Okay, here's what's up. I am going to a school which requires me to do a whole bunch of busywork over the summer, and one of the assignments happens to be to find an experiment to do. I've already sent my teacher two possible experiments, one being denied because I suppose she just didn't like it, and the other being that I can't use bacteria in my experiments. I'll just give you the information and criteria in my teacher's words. [spoiler]Part B: Proposal Instructions Choosing a topic to research this year begins now. Although the idea you develop here does not have to be your final idea, it should be a realistic expectation of what you hope to research, and the experiment you hope to conduct. A common pitfall that many students fall into is the selection of an idea that is well below their abilities. The reasons for this are varied, but the end result is a project that is difficult to write about and unlikely to be accepted at science fairs. I have included some project ideas that some of our past students have done. Hopefully you will be able to see that the level of project design is much higher than what you may be used to in middle school. You may use these ideas as a springboard for an idea of your own. If not, then think of something that really interests you. Sports, music, or computers are rich with potential ideas. Traditional experiments involving chemistry and biology are also great places to choose a topic. Whatever you choose, make sure your idea fits into one of the Categories listed. [/spoiler] [spoiler]Categories List The following are categories and descriptions based on information from the _______. You may use this for inspiration in deciding on your research projects this year. An asterisk denotes a restriction imposed by the __________.l regarding the use of vertebrates in ninth grade research projects. The __________ prohibits experiments involving vertebrates. Ninth grade animal experiments are confined to invertebrates. Please plan your project accordingly. 1. AGRICULTURAL AND ANIMAL SCIENCE (A) – the study of domesticated animals* and plants important to agriculture, horticulture, and veterinary medicine 2. ANIMAL BEHAVIOR (Ethology) (AB) – the study of the description, observation, and experimentation on the behavior of animals 3. BOTANY (B) – the study of plants except those in agriculture and horticulture 4. CHEMISTRY (C) – the study of matter, its properties and the changes it undergoes 5. COMPUTER SCIENCE (CU) – the study of computers, computer programs, and programming. 6. CONSUMER SCIENCE (CS) – the study of consumer products 7. EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE (EA) – the study of the origin, history, and structure of the earth and its environment including archeology, geology, meteorology, oceanography, paleontology, and astronomy to include the study of the science of the stars, planets, galaxies, and all other heavenly bodies, including the exploration of space by manned and unmanned space craft 8. ENGINEERING (E) – the study of the practical application of the design, materials, construction, and operation of physical systems 9. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE (ES) – the study of the effects resulting from the natural and/or man-made environment or effects from pollution factors 10. GENETICS AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY (G) – the study of the cellular and subcellular levels involving chemistry and biochemistry or any investigation concerned with aspects of inheritance 11. MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS (MS) – the study of number systems and their interactions, and the analysis of data. Prior permission of the mathematics and science instructors are required to pursue a project in this area. 12. MEDICINE AND HEALTH (MH) – the study of the various sciences related to structure, function, and diseases of humans and laboratory animals 13. MICROBIOLOGY (M) - the study of microorganisms (bacteria, protozoans, algae, and fungi) 14. PHYSICS (P) – the study of the treatment of inanimate matter and energy relationships exclusive of chemical change 15. ZOOLOGY (Z) – the study of invertebrates and vertebrates* except for humans and domesticated animals [/spoiler] Here are some tips and rules she gave me: [spoiler]RULES/TIPS for DEVELOPING A SUCCESSFUL RESEARCH PROJECT • Break out of the middle school mindset! (For a list of examples of good projects, do the following: Go to the ____ home page, click on Research Symposium, click on Accepted Papers, and click on Final Official 2013 ___________ Program.) • Correlation does not equal causation! • Original ideas/projects are ALWAYS best. However, if you model your project after one you find online, you need to cite the source, and you need to find a way to make the project COMPLETELY YOUR OWN! • If you want to do a valid statistical analysis of your results, you need 30 trials at every level of your IV! • Your experiment has to pass the “So what?” test. It has to have some significance. WHY would anyone want to know the answer to your question? • There has to be a QUESTION behind your hypothesis and your experiment. In other words, if you already know what is going to happen, it is not an experiment! • Your DV MUST BE MEASURABLE!! “Eye-balling” it does not count; neither does “feeling” it. • You cannot use website sources, or more than 2 encyclopedias. You may use the internet to FIND sources; you just cannot use the internet AS a source. Any source where you would have to use the url as the citation is not acceptable. You have to have 5 MAJOR SOURCES (books, journal articles, magazine articles such as Scientific American, Discover, etc.), but you may use the internet to FIND them! • You can NOT begin your actual experiment until I have returned your Research Plan to you. This will not occur until around the middle of October. • You must supply an MSDS for each and every chemical you use in your experiment! Your procedure should specifically spell out your SAFETY procedures, as well! • If your project involves bacteria or mold, or any harmful chemical, then your project is considered a RESTRICTED project. If it deals with bacteria, you must have access to a real laboratory, with a real scientist as a mentor, or the project will not be approved! • Contractions are NOT APPROPRIATE in a formal paper (can’t = cannot; doesn’t = does not). • Proper format for in-text citations: (last name of author, year) • Never use “I” or “my!” • Make sure to use the same font (Times New Roman 12 font) and margins (1 inch) throughout your entire paper! • Plants do NOT need to be watered every day! A small amount once or twice a week is sufficient. *****Because this will be the first major research project you complete, the following projects WILL NOT BE APPROVED: • NO projects using vertebrates (there are plenty of good invertebrates you can use – visit carolinabiological.com for a list of inexpensive ones) • NO projects involving human subjects (judges are reluctant to accept these projects, because with humans, there are so many variables that cannot be controlled) • NO projects involving electrolytes in drinks, rusty nails, teeth/eggshell erosion, effects of salt or pH on plant growth (these projects have been overdone) • NO correlational studies (these studies are not really experiments) • Exceptions may PERHAPS be made, IF your project is a STELLAR continuation project. [/spoiler] Sorry if you read all of that, but I'm stuck and I just came here to see if any of you guys had any ideas. I've been stuck on this darn thing for a week now, and I need a project idea soon! I'm hoping the greater minds at B.net will be able to guide me. Thanks for all of your help! TL;DR: Any science experiments I might be able to do in high school? Any suggestions for me?