This month, 17-year-old Herbert Mason Hedberg of North Attleboro, Massachusetts, took the top prize in the Intel Science Talent Search. For his winning effort he studied the telomerase enzyme found in cancer cells, which led him to a speedier and more efficient way to diagnose cancer. In the process, he also invented a new type of dialysis chamber, which he hopes to patent. His work won him $100,000, a shoo-in to the college of his choice, and a jump start on a likely career in science.
Herbert leads a pack of 40 extraordinary high school scientists who became Intel STS finalists based on their projects in mathematics, computer science, behavioral sciences, biochemistry, and engineering. Second-place finisher Boris Alexeev tackled the mathematical basis for pattern matching or recognition. His research, already submitted for publication, could potentially be used to speed DNA sequencing, to help decipher the human genome, or to improve speech recognition. Ryna Karnik, in third place, awaits a patent for her innovative method of designing microchips. (For more on the finalists and the competition itself, visit www.sciserv.org.)
The Intel STS contest may be the ultimate science fair—in addition to the money, the winner and finalists spend a week in Washington, D.C., and get a chance to present their work at the National Academy of Science—but it is by no means the only influential one. The less famous school and regional science fairs that blossom throughout the country at this time of year play an equally meaningful role in inspiring young minds. At these competitions, children take their first steps in applying the scientific method and in learning to communicate their observations and results.
By design, these fairs are challenging. Finding a topic, narrowing it down to a question, and then figuring out what materials to use and where to locate them can overwhelm a child scientist, not to mention his or her parents. These days, entrants have a new resource to draw on: an extensive network of fair-related Web sites, which include some genuinely useful and interesting lists of ideas, advice in formulating a scientific question, exhibits created by kids in different age groups, suggestions for research, and presentation tips. Supportive parents often ask Discover how they can assist their children. In response, we have put together the following list of helpful sites. (Two caveats: Children should use the ideas they find on the Web only as a starting place for their own questions, and parents will, of course, want to supervise their child’s tour of the Internet.)
A virtual clearinghouse of science references for kids, the Science Fair Resource Center of the Internet Public Library (http://www.ipl.org/div/kidspace/projectguide/) is a great place to begin. The IPL divides its Web resources into four categories: understanding the scientific method, guidance for choosing a topic, resources and Ask an Expert, and tips and tricks for displaying the finished project. The Ask an Expert links are especially handy, offering students the chance to have science questions answered directly by expert researchers. Elsewhere on this site, kids can find Web addresses for online encyclopedias and reference books. One drawback is that there are a number of broken links, particularly those to schools. Still, there are so many resources here it’s hard to go wrong.
For younger elementary schoolchildren, Thinking Fountain (http://www.smm.org/sln/tf/nav/thinkingfountain.html), created by the Science Museum of Minnesota, lives up to its name. At this site kids can follow the thought processes involved in performing simple experiments, aided by illustrations and kid-friendly flow charts that should stimulate their own questions. The site, which is constantly changing, currently invites kids to grow their own mold, visit a gallery of mold images, and then make a surprise connection between mold and antibiotics. Click on the site’s index of ideas for more experiments and activities that could inspire science fair projects. Kids are invited to do the experiments themselves and send in photos of the results. The Mind Maps button lets children plot out the connections they uncover while doing these activities. Looking for a guide to children’s science books? Follow “Theme Clusters” to “Books You Can Use.”
At Bunsen Bob’s Science Hunt (http://www.sciencehunt.com/hunthow.nsf), sponsored by the Hunt Corporation, project ideas and information are divided into age groups (click on the appropriate flask). The site’s easily navigated features include some good display advice (no surprise here: Hunt makes X-acto knives, poster board, and pens) as well as links to Internet suppliers of laboratory equipment and materials. The “Plan your Time” essay should be read by all kids and parents about to plunge into the world of science fairs. Under “Step by Step,” students will find a succinct review of the scientific method and some guidance on how to avoid plagiarism (and how to survive overeager parents).
Billed as the “ultimate science fair resource,” Scifair.org (http://www.scifair.org/) features an excellent online research department—an extensive gathering of links to Web sites on biology, computer science, chemistry, physics, geology, and psychology. The Idea Exchange (click on the Idea Bank to get there) is just that: a place for kids to share their ideas and scientific triumphs. Many of the kids describe how they came up with their projects and some give brief accounts of their experiments. Most also give their grade level, which is a help to children trying to figure out what sort of experiments are feasible at their age. For example, one girl recounts a fourth-grade project based on the question, “Whose mouth is cleaner, a dog’s mouth or a human’s mouth?” A boy writes about swabbing his own feet to test for fungus growth, and another investigates (with the help of a hair dryer) whether temperature affects the sound of musical instruments.
The Kids National Agricultural Library (http://www.nal.usda.gov/Kids/agric.htm) is a storehouse of ideas for projects related to the environment, animals, food, and nutrition, as well as general science. Children will find not just Internet links but also lists of useful science articles and books, including biographies of scientists written for children. The site’s video library offers selections on topics such as cell structure, biotechnology, anatomy, and dissection; using the call number provided, kids can borrow these from their local libraries through the interlibrary loan system. Links, addresses, and the phone numbers of scientific supplies manufacturers are also listed here.
Finally, kids can find inspiration from Yes Mag (http://www.yesmag.bc.ca/), Canada’s science magazine for children. The magazine’s Web version includes archives of projects—a geodesic dome clubhouse, experiments with crystals, mummy making (which does not involve anything dead), and crafting a robotic arm, among many others. At the Ask Jude page, the magazine’s editor answers kids’ science questions (new ones are posted each week), and kids review the latest science books written for children. Clicking on the Beyond Yes Mag link leads to other interesting kid-science sites.
