Before the project, I had little knowledge of how to construct a science fair project and how to incorporate the scientific method into a creative project. I understood the concept of scientific method and realized that an experiment must start with some type of problem or question. I happened to be eating popcorn at that moment and thought "what if I popped 4 different brands of popcorn and see which one pops the most and leaves the least amount of unpopped kernels?" So now, my problem was stated, next came the planning process.
The first thing I did was collected 3 different brands of popcorn. I collected 1 bag of Act II popcorn, 1 bag of Orville Redenbacher, and 1 back of Pop Secret. Next step was to pop each bag with a constant time for each bag. I popped each bag for 2 minutes and 30 seconds in a regular microwave. After each bag was popped, I recorded my results. I found that Orville Redenbacher left 40 unpopped kernels while Pop Secret left 35 unpopped kernels and Act II left 29 unpopped kernels. I recorded my results in a graph and came to a conclusion. My conclusion was that Act II left the most unpopped kernels than Orville Redenbacher or Pop Secret. I compared this conclusion to my hypothesis and realized that my original hypothesis was wrong and Orville Redenbacher did not leave the least amount of unpopped kernels. By participating in a hands-on activity that examines a problem, this is an example of inquiry learning. Given my problem, I was encouraged to make discoveries and come to a conclusion based on them.
By participating in the science fair project, I strengthened my knowledge of the scientific method and how to implement it. I also learned more about conducting trials, creating conclusions, making a hypothesis statement, and piecing together every piece of information gathered to form one cohesive assignment. I also learned key time management and organization skills that are not only important in academics, but are also important in daily life. Because this project had to be completely promptly and revolved around a time component, I set aside a specific amount of time to conduct this experiment and complete each part of the assignment. I learned key organization skills by collecting research and data and keeping it in one location to be easily accessed. I also made sure each part of my assignment was typed and easy to read which also demonstrates organization skills.
A science fair in general is a great opportunity for students to explore science in a way that interests them. "Science fair projects are about real problems that you choose to explore" (Science Fair Warm-Up, 2013). Science fair projects also allow students to connect to other content areas such as ELA and math. Since science fair projects includes research and sometimes a written report, students can incorporate their knowledge of reading and writing and build on that knowledge to create a better understanding of the overall content area. Math is also a huge part of science fair projects. Since almost every project includes some type of chart, math is involved. Charts and graphs are considered mathematical elements. By becoming proficient in not only creating graphs or charts, but by also being able to read and explain them, students gain an important link to the math content area.
According to "The Value of a Science Fair Project,"preparing a science fair project is a great example of inquiry (or hands-on) learning. Inquiry, is recommended as a cornerstone of successful science teaching. According to the National Research Council, active learning is not used enough in the classroom and because of this, students are losing interest in science as a content area.
This project in general can be very useful because it aligns with not only the Next Generation Science Standards, but it also aligns with the National and State Science Standards. In terms of the Next Generation Science Standards, the science fair project aligns with 5 of the core practices: asking questions and defining problems, developing and using models, analyzing and interpreting data, constructing explanations and designing solutions, engaging in argument from evidence, and obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information. Since the National and the State Standards both also focus on an inquiry concentration and the process of analyzing questions, the science fair project perfectly aligns with its main concept to be to ask a question and explore it to its fullest extent.
Some other key benefits to participating in a science fair is confidence, complete understanding, academic opportunities and the opportunity to incorporate technology as resources. By creating and presenting a science fair project, a student can gain confidence in themselves and in the work they created. This is a wonderful thing! More students should be proud of putting work into something and creating a project that is shared with so many people. Academic opportunities may present themselves later in a student's academic career. This is not as applicable from 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th graders as it is for 7th grade through 12th grade. As students get closer and closer to college, students participation in a science fair is a great quality that certain schools look at when accepting their candidates. Because a science fair contains so many key skills and topics, it is a great professional development tool for older students. Technology can also be used in these science fair projects. Some obvious technology that students could use when creating these projects could be Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel, and the internet for research. Some other tools that students could use includes a camera, a calculator, or websites such as OnlineChartTool.com, Chartgo.com, or ChartGizmo.com. These websites are great for creating charts and/or tables for a science fair project.
For the younger grade students (2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and/or 6th grade), hosting a science fair and inviting students to participate can introduce students to the scientific method and allow them to explore various concepts of interest in the world of science. Since the students are so young, if students solely provide a hypothesis, a conclusion, and a procedure this could be a good introduction to higher level science fairs.
In general, after participating in a science fair and being responsible for a specific assignment, I gained a deeper understanding of what exactly the scientific method is and how it can be used in context. After reflecting on my project, I found some changes that could have been made to create a more accurate experiment such as comparing popped kernels vs unpopped kernels, incorporating taste, conducting more than one trial and incorporating a fourth popcorn brand. All of these factors could have made my experiment more valid and more interesting. I always have next time! I focused on a specific topic of interest for me, so the project was fun and engaging. This is how it should be for students, fun and engaging! That's the point of science fairs, other than the learning part of course.
This is my science fair project focused on how many kernels will be unpopped in 3 different types of popcorn after 2 minutes and 30 seconds.
Click here to see my full report of the project.
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