My 6th grader has to do a science project. Well, I guess you could say I have to do a science project. I thought when I graduated from high school I would be done with this type thing.
Honestly, when I was in school, it was not mandatory to do any sort of project for the science/social studies fairs we had. They were just for bonus points. So I didn't do them. I didn't have anyone to help me do them. Why am I being punished now?
The thing is, the fair is not until February, but we have to choose a topic by Thursday. Well no, let me re-phrase that. We choose two topics and what category they fall under (botany, chemistry, microbiology, etc.) and then the teacher lets us know which one we will do. My question is this: why the heck dontcha just tell us what you want us to do, to begin with?
So now I sit here, instead of reading/commenting/blogging, and I am searching for science fair project topics. Something is wrong with this scenario. OH and to top it off....this is what is on the paper with the info, and I quote "In order to qualify for the regional science fair an experiment has to be done. Just doing a report, building a model or doing a demonstration will no be sufficient to advance in the competition." WTF? Who said we even wanted to compete?!?!
These teachers know that it's the parents that do these things, not the kids. I know that for a fact. And I work....miss teacher who thinks I have time for this.
Thankfully I only have two children. When they graduate from high school, I will have 3 educations. Mine and theirs. Cross your fingers that I make an A on my, I mean her, project.
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21 comments:
Oh, let me just tell you. There is nothing more frustrating than Middle School Science Fair projects.
Last minute information. Scrambling to and fro to get HUST THE RIGHT 3 WAY BOARD in which to post, 1. The pictures your took during the process of said Science project. 2. The captions that MUST BE AT LEAST 3 - 4 SENTENCES DESCRIBING, IN DETAIL WHAT YOUR WERE DOING IN EACH PICTURE. 3. The gluing of pictures and comments. 4. The gluing of pictures and comments in the PROPER PLACEMENT ON SAID PERFECT 3 WAY BOARD.
Trust me it doesn't get ANY easier in High School. The only thing now is we tell him that it is HIS responsibility to do his project and not wait until the last minute. Has it worked ? No !!!!
So my suggestion to you is to start telling them now that they will need to be able to do this all on their own once they reach High School.
GOOD LUCK !!!!!!!!!!
i often feel the same way. i read every book my 13 yr old wants to read BEFORE she reads it, it use to be so i could help with the book reports and has turned into censoring the crap that people think is appropriate for girls that age. crazy.
but yeah hubz is incharge of all the other reports and stuff. he, i mean SHE got an A on a recent social studies report that took him, i mean HER 3 weeks to complete.
WE, I mean, my children will have to participate in the science fair in grades 4 and 6...fun. fun, fun! Peter, I mean WE, just finished his social studies project...he got an A. Glad it's over! Good luck!
Oh joy!
So what did you decide on?? I'm glad I have a few years before the next round of fun projects happens around here!
Thank goodness, in our school, the teachers explicitly say "no parent help on projects." Woo Hoo!
I am definitely not looking forward to that! I remember I got a bad grade one science fair project because I re-used my older sister's project, and the silly teacher rememebered!!
You should keep us posted with picture updates of the project. I'm sure there will be some great stories to go with them.
You are so right! We only had to do them for bonus points. Of course I was one of those students who signed my parents - oops, I mean myself - up for these projects. I waited until the night before to do it though. It was on sounds waves. We put some rubberbands around nails in a wooden triangle and studied their vibrations when you flicked them. Very scientific! Ha! My parents - I mean I - won honorable mention. Not too bad for a midnight project! My parents weren't too happy when I sprung that one on them but it was fun! Good luck with your - I mean their - project!
I think you should propose some sort of experiement involving the teacher and hair remover... maybe that would make them change their mind.
Oh the fun times I have to look forward to a few years down the road for my little one. I'm hoping to push these off on the hubs.
I hope you, I mean she gets an A on it! Good luck picking a topic.
Oh my! Well, good luck with your, I mean her, project!! I'm sure that's a big task, Ugh. Hope you get an A
Maybe my mom has my report buried in the attic somewhere. I could send it to you. ;)
Ugh I am with ya on this!!!! I hate project time!!
I say all the time how glad I am to be back in 4th grade. Jazz has trouble with homework and thinking about it too much. Lyric breezes through stuff, so I only get 2 educations...LOL. Good luck with the project.
Right! My daughter had to do one in first grade last year!
Thanks for sharing in my SITS day with me!
I looked for a contact address so I could send this to you directly, to no avail. So...at the risk of being seen as spamming your blog, I'd like to suggest that you take a look at http://www.onlinescienceprojects.com/guide.html.
Trust me, I've been in your shoes...
Good old school projects :) I love your blog and want to give you an award...come by my blog to check it out! :)
It's amazing what they expect children to do these days.
We aren't at that stage yet, but I see it in the near future (my kids are 1st and 3rd graders). I dread the really big projects (like Science Fair). I also can't stand that teachers sometimes grade kids higher when it is obvious that the parents did all the work. I think that if a project looks like it was clearly done by the student that they should actually get extra credit for working independently. It really is their homework.
Boy, I hear ya. I'm so relieved my sixth grader isn't doing a science project this year.
He's already testing my math skills on a daily basis.
Except today...he's testing my house cleaning skills with the massive amounts of diarrhea all over the bathroom. It's horrendous.
I'm probably to late getting to you but the easiest science fair paroject is the compare the absorbency of diapers!
Luckily, my daughter's school let them off the hook with the mandatory science fair this year. It is now optional for extra credit! The way it should be.
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