Re: [Phys-l] Looking for a project

[ludwik kowalski <kowalskil@mail.montclair.edu>]

Dear Mr. H.
I do not think that the replication experiment I suggested is  
appropriate for a science fair project, unless the laboratory work of  
students is supervised by a teacher. Your 7th grader son is probably  
not ready to do this kind of work alone. (Preparing and using the NaOH  
solution, for example, is a dangerous operation.)  But your son would  
probably learn a lot by assisting a trained scientist. You wrote that  
you "could get access to a university lab." That is good. Perhaps you  
can find a researcher who needs an assistant. Feel free to show my  
messages to that person.

Good luck to both of you. Early exposure of motivated students to  
research can be very beneficial.

Ludwik Kowalski



On Jun 4, 2009, at 11:02 PM, M. Horton wrote:

> My son is a 7th grader and looking for an award-winning science fair  
> project
> for next year.  Do you think that this is something that would be  
> reasonable
> for him to do with my help?  I am not in the classroom anymore, but  
> could
> get access to high school labs or university labs if need be.
>
> If you think that this would work . . . I'm in.
>
> M. Horton
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "ludwik kowalski" <kowalskil@mail.montclair.edu>
> To: "Forum for Physics Educators" <phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu>
> Sent: Thursday, June 04, 2009 5:50 PM
> Subject: Re: [Phys-l] Looking for a project
>
>
> On Jun 4, 2009, at 12:54 PM, ludwik kowalski wrote:
>
> > A web page for the expected cooperative project has been created at
> >
> > http://csam.montclair.edu/~kowalski/cf/368project.html
> >
> > This is probably better than bothering everyone with long postings on
> > this list. Please visit, if you are interested.
>
>
>
> Two people made tentative commitment today. Hoping for more
> commitments I will wait several more days. Then I will estimate the
> cost per person. My rough guess is $40 per person, if ten people make
> definite commitments. I will probably know about the most costly item,
> a sheet of CR-39, which I would order, cut, and send sections to
> individual participants. Meanwhile look chemicals, for example two
> grams of Li2SOH and 130 grams of NaOH that you can probably get from
> your chemistry lab. Also for short pieces of  Ni and Pt wires. Think
> about what to use to make a cell. A student-oriented project can
> probably obtain some financial support from your administrator.
>
> P.S.
> Perhaps your colleagues, who are not on this list, will be willing to
> participate in this cooperative project. Ask them to send me a  
> message.
>
> Thanks in advance,
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
> Ludwik Kowalski, a retired physics teacher and an amateur journalist.
> Updated links  to publications and reviews are at:
>
> http://csam.montclair.edu/~kowalski/cf/
> http://csam.montclair.edu/~kowalski/my_opeds.html
>    http://csam.montclair.edu/~kowalski/revcom.html
>
> Also an ESSAY ON ECONOMICS at:
> http://csam.montclair.edu/~kowalski/economy/essay9.html
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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>
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- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Ludwik Kowalski, a retired physics teacher and an amateur journalist.  
Updated links  to publications and reviews are at:

http://csam.montclair.edu/~kowalski/cf/   http://csam.montclair.edu/~kowalski/my_opeds.html 
   http://csam.montclair.edu/~kowalski/revcom.html

Also an ESSAY ON ECONOMICS at: http://csam.montclair.edu/~kowalski/economy/essay9.html