I'm Not Going to be a Scientist - so Why Should I Care?

I hear this all the time from students - mostly high school students.  They have already narrowed in on a future path for themselves which isn't on the STEM track and therefore feel their science fair project has nothing to do with them.  These students are missing the big picture and a major opportunity. In the past I've spoken out about how there is a direct correlation between science fair projects and skills necessary for other school projects, especially in college; for today I'm going to concentration on life after school, and how critical these science fair skills are. Yes, I went to college with the expectation that I would be making my way in the world in a STEM related field - but as these things often go, life dealt me a curve-ball and most of my post-grad career has been spent on non-technical activities.  I still can credit my science fair years as a major contributing factor to my ability to successfully complete these activities and achieve at my job. 

proj·ect

noun \ˈprä-ˌjekt, -jikt also ˈprō-\

: a planned piece of work that has a specific purpose (such as to find information or to make something new) and that usually requires a lot of time -Merriam-Webster.com.

Projects don't stop with school.  By its definition, a project is simply a set of tasks towards a specific purpose.  No matter what your chosen field, your life's work will be broken into projects.  If you are an author a single book is a project; for an artist, a single piece or a whole collection could be a project; and for an athlete a single match or an entire season could be a project.  It depends on your perspective. Ok, so you now agree there are projects after school, that still doesn't mean you're going to use these skills.  Wrong.  There are a thousand examples I could spout off, but for today I'm going to concentrate on three major areas: time management, critical thinking, and communication.

"Time management is the act or process of planning and exercising conscious control over the amount of time spent on specific activities, especially to increase effectiveness, efficiency or productivity" - Wikipedia

Your science fair project has a specific deadline (or in some cases, a series of deadlines for individual tasks).  Just because you got the flu or got distracted by the new Madden for a week doesn't mean your school, region, or state will change the fair date for you.  This will especially be true in your career.  Using the same career examples, an author will have a publication deadline, an artist may have a gallery exhibition or a commissioned painting, and an athlete has a game day they need to be in-shape by.  Yes, there will be times when due dates are flexible, but learning time management and the ability to pace yourself to meet a deadline is crucial for success.  Even if you win the lottery and don't have to work ever again, your time management will come in handy when you need to pay your taxes by a certain date each year.

"Critical thinking is a way of deciding whether a claim is true, partially true, or false. " - Wikipedia

Critical thinking is another important skill that will be sharpened by participation in science fairs; I'm not talking about word problems and essay questions.  As you are working through your project and you hit a stumbling block (you will, everyone does) how you learn to work through that problem to complete your project will prepare you for life.  Things don't always go perfectly, and knowing how to deal with problems when they arise is a huge advantage in you career.  Do you want to be the employee who stops everything and goes to their boss crying every time something comes up? Or do you want to be the pro-active go-getter that brings their boss the issue with three suggestions of how to proceed?  If you hope to work your way up any corporate ladder, critical thinking and problem solving will be a key way to distinguish yourself from the rest of the pack.  Your science fair project is is teaching you to be an independent thinker who can solve her own problems.  Please don't think you need to work through the issues completely on your own - part of critical thinking is knowing when and where to reach out for assistance.

"Communication noun: the act or process of using words, sounds, signs, or behaviors to express or exchange information or to express your ideas, thoughts, feelings, etc., to someone else" - Marriam Webster

The last skill I'm going to touch on is communication.  How many times a day do you talk to someone? Email, in person, even social media or texting.  By having to practice communicating complex ideas to individuals who are unfamiliar with them, you are becoming a better communicator.  You can be the most brilliant person in the world, but if you cannot convey your brilliant thoughts and life changing ideas so that others can understand them, it is as if the thoughts never were.  If you are in an artistic career and need to promote yourself and describe your work, you need to have polished communication skills.  Before you can prove yourself to your boss, that practice speaking to strangers about yourself and your accomplishments will help you rock the job interview to land your non-science dream job in the first place.

These are just a few ways that your science fair project is applicable to skills you will use on a daily basis in your future.  What other examples can you think of?  I hope now you are re-energized to get back to your project and push through these last few pieces to take full advantage of this opportunity before you.

