Science Fair Week

Parents and Students,

This week is science fair week at our school. The assignment for the students is for them to come up with their own experiment that will be showcased in the science fair. Here are some examples of some experiments that were presented in the past. Hope you have fun this week.

Mrs. Phillips

Real Life Science Project

Fresh Bread

When you go to the grocery store, what are some of the factors that make you choose the products that you buy? Could it be the flavor, the price, or the length of shelf life? This project focuses on the shelf life of an essential found in every kitchen.....bread.

I began the experiment buying four different brands of bread. I bought :

• Nature's Own White Wheat Bread
  
  
  
• Nature's Pride 100% Whole Wheat Bread




• Mary Jane's Old Fashioned White Bread
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Wonder Whole Grain Wheat Bread

I wanted a different variety of popular brands.

Important Variables

There were four variables that were addressed in this experiment.

1. Expiration Date- the dates had to be the same: April 13
   
   


2. Storage- I wanted the storage to be common-the kitchen counter
   
   
3. Simulation of Use- I opened each bag once a day to expose the bread to air



4. Temperature- temperature of the kitchen stayed at 72-76 Fahrenheit
   
   

The experiment began on March 28, 2008.


I charted each day's progress. I charted the same characteristics for each bread. The softness was charted on a scale from 1 to 5. 1 being the softest and 5 being the hardest. The presence of mold would be noted with an (M).

• Softness or Hardness
  


• Presence of Mold

Link to CHARTING THE PROGRESS

RESULTS
The Wonder Whole Grain Wheat Bread began and ended with a (1) on the scale of softness. However, this bread developed mold on the bottom of the loaf on April 23. The Natures White Wheat Bread began with a (2) on the scale, but changed to a (3) on the scale. This bread did not develop mold. The Natures Pride 100% Whole Wheat Bread began and ended with a (1) on softness scale. However, this bread developed mold the quickest. Mold was discovered on the bottom of the loaf on April 17, only four days after the expiration date. The Mary Jane Old Fashioned White Bread began on with a (2) on the softness scale but ended with a (4), which was the largest change on the scale. Also, this bread did not develop mold.

Pictures of Mold

Limitations
There wer two differnt limitations that I recognized. The first is the packaging of the breads. The whole wheat breads had clear packaging on the bottom of the loaves, where the mold began first. The white breads had colored packaging on bottom of the loaves. The white breads did not have mold. The packaging may have had an affect of the growth of mold. Also, I wasn't able to seperate the slices of bread and allow more air in the package. In real life, the slices of bread would be exposed to more air. This could also affect the growth of mold.

Other Links

A child’s mold experiment
http://www.kidzone.ws/science/mold.htm

http://www.sciencefairadventure.com/ProjectDetail.aspx?ProjectID=77

Scientific article about bread mold
http://esciencenews.com/articles/2008/05/08/bread.mold.may.hold.secret.eliminating.disease.causing.genes

Prevention of Mold
http://www.ehow.com/how_4549588_preventing-bread-mold.html

FDA : Molds on food

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/molds_on_food/index.asp

Standards:

GLE 0407.Inq.1 Explore different scientific
phenomena by asking questions, making logical
predictions, planning investigations, and
recording data.

GLE 0407.Inq.6 Compare the results of an
investigation with what scientists already accept
about this question.

GLE 0407.Inq.4 Identify and interpret simple
patterns of evidence to communicate the findings
of multiple investigations.

Bead Racing

BEAD RACING EXPERIMENT p 30

Which material will “conduct” heat the quickest?

Needed Materials
1.Glass beaker
2.Butter
3.Beads
4.Wooden Spoon
5. Metal Spoon
6. Drinking Straw
7. Plastic Spoon

Beginning the experiment

We began by placing a small amount of butter on the different utensils, and we placed the beads on each one. We boiled water and put it in the glass. Then we waited.

Which utensil was the best conductor of heat?

After about 5 minutes the winner was the metal spoon’s bead. The metal was the best heat conductor.

Second Place

Second place goes to the plastic spoon. The plastic was second best conductor of heat.

Third Place

A close third place goes to the drinking straw. It was the third best conductor of heat.

Last Place

Last place goes to the wooden spoon. It was the worst conductor of heat.

