We survived our first Science Fair Project. Alyssa was very excited to enter the Science Fair. Whether she entered the fair or not, all 4th and 5th graders had to do a science project and present it to the class for that quarter's science grade. Seeing as Robert has an "in" with a wide variety of wood, Alyssa decided to time how fast wood burned and if there was a difference from one type of wood to the next.
Results: there are a couple of types of wood that burn really fast and a couple that burn really slow, but the rest are pretty much the same. She got 100% for her class grade and honorable mention at the fair.
Other results: I was not a real scientist - the investigational kind. Put me in front of class, I love to lecture. Put me in front of a lab bench and I can follow a chem lab experiment and get the proper results, but that's where it ends. Chemistry classes (unless you are doing new research, which means you've gone on to an advanced degree) follow a recipe and need to get the correct - already known - answers. According to Robert that is not "real" science: no new thought, "true" experimentation, "real" analysis of a new hypothesis and going through the scientific process. Oh, well. I still loved what I did and there are some who DO go on to upper degrees and are "real" chemists. :) It takes creativity and I find myself more on the analytical side.
Results: there are a couple of types of wood that burn really fast and a couple that burn really slow, but the rest are pretty much the same. She got 100% for her class grade and honorable mention at the fair.
Other results: I was not a real scientist - the investigational kind. Put me in front of class, I love to lecture. Put me in front of a lab bench and I can follow a chem lab experiment and get the proper results, but that's where it ends. Chemistry classes (unless you are doing new research, which means you've gone on to an advanced degree) follow a recipe and need to get the correct - already known - answers. According to Robert that is not "real" science: no new thought, "true" experimentation, "real" analysis of a new hypothesis and going through the scientific process. Oh, well. I still loved what I did and there are some who DO go on to upper degrees and are "real" chemists. :) It takes creativity and I find myself more on the analytical side.
1 comment:
YAHOOOO!! Alyssa!!
Looks AWESOME :)
Keep up the great work.
Love,
Cousin Annemarie
Post a Comment