CliffsNotes Parent's Crash Course Elementary School Science Fair Projects
Chapter One
Why Do a Science Project?
For many parents and their children, the goals of a science project may be unclear. You may wonder
why it was assigned in the first place. The answer is threefold. Science projects are assigned so that
the student can
Explore a science topic in depth
Assume responsibility for planning and carrying out a long-term endeavor
Use scientific methods in seeking an answer to a real-world question
Beyond that, however, lie some important intellectual goals that may not be obvious to either parents
or their children, the most important of which is this:
Science projects help students develop habits of thought that will serve them well in whatever
activities or vocation they pursue, whether science-related or not.
A science project is something like a workout at the gym, but it's the mental muscles that grow. The
workout begins with the warm-up: "What questions interest me?" "What question can I answer using
experimental methods?" Then comes the hard work, when the pulse quickens and sweat pours.
Materials must be gathered and organized into an experimental setup. Variables ... read full excerpt from CliffsNotes Parent's Crash Course Elementary School Science Fair Projects ebook