SCIENCE PROJECT

Tiffany's project

Looking Around Corners

The materials Needed:
2 small mirrors

triangular card

scissors
pen

tall, empty carton



















Step 1 Use the triangular card to help you draw two diagonal lines on one side of the carton.

Step 2 Carefully cut a slot along each line. The slots should be just wide enough for the mirrors to fit into.

Step 3 Draw and cut two more slots on the other side of the carton.


Step 4 Carefully push the mirrors into the slots. They should fit snugly, so that they cannot slide out.















Step 5 Draw a large square at the top of the carton in the front of the mirror. Carefully cut it out.























Step 6 Make a small hole with a pencil in the back of the carton. Now your periscope is ready.



Step 7 Look into the hole to see around corners or over obstacles.

















What are periscopes used for?


Periscopes are used in submarines to allow the crew to see above the water while staying submerged. The periscope in a submarine works just like the one I made. There is a long tube that reflects light rays from the surface of the water down to the crew in the submarine in below the surface.

To view mini lesson

Test Your Sense of Touch Pg 72

Materials Needed:

thick card, pins, compass, colored markers, scissors, cloth, and ruler

Step 1:
Use the ruler and compass to draw three circles on the card, one inside the other.

The three circles should be 0.5 in (1.5cm) apart. The three circles form the three zones of your touch tester.

Step 2:
Cut out the large circle and color in the three zones.

If you want to have some friends to help, you could have more than one touch tester.

Step 3:
Ask a friend to blindfold you with a cloth.


Step 4:

Your friend should stick some pins in the central zone.

Make sure that the pin heads are level.

Step 5:

Ask your friend to press the pin heads gently against your arm. Have your friend to ask you how many pins you can feel. Try again with the pins stuck in the middle circle and the outer circle on your touch tester. Then test your palm and fingers.

I could only feel two, but there were three pins in the touch tester. When the touch tester was moved to my palm, I thought I felt three pins. I wasn't sure. Then when the touch tester was placed on my finger tips, I was sure that there were three pins.

Your sense of touch

Your sense of touch can be found all over the body. Your other senses are only located in specific parts. The reason for you can feel all over your body is that your sense of touch originates in the bottom layer of your skin called the dermis. The dermis is filled with tiny nerve ending which gives your brain information about what you feel.

The nerve endings in your skin can tell you if something is hot or cold. They can also feel if something is hurting you. Your body has about twenty differnt types of nerve endings that all send messages to your brain. However, the most common receptors are heat, cold, pain, and pressure or touch receptors. Pain receptors are probably the most important for your safety because they can protect you by warning your brain that your body is hurt!

Fun Facts

• You have more pain nerve endings than any other type.
• The least sensitive part of your body is the middle of your back.
• The most sensitive areas of your body are your hands, lips, face, neck, tongue, fingertips and feet.
• Shivering is a way your body has of trying to get warmer.
• There are about 100 touch receptors in each of your fingertips.
• Rattlesnakes use their skin to feel the body heat of other animals.

Other helpful sites

http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/chtouch.html

http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/pdf/mmsg.pdf

To view the Mini Lesson

Mini Lesson

Looking Around Corners

The materials Needed:

2 small mirrors
triangular card
scissors
pen
tall, empty carton

Step 1
Use the triangular card to help you draw two diagonal lines on one side of the carton.

Step 2
Carefully cut a slot along each line. The slots should be just wide enough for the mirrors to fit into.

Step 3
Draw and cut two more slots on the other side of the carton.

Step 4
Carefully push the mirrors into the slots. They should fit snuggly, so that they cannot slide out.

Step 5
Draw a large square at the top of the carton in the front of the mirror. Carefully cut it out.

Step 6
Make a small hole with a pencil in the back of the carton. Now your periscope is ready.

Step 7
Look into the hole to see around corners or over obstacles.

Periscopes are used in submarines to allow the crew to see above the water while staying submerged. The periscope in a submarine works just like the one I made. There is a long tube that reflects light rays from the surface of the water down to the submarine.

New Semester

This semester seems stressful already. So...here is some encouraging scriptures.

"...Let us run with patience the race that is set before us." Hebrews 12:1

"Cast all your care upon Him, for He careth for you." I Peter 5:7

" Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren (sisters) that are in the world." I Peter 5:9

Good Luck this semester!! We are going to need it.