Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hi, I am completely devoted to my projects. I usually choose projects based on sociology and human behavior. However, my teacher wants a project where i can use organic materials and be in nature to find out which place has more toxins etc. Basically, environmental science. This topic doesn't interest me and I don't know what to do!!!! Can you give me advice and give me some projects that are simple and for a ninth grade level involving pollution and ways to help the earth without inventing something? Thank You SOOOOOO Much!!!! I searched on the science buddies web sit, but they give me incomplete projects making my project and life twice as hard. I also can't base my project on statistics and other people's research. I have to evaluate my own research & observations.

Hi,

The best I can do within Science Buddies is offer you these environmental science projects:

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... Njg3MTc5OQ

Look for projects that do not have an * on the title if you want a full project outline.

You can also search www.google.com for environment science fair projects to see other ideas, or you can search for environment science fair abstracts to see what other students have done.

Choosing a great science project is a personal creative activity - it is very difficult for anyone else to do it for you because it depends so much on your personal likes and dislikes. Although you sound disinclined it might be worth taking on a biology related polution measuring project, as these are very important these days - you might look into surveying things like frequency of frog or amphibean deformities if there is a university cooperative study going on in your area:

http://pubs.acs.org/cen/critter/frogs1.html

http://www.nwf.org/WildlifeWatch/

Use your creative brain to come up with your own original ideas - its more fun that way!!

Best wishes and good luck,

Barrett L Tomlinson

Just to add to the advice Barrett gave you, it should be possible to integrate your interests into an environmental project. For example, you could measure pollution in runoff from places where humans exhibit different behaviors--the city vs. the suburbs vs. agricultural areas, for example. You might also do something about composting and add a section about the willingness of people to compost given whether or not it is public! I would strongly recommend trying to find some middle ground between what you have been assigned and what you enjoy--it will make your project a lot more enjoyable.