time to help. So ... nothing too difficult, preferably something she can do mostly on her own.
We really want a creative idea (which is why it has been so hard to figure something out.) Your typical things like "does hot or cold water freeze faster" and "which paper towel absorbs more" are always overdone every single year. There is over 700 kids so coming up with something all the other kids won't be doing is not going to be easy.

So, simple and unique ...
Anyone out there better at this stuff than me?

Replies

  • mrsmartinez99
    mrsmartinez99 Posts: 1,255 Member
    Try which sodas have more acid, test it on certain materials and select like three to four different sodas, throw in diet and anything with citrus like sprite.
  • 530roman
    530roman Posts: 1,819 Member
    http://youtu.be/yHuBbU0ITqE
  • debrakgoogins
    debrakgoogins Posts: 2,033 Member
    One of the simplest Science fair projects I ever saw involved toilet paper, water and mason jars. The kid tested 4 different brands of toilet paper to see which one broke down in water in the fastest. He then used that information in a presentation about the affects of toilet paper on septic systems. They won the blue ribbon.
  • _John_
    _John_ Posts: 8,646 Member
    I won a science fair with "how does the length of a fishing rod affect casting distance".

    I bought/had a 5'6", 6", 6'6" and 7" Berkley Lightning rod, (all medium action), used the same reel/spooled line, same lure (one that is least effected by wind of what I had) and went at it. 30 casts with each.

    Longer rods throw further when you're throwing lures within the rod's suggested weight rain.

    We were graded on how well we formulated a hypothesis, designed the experiment (ensuring variables tested for what we were actually looking for), the experiment, and how we presented the results.

    If you want to impress judges, just don't do something that looks cool, choose something where your child learns about the scientific method: using research to formulate a hypothesis, coming up with experimental procedures with controlled variables that test the hypothesis, and being able explain why the results either confirmed or did not confirm the original hypothesis.

    How well your child explains their project to people is more important than what they did if I was to judge (and I've been asked to judge a 3rd grade science fair).


  • TheRoadDog
    TheRoadDog Posts: 11,788 Member
    530roman wrote: »
    http://youtu.be/yHuBbU0ITqE

    Couldn't help but watch that all the way through. Cute as hell. Thanks.

  • pechepanda
    pechepanda Posts: 7,939 Member
    Water absorption in plants is fun, and you get to dye white flowers pretty colours?
    Or the effects of operant conditioning/positive reinforcement on the learning curve for hamsters? You get 2 hamsters, teach them to do something (I taught mine to go through a simple maze) reinforce improvement in one but not the other, and see which one learns the fastest
    Plant growth in different environments?
    Does the density of substances effect how fast they freeze?
    The chemistry of baking brownies! (My mum did this with me when I was 8 but we baked a cake instead)
    She could do an experiment with that dress picture that's been going around online? explain why everyone doesn't see the same colours?
    Use different shapes to make toothpick bridges and see which one can support the most weight compared to its own weight?
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    Since you have a baby handy, how about something like do babies prefer toys based on gender.
  • joseccastaneda
    joseccastaneda Posts: 267 Member
    A working volcano, different projects with dry ice, non Newtonian liquids. my girl scout troop loved the dry ice and non Newtonian liquid. it gave them the chance to be hands on. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCUQtwIwAQ&url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbWBkwM1WAI&ei=-DH3VObEFITVoATXmIGQDw&usg=AFQjCNFMcjK202KWD0XGEvavqT9XlBVjtw&sig2=CGt5u6S8KCum_JwYbOW_Kg&bvm=bv.87519884,d.cGU
  • AgentOrangeJuice
    AgentOrangeJuice Posts: 1,069 Member
    Do a psychological test, put a rubber turtle in the middle of the road and see how many people try to hit it for a few hours
  • leanme28
    leanme28 Posts: 53
    How about this one:
    https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=970919019593285
  • tincanonastring
    tincanonastring Posts: 3,944 Member
    pechepanda wrote: »
    Water absorption in plants is fun, and you get to dye white flowers pretty colours?

    This is exactly what I was going to suggest.
  • AkCyclist
    AkCyclist Posts: 1,200 Member
    http://explainers.nysci.org/post/69172239305/diy-science-experiment-2-frozen-bubbles

    Freeze bubbles, take pictures of them, have the kid draw the patterns seen on each bubble, have the kid discover that freezing is random (ie, every snowflake is different and so is every frozen bubble).
  • Lisa1971
    Lisa1971 Posts: 3,069 Member
    AkCyclist wrote: »
    http://explainers.nysci.org/post/69172239305/diy-science-experiment-2-frozen-bubbles

    Freeze bubbles, take pictures of them, have the kid draw the patterns seen on each bubble, have the kid discover that freezing is random (ie, every snowflake is different and so is every frozen bubble).

    OH VERY COOL!

Categories