Science Fair Projects for Girls – Use Hair Products!
Nothing wrong with science fair projects for girls in middle school… their interests are different!
Of course ANY science fair project can be for boys or girls as there are many interesting things to be curious about, but by the time you get to middle school, sometimes a science fair project for girls in particular will be just what you need to spark interest.
Here is a review of one science fair project for girls that came from Middle School Science Fair Projects tat uses common hair products!
One of the things with middle school science fair is to teach the students the whole process of looking at the world around them, and those things they are “into” and ask some questions. The more they deal with everyday life, and the questions you already are asking without even realizing the better. Using hair products as science fair projects for girls is brilliant.
- How many hours are spent in the hair products aisle deciding which product to buy?
- How many hours are spent at lunch or chatting online about which product works best?
- How many ads or commercials have they seen trying to convince them what is shinier, less greasy, stronger, or brings less split ends?
The great thing is that with girls, each girl has their own hair issues, so this experiment would be different or each girl who does it. Some girls might want to test out brand names, others different types of products, some might focus I on products for oily hair and others for color treated hair.
How the experiment works:
You take strands of hair at least 8 inches long, from the underneath layers and stretch it out between pieces of tape. Then you coat the hair strands in the product and hang it from a rod. Add weights to the hanging strands to see what lasts the longest.
How to make it scientific ?
You can’t just go in and grab hair and throw products on. To be scientific there can be only ONE variable, so EVERYTHING else must be EXACTLY the same, the length of the hair, how it is attached, how the weights are added. This experiment requires some detailed measuring of not only the hair but also some tape to hold it, to keep each strand exactly the same.
Multiple trials are also something needed to make it scientific, so you get enough strands of hair and supplies for about 5 trials. That is the only way to see trends or patterns.
This is what the scientific method is all about, and a great way to teach the steps in an easy, hands on way.
Where to find the materials and what is the cost?
The only cost will be the hair products, and some of those you should already have. Chance are you can borrow the rest. Everything else are common products you should have on hand like packing tape, paper clips, shallow saucers or bowls and a ruler.
Ready to start testing your hair? Go to Middle School Science Fair Projects now and in minutes be ready to test your hair strands!
We all know that when dealing with school projects, nothing is perfect. There are things you can do lie reading directions ahead of time that can help lessen the frustrations, but a review would not be worth reading if I did not include some of the downsides. