I had a seventh grader contact me about a science project he was doing. The question (from one of our projects) was, “Does Covering the Mouth with Hands Prevent the Spread of Germs?”
This project was designed for elementary school students, and the teacher wasn’t pleased with its simplicity. Her main objection was that the experiment question shouldn’t be answerable with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
The clever seventh grade scientist had an easy solution. He reworded his question, “How does covering the mouth prevent the spread of germs?” He did lots of research, conducted the experiment we provided, and was able to turn in a great project.
Sometimes you come up with a great science project topic, but the teacher rejects your idea. If you can ask the teacher for a specific reason for the rejection, you may find that a simple rewording of the question may re-qualify your idea!
PS This project is found in our 24 Hour Science Project Package, which includes five projects:
•UNDERCOVER SNEEZE Does covering the mouth really help prevent the spread of germs?
• A SLICE OF ICE Does the shape of ice affect melting time?
• A STRAIGHT FLUSH Which toilet tissue is most biodegradable?
• A PINCH OF SALT How does salt affect the boiling point of water?
• VITAMIN “C”ITRUS Which citrus fruit has the most Vitamin C?
