Expert: Sue Kayton Date: 4/30/2008 Subject: MST- math, science and technology
Question My 8 year old is interested in making crystals for this years MST fair. i know absolutely nothing about this subject but do not want to deter her from this subject.
Additionally, my 11 year old is struggling in math and i would like to see him do a math project for this years MST fair. Sue please help us. We are not a strong math andscience family. Currently my senior in high school just barely passed his math and science regents exam. How can we become a strong math and science family? There is still hope for my 5, 8 and 11 year old. I want them to love it.
Thank you so much
Answer I would suggest going to the library and looking in the children's section for books about science. Many will help spark their interest. Involve the children in using math in their everyday lives. Which is cheaper - two 14 ounce bottles of ketchup, or one 28 ounce bottle? Does it pay to sign a one-year contract with the cell phone company so they can't raise our rates after six months? Etc. Discuss with the kids the difference between wanting a consumer item and needing a consumer item, and the importance of living within their means. For most people, their main use of math is managing their money.
Kids tend to not care about math and science because they don't use it, or don't realize they are using it. If they don't already get allowances, give the kids small allowances and open savings accounts at a bank or S&L. Most small local savings and loan companies will allow children to open accounts with a nominal balance and keep the account, free, with no annual charge.
Here are some links to pages about crystal science experiments
One of my favorites is "M&M math". Everyone likes M&M candies and this one is really easy to do. Get a giant bag of M&Ms. Count how many there are of each color, and compute the percentage of each color. Graph it. Count how many are misshaped, compute the percentage and graph it. Now get a different bag. Are the answers about the same?
Here is a link about M&M math science fair project.
Or do surveys where people eat M&Ms. Get a kid to taste M&Ms with his/her eyes shut. Can they tell what color it is without peeking? Do they report one color is sourer or sweeter than the others?
Another way to encourage interest in science is when the kids ask you a science-related question that you don't know the answer to, instead of just saying "I don't know" or "ask your teacher", take the kids to the library (or look online) to find out why. This will encourage the kids to be problem-solvers, and that's what science is all about. If you get stumped and can't find the answer, email me. If I don't know, I'll find out, and get back to you.
There are a few TV shows that encourage scientific thinking. My favorite is Mythbusters. Kids also like the Magic School Bus show. Nature films about animals are also popular. The Discovery Channel has many, many educational science shows. Also check out your local PBS (public broadcasting) station.
