The Science Fair, the Social Sciences, Test Preparation, and a Lesson for All

At a recent Science Fair in one of the 20 largest school districts in the U.S., more than 525 high school students presented 350 projects in 14 subjects. The students at the district fair had won preliminary competitions in their schools.

The hooting and hollering from the gallery when awards were announced were comparable to the hooting and hollering that you would encounter at any kind of competition. For a science fair, the gallery’s enthusiasm was welcome if not anticipated.

The kids thoroughly enjoyed the experience, whether they walked away with thousands of dollars in cash and scholarships (most awards were less) or reveled in the glow that they had been recognized as novice scientists.

Without exception, the projects were commendable and represented an attention to detail and rigor that would make any teacher and mentor proud. Some projects were complex. Some were immediately practical.

Students demonstrated the following:

· When you increase the amount of Potassium Chloride (KCl) to black-eyed peas (not the pop band), the yield of black-eyed peas improves (especially relevant for New Year’s-day meals).
· Global warming may be beneficial to aquatic plants. The added warmth accelerates the rate of growth.
· What kind of AA battery is most cost effective? (One brand was tested, and the type was E2 alkaline.)
· Chocolate tastes better in color. (Color appeals to the sense of sight and combines with the senses of taste and smell.)
· The higher octane rating of gasoline does not correlate with higher mileage. (Octane ratings have to do with the amount of compression gasoline can handle before igniting–low octane ignites at low compression and causes engine knocking. All unburned fuel is pumped through the engine.)

Did you know, the typical high-achieving, high school junior at the science fair catches public transit for school at 6:45am for classes that begin at 7:30am? There might not be time for breakfast at home. The student returns home at 3:00pm, cares for siblings and completes household chores; takes a nap before dinner; earns free time at 7:00pm and does homework from then until 10:30 or 11:00pm. Coursework includes AP math, AP chemistry, and honors courses.

Nonetheless, few of the projects represented the behavioral and social sciences.

· Unlike research in the physical sciences, research in the social sciences involves human subjects. Social scientists survey, interview, observe through various methods, and try to understand the relationships between the who that people are and the things that people do. We expose the subjects to risk and potential invasions of privacy. Accordingly, there are additional rules that we must follow. In the case of the science fair, it is fair to ask: How can we facilitate social science research and support the student social scientist?

In addition to the incomplete representation of the behavioral and social sciences, Hispanic and African American students were under-represented as student scientists, as student and adult observers, and as judges.

· According to current district data, Hispanic youth represent 15.5 percent of the students in the school district, and African American youth represent 10.7 percent. (Nearly 170,000 students are enrolled in the district.) Not every person was counted–a few thousand were there–but there were fewer than 10 Hispanics and fewer than 10 African Americans (counting both youth and adults) at the fair. Again, it is fair to ask: How can we involve all student populations in good social science research?

A colleague observed at a recent Saturday preparation for the PSATs in a school that is demographically very different from the school district that hosted the science fair, “Teachers and students alike smiled, laughed with each other, and gave words of encouragement without yelling. The notion that ‘these kids don’t want to learn or do anything’ (as is the common assumption of the school) was absolutely turned upside down as students not only worked hard, but worked together collaboratively to achieve good results.”

In these cases of the science fair and the PSAT, we recognize that learning and achieving are motivators; they are incentives; they are spirited; and they can be inclusive. Knapp, Shields, and Turnbull (1995) have questioned the notion that the education for minority and traditionally underserved students should focus on basic skills, tightly controlled direct instruction, and repetition. Benard (1995) has observed that a school’s emphasis on high expectations for all students is of critical importance for the success of each child. These cases of the science fair and the PSAT support the conclusions of Knapp, Shields, Turnbull, Benard, and others, that the core values of education should include a focus on student assets, whether demonstrated or latent, rather than deficits.

References:
· Benard, B. (1995). Fostering resilience in children. ERIC Digest. Urbana, IL: ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 386 327)
· Knapp, M.S., Shields, P.M., & Turnbull, B.J. (1995). Conclusion: Teaching for meaning in high-poverty classrooms. In M.S. Knapp & Associates (Eds.), Teaching for meaning in high-poverty classrooms. New York: Teachers College Press.

Page Updated: May 13, 2005