Until Next Time!

The Science Fair Girl

Where in the World is Sci Fair Girl?

MIA...AWOL...AFK...Say it anyway you want, the Sci Fair Girl has been less than active lately. I'm ashamed to say it's been almost a year since my last blog post.

A lot has been going on for me, personally which has distracted me. I've moved from sunny central Florida to chilly central Connecticut.  Settling into our new home has taken much longer than I expected.  I'm happy to report that I AM BACK, I'm no longer going to let little things like my main computer in storage for over six months, major home remodels, and paperwork keep me away.

So back to the matter at hand. Science Fairs.  I think students up north have a slight advantage, as the leaves turn colors, it is a visual reminder that as fall turns to winter, that the time until the science fair is slipping away.  Also as the temperature drops, the desire to stay outside playing for just a little longer lessens as well.

How far have you gotten on your project?  Do you have a question or invention nailed down?  Have you started your log book? Checked the local library for some research?  We all can get distracted by life - myself included.  We all just need to remind ourselves to re-align our priorities and get back on track.  Here are 5 ways to stay focused:

1. Set goals on your calender with a reminder, can be weekly or daily goals such as "finalize topic" or "contact subject matter expert"
2. Write a to-do list on a dry erase weekend board that you see every day, more difficult to forget with a constant reminder
3. Force yourself to complete one task for you project, such as reading one article, before you go play that video game or go out with your friends
4. Find a buddy, you don't have to do your projects together, but it's helpful to have a friend or parent to bounce ideas off of and keep you motivated
5. Initiate a reward system.  Set milestones and assign little rewards such as a movie or extra hour of tv when you reach them

As always, feel free to email me if you need help with a particular issue, if you have a suggestion for a blog entry, or want to share your own project.  I'm still here for all the science fair girl friends in Florida, and look forward to making new friends here in New England.

Until Next Time.
The Science Fair Girl

Fall Inspired Project Ideas

 It's only been a little over a week since Halloween, but if you're already counting down until next year's trick-o-treating, here are some spooktacular fall project ideas to get you through!

 1. How many germs are on Halloween candy?

 These days many parents are worried about the germs their children come in contact with.  How many germs do you find on the candy wrappers of a typical haul of candy?  This would be easier if you have siblings and can compare hoards.  Another idea is to have two bags, one for houses where the homeowner hands out the candy, and another for houses where children reach in for a handful.  Just remember to swab the wrappers before eating!

 2. Does pollution/air and soil quality effect leave color?

 This one is a little tricky, but maybe you could look at the leaves in different areas of town or state with different known pollution levels.  Or have small potted trees with different nutrients in their soil and look at the colors of the turning leaves.  This would be a project that requires a lot of planning and patience!

 3. How do you keep a plant from hibernating?

 Even here in Florida we get colder weather, which causes our beautiful flowering plants to hibernate, sometimes even dropping all their leaves.  I would love to keep my plants blooming and beautiful all year long!

 4. What lightweight materials will keep northern trick or treaters warm without ruining their costume?

 Growing up in Massachusetts, my costume was often restricted to what I could fit around a snow suit! Just like this year, snow could happen at any time in the north.  It would be great to have a lightweight material that would keep you warm without bulking you up and ruining your costume!  It would be a great patentable idea too.

Fall may be giving way to winter (for those of you with seasons) but
it's never to early to start investigating for next year!

Until Next Time!

The Science Fair Girl

3 Brothers, 2 Junkers, and 1 Amazing Prize

This week I'm going to shake things up a little, and instead of lecturing you, I'm going to tell a story about one of my life changing experiences because of science fairs.

My freshman year, I competed in the Discovery Young Scientist Challenge (DYSC). I was one of 50 middle school science fair competitors who traveled to Washington, D.C. to compete for three top prizes and a myriad of smaller prizes. The competition itself was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but that is not the story I'd like to tell today. This is the story of the Techno Challenge prize from The Learning Channel (TLC).

