Choose a topic you like, use the Scientific Method and use the Internet for research. Kirby Middle School students received these tips on entering science fairs from science fair winner, Melissa Rey.
Rey, 13, a seventh grader at Parkway Central Middle School, recently visited Kirby with her mother Barbara Rey, to encourage seventh graders to enter this year’s science fair and show them how to do a good job on their presentations.
Rey, who won two divisional awards as a fourth and as a sixth grader, brought along some visual aids – some of her prior projects, a log book and some video slides.
“Pick something you enjoy,” she told them. “You want to do that because it will make the time go by so much quicker and because you will be spending a lot of time on it.”
She said she often uses the Internet search engine Google when she starts to research possible subject matter. Google points her in the direction of websites that can help her, she said.
She asked for four student volunteers to help her conduct an impromptu experiment. She asked the Kirby foursome to close their eyes and she handed them each a stick of carbonated candy. She instructed them to keep their eyes closed, then to open and sample the candy, using smell and taste to identify the flavor. Two of the students correctly identified their flavors.
After the students returned to their seats, Rey told the group, “Research is easy but you need to do a lot of it.” Besides the Internet, she suggested students e-mail science professors or scientists who work in laboratories or at universities. She said that three out of four scientists she contacted responded to her requests for help.
“Use real scientists; ask your science teacher. Scientists really want to help you,” Rey said. She mentioned the St. Louis Science Center, the Missouri Botanical Garden, Washington University, Saint Louis University and others are sources for students to contact those in the science community for assistance.
Rey counseled the Kirby students to follow the Scientific Method, that is:
– Observation and description of a phenomenon or a group of phenomena.
– Formulate a hypothesis to explain the phenomena. Hypotheses should be written as if-then statements.
– Use the hypothesis to predict the existence of other phenomena.
– Perform experimental tests of the predictions by several independent experiments.
She reminded the students that true experiments take more than one trial and that there are variables they cannot control.
“Take lots of pictures,” Rey advised. She produced a log book, a thick black binder divided into sections, one of which had photos of her experiments. She assured the students that making such a log looked like more work than it really is.
She counseled the students to be organized when they enter a science fair. They should print out a copy of the entry rules and follow them closely, she said. She said they should label all of their items neatly. A table of contents should be at the front of the log book, in case a judge or some other science fair official wants to look up one item in the log and they should number the pages of the book.
Poor grammar, bad spelling, a lack of punctuation, hard to follow experiments and general sloppiness all result in point deductions, Rey said.
“Don’t worry if your experiment doesn’t work,” Rey said. “Learn what went wrong and try to correct it for the next attempt.”
