The strength of our science project was the procedure. This process is the easiest part to complete because it involves conducting our very simple experiments. One good thing about the procedure was that it was short and easy to follow. Other projects at this science fair were aesthetically pleasing to look at. One of the most interesting was the project on making bread. The most intriguing part was how much bread they were able to make and how it rose differently. So, it seems you need yeast to get the full rise effect.
If we were going to improve our project, it would be by having more space on the board and being prepared with all of this. We would consider changing the data tables. The data tables weren’t printing all on one page. We would also change the question from ‘What is the effect of the number of Hot Cheetos on heart rate?’ to ‘What is the effect of Hot Cheetos eaten on heart rate?’. We had a problem with board space, so our next step was to make a mini-board and put our title on there and glue it on our regular poster board.
The most beneficial part of the process is when we had to type the background, variables, and procedure because it gave us a way to get ready for something similar in the future when we do the science project again. The way the paper was structured is how it will be when we do the science project again in IB. I’ve learned a lot by doing these two assignments. Although the outline was kind of difficult to follow, it was our first time trying. We did make many mistakes, but when we were able to redo our paper, we corrected our mistakes and got a greater understanding of how to do it for future projects. The background paper was fairly easy to write. It was a recap of a previous paper I’ve written. This whole experience was a learning opportunity that is getting us ready for two years of HL in the IB program.
At first, I was struggling with our topic choice. I was trying to figure out what our experiment would be that resulted in a physical or chemical reaction. As I got to the due date for what my project was going to compose of, I was panicking. I got the idea from my friend who loves Hot Cheetos, and I thought what if I experiment with Hot Cheetos? I assumed that spice would increase your heart rate, which I could set as my dependent variable. When I checked in with my teacher, it qualified as a chemical reaction. I was relieved that we could start on our project.
I feel like the teacher did not give us much time in class to set up. If we had more time in class, we wouldn’t have been in a hurry. I suggest that he give us more class time, as it would’ve resulted in our project being aesthetically pleasing and well organized. Also, if he was more attentive to each group, maybe it wouldn’t be such a mess. I don’t think that this was carefully planned and executed. It does have something to do with our part, but also our teacher’s part as well. Yes, most of us should’ve asked more questions, but I believe that the way he describes the answer isn’t obvious to process. When that happens, which is often, I perceive that I’m not on the level of understanding I should be. I don’t question his answer, even though it’s evident that I’m not clear on the instructions, so I always have my classmates elaborate or help out.
The whole idea/phrase ‘Science Fair’ brings me back to elementary school, which makes me cringe. I never liked the idea of finding a new experiment to do and going through the stress to finish it. It was just too much. Although we encountered many obstacles, we were able to finish our experiment. I did have a meltdown the day before it was due because not everything was glued on and the board was messy. Luckily, we’ve gotten through it and finished strong. My final thought on this is that I hope I don’t have to do this again soon because I need more time to recover from this.