I won the Techno Challenge prize for technical innovation - this was for my 8th grade project where I built a five foot "Tower of Terror" like free-fall device, and a car with different weights and a "weightless sensor" controlled by a simple electric circuit. You may or not remember a TLC TV series that was popular in the late 90s and early 2000's - Junkyard Wars. This show is about two teams who compete to create a machine that completes a specified task, built completely from items found in a junkyard. The prize I won was to travel to Pittsburgh, PA to the Carnegie Science Center to build two cars with the Long Brothers - the then national and international Junkyard Wars champions. Suffice it to say, the boys I competed with were quite jealous that I won.

I spent a long weekend in PA building a dune buggy and a dragster - bending pipes, welding, and altogether having a blast. The Long brothers even tried to teach me how to drive a standard car when one of the junkers needed to be moved (all under parental supervision and in a closed lot of course!). One of my best memories was using an acetylene torch to cut the the gear shift out of one of the cars. Well, the heavy safety gloves they gave me were a little too big. The extra fabric in the thumb hit the gas control, my torch slowly shifted from an excellent cutting flame to an amazing bonfire torch, and I lit the car carpeting into a minor fire. It was very small, and very easily put out, but it was thrilling. I learned the proper way to use an acetylene torch and welding equipment - how many 13 year old girls can say that? The absolute best part was watching the car I helped build drive down the street. That weekend is what made me want to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. All because of a science fair prize, I discovered what I wanted to reach for as a career.

My Small Fire

Finding a Topic, Part Two

So you're still trying to find that perfect topic for your science fair project? Take a deep breath and relax, here are three more tips to get you started.

1. Take Notes

Keep a notebook with you, either in your backpack or carry it with you around the house.  When inspiration strikes, and I promise you that it will during the day, write down the question or topic that came to you.  Use the rules of brainstorming, don't criticize any idea or try to think in too much detail, just write the ideas down as they come.  Later, when you have a list of a few days or week's worth of inspirations, sit down and objectively go through the list.  Which ones would you like to explore further?  Which can you already think of a way to test?

2. Research

When you have a few ideas, or even if you have no concrete ideas but a general topic you are interested in, perform some research to help you find a topic.  Check out a book at the library, or contact a scientist or company that specializes in something you are interested in.  Even if you read a general article such as on Wikipedia or in a general magazine, you will come up with a project topic, and already begin familiarizing yourself with the topic more.

3. Ask for Help

Talk to your teacher or parents for a science fair topic they always wanted to do and never did, or browse a book that offers thousands of experiment ideas.  You will still need to expand on one of these experiment ideas, for most of the "Science Fair Topics Made Easy" sources are enough for a topic, but not enough for a more than passing project. 

Remember, any topic can be a great science fair project, you just need to follow up with a well thought out experiment, data collection, and analysis.  So stop worrying and over-thinking, and just find a topic that you are truly interested in!

Until next time,
The Science Fair Girl

The Dos and Don’ts of Choosing a Topic

By now you should be thinking about what topic to choose for your project.  The topic you choose to explore can make or break your chances of a winning project.  Here are some simple dos and don’ts to help you get started.

DO be interested in your topic.  I’ve said it before, and I will say it again; it is vital you are interested in the topic you are exploring.  This will make the task of completing your project more enjoyable, help you answer questions about your project, and make the judging process easier.  What is something you’ve always wanted to learn about, but never covered in school?  This is a great opportunity to explore those unanswered questions!

DON’T choose a topic just because you think it sounds important or impressive.  How are you going to convince others that your project is worthy of a prize if your only answer is “it sounds good”?  Also, if an idea sounds important to you, chances are someone already thought of it, it’s a controversial issue, or there is already a strong opinion on the subject which may affect the judging.  By all means, if you want to do a project on which roof design is most hurricane resistant because you heard about the damage from Hurricane Katrina or even the recent Irene, go ahead, but make sure you have at least a spark of personal interest in hurricanes or architecture or you will be bored.

