[TheForge] Science fair project

Thu Nov 7 12:15:00 2002

There's plenty of room for demonstrations.  Science fairs are full of =
demonstrations. =20
But there's a big difference between demonstrating knowledge and demonstrat=
ing the process by which knowledge is gained. =20

My guess is that either the science fair you won either had NO projects =
which were experiments or else it was judged by the very teachers who are =
at fault in this matter.  =20

That's my complaint - teachers don't teach the scientific method, just the =
knowledge gained through its application, or even just natural history.  =
Your collection was no doubt an admirable study of natural history, and =
not to be demeaned.  But it would have been science only had you tested a =
hypothesis.

I was well into high school before I (barely) started to understand the =
scientific method AS such.  It is so close to being mere common sense that =
I certainly had an inkling of it before then.  But I remember one =
elaborate science project I did that I could easily have made it a true =
experiment, but scarcely did.  (I.e., I was trying different things, but =
not with a stated goal or in a controlled manner.)  That was for lack of =
instruction into what science is all about.  I feel my education was not =
what it should have been, probably because teachers spend more time taking =
attendance, etc.,  than teaching.

Scientific experiments need not be profound or obscure to be sufficient to =
demonstrate the scientific principal.  Keep it simple. =20

Bruce
NJ

>>> [email protected] 11/07/02 10:13AM >>>
I don't want to start a debate on what should and shouldn't be in science =
fairs, especially on this list, but why is there no room for demonstrations=
 in a science fair? Is there some governing body that says "Thou shall not =
demonstrate"?

As an engineer I'm well aware of the value of the experimental process and =
use it often, although not daily. And it should be taught at all levels in =
school. But there's also room for investigation and research into other =
people's experiments.

I remember winning a science fair with a friend of mine back in 4th grade =
(I think). We had been collecting insects all summer for the fun of it and =
used this for the science fair. We then researched insect anatomy, =
behavior, etc. and had quite a large presentation. This fair was held in =
our church basement and consisted of many displays that the whole school =
and their families walked through for one night.=20

Most project were of the demo type. Maybe all, as I can't remember evey =
project and no experiments come to mind. But for one night the whole =
school and their relatives were exposed to many different areas of =
science. I never knew about hydroponics before that fair, and I'll bet =
none of my family did either. No experiments in that project, either, but =
it was science, and pretty interesting at that.

Or is this semantics and maybe there's a different word for a science =
"demonstration"?

-Marc

---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: "Bruce Freeman" <[email protected]>

>Once again, the catch is to turn this into an EXPERIMENT.  Demonstrations =
don't (or shouldn't) win science fair competitions.  So hypothesize what =
will happen to the steel in a billet in a certain forging operation, then =
test it.
>

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