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Common Sense Guide to Science Fairs
by Rajiv Dholakia
Science starts with curiosity and questions before method, technique, theory,
equipment and presentation. Before you get lost in a maze of web sites,
books and other material, remember that the reason for the science fair is to
indulge your curiosity, learn to ask good questions and develop the skills to
investigate what makes you curious. Here is an outline of how you
might get started on the path to science and the science fair.
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Spend a day asking questions - Look around you for inspiration and ask
"Why?"
or "Why not?" or "How?" or "What if" as often as you can.
Here is a sample of some questions : A Question-abled
Morning
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The best place to start is with something YOU are interested in - be it
sports, food, people, books or art. Look for inspiration in your local
newspaper and figure out what everyone is talking or worrying about (the
Danger in the crosswalk at school, traffic congestion on East Meadow Drive,
Sudden Oak Death fungus, Ground water contamination, El Nino and floods are
just some small examples).
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Pick the most nagging, inviting, promising questions and talk to your
friends, teachers and parents about them. Don't settle for quick answers
or know-it-all explanations. Unless you are satisfied, the question is still open.
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Not all the questions you find are appropriate to pursue for the science fair given
available time, resources and your skills - But they will give you a
general area of interest to explore.
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Explore some books and web sites in your areas of interest to see what perks your interest from the
information and suggestions there but don't get lost in that sea of
information.
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Narrow your questions and interests down to a project that you believe you
will enjoy and can finish. The best way to do this is to talk to your
parents and your science teacher. Don't be discouraged if you can't
follow your first question - keep a note of it since you might come back to it
someday.
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While curiosity and questions get you started, the methods you use to
pursue the answer sets science apart from other kinds of learning. What
makes your investigations scientific is the methods that you use to inquire
into your questions. These methods rely on observation, experimentation,
repeatability and provability. The "scientific method" makes your
conclusions and investigations science worthy. Here is a very brief
outline of the scientific method in the simplest possible terms (see the
Science Fair handbook
and the Resources web page for a more thorough
explanation).
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Inform yourself through direct observation, study and conversation about
the subject at hand. |
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Specify your question as simply as you can. Then, consider what
you believe the answer is and why that is so (often called the hypothesis).
You may need to informally experiment with the subject before you can do
this. In picking an area and formulating your question use your interests and instincts to
guide you. |
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Design a formal experiment or model to resolve your question.
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Consider the results. The results may prove or disprove your
proposed answers. The results may also be inconclusive (which is a
good hint that you may want to seek the answer to simpler question or design
a simpler experiment before you tackle the complicated one) |
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Work on how you will communicate all this to your friends, teachers and
others in writing, drawing and by speaking and arguing for what you have
accomplished. |
Some Final Notes
When you go about asking questions and inquiring into things, it is very easy
to get discouraged by all the information out there, the know-it-alls, and the
limitations of your own skills and knowledge. These pitfalls confront
every inquiring mind and you might end up thinking that everything is known and
there is nothing worth questioning or inquiring into. Quite the contrary :
Trust yourself and your abilities and instincts. What is known about life,
the universe and everything merely scratches the surface. With a
determined mind and some persistence, you can make a difference and it all
starts with asking good questions.
Keep in mind too that sometimes, a little knowledge goes a long way. It
was useful to understand that boiling water before drinking it, prevented
disease - way before anyone understood why that was so. At the same time,
if we had stopped there, we would know very little about bacteria, viruses or
the medicines that help us live a better life today. So take the first
step and start asking questions.
11/11/02
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Common Sense Guide to Science Fairs