DO choose a topic you can properly test in a few months.  If you have big ideas, you can break your idea into more sizable pieces.  Break the testing into phases, or identify all the testing you would like to do but attempt only a subset.  For example, with the hurricane roof example, there are many types of roof designs and many different categories of hurricanes.  Specify that you will be testing hipped, gabled, and pagoda roofs in category 1 and 2 hurricane winds.  By properly specifying the scope of your project you can save yourself a headache or negative judgment.  It is better to identify the best way to test a hypothesis with all of the variables and options, and then choose a smaller group to test, than to not finish your project because you attempted too much.

DON’T choose a topic because it sounds super easy.  If it sounds easy to you, it’s going to sound easy to the judges.  Uncomplicated and easy are different though.  You can have a project that can be tested with a simply designed experiment, and you can have a super easy experiment.  Testing decomposition by burying different items and digging them up X weeks later to inspect is a super easy project, but it probably won’t win you favor with the judges.  Testing decomposition of the same item in different soil compositions, measuring the soil temperature over time, and comparing the initial and final mass of the item is a simple but well thought out project.

If you really get stuck on a topic, just pay attention to the world around you for a day or too.  How many times do ask yourself “Why?” or “How?” in a day?  Remember, topic ideas are all around you if you keep your eyes (and your mind) open.

Until next time.

The Science Fair Girl

The Value of a Science Fair

Science Fairs have gotten a bit of a bad reputation.  How many times have you heard someone say “oh goody, I have to do a science fair this year”? If you search “science fair” on Facebook, you will find many groups about how awful science fairs are before you come across any support groups.  Some school districts have even debated discontinuing mandatory science fairs.  Have science fairs outlived their purpose?  What is the real value of a science fair?

The real value is not learning the scientific method; this concept can be adequately driven home in a middle school classroom. Yes, participating in science fairs will strengthen your understanding of the scientific method, but that is not the real value.  Science fairs will encourage students to think critically, search for answers, and solve problems on their own. Since this is a multi-month project, long range planning and time management skills are reinforced. By presenting, and not just completing, your project you strengthen your written and verbal communication skills and become more comfortable discussing possibly complicated topics with a wide range of individuals.  These are critical skills for an independent adult, no matter what industry you eventually pursue.

Aside from the life skills learned, science fairs are a great opportunity to meet interesting new people, both your own age and potential professional contacts.  I made a lot of friends in science fairs: good friends who shared similar interests and motivation to succeed.  While exploring potential colleges, I actually traveled with one of my friends from Discovery Young Scientist Challenge (DYSC) to visit schools.  At a middle school regional fair, one of my judges was so impressed while talking to me that he gave me his card and told me to contact him when I was ready for college – he was a professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (which I later was accepted to with a substantial scholarship offer). I also received a high school job offer from judges to be teacher’s aide for Saturday morning robotics classes.  You really never know who you will meet or what doors will open because of science fairs.

Each year, college applications become increasingly competitive.  Participation in science fairs can increase the competitiveness of your application.  Not only could I list my awards in the “honors and awards” section of my application, but my experiences gave me unending fodder for essays.  I am proud to say that I was accepted to every college I applied to, and received many merit based scholarships from various organizations.  It’s an unfortunate fact of our society that you need to start planning for college as early as possible if you want to be the most competitive applicant you can be.  Middle school and junior high science fairs are not too early to begin networking and creating a marketable list of accomplishments for college applications.

Last but not least, the prizes you can win by participating in science fairs are just plain cool.  You could win an award to be patented, gift certificates, prize money, trips, or more – I even won a Game-boy once.  At DYSC, I won a TLC sponsored trip to the Carnegie Science Museum in Pennsylvania to build two cars with the reigning Junkyard Wars champions (video available on the Facebook fan page).  If you don’t remember the television show, two teams compete to build a mystery challenge device in 10 hours out of material found in a junkyard.  I suited up and built a dune buggy and dragster using power tools such as jig saws, acetylene torches, welders, and pipe benders – at age 14.  It was amazing, a once in a lifetime experience.  There is of course no guarantee that you will win huge prizes, but isn't it better to compete and try then never have a chance?

So what's the value of a science fair?  Interpersonal skills. Life Lessons. New friends. New opportunities. Amazing memories. Definitely sounds like a worthwhile experience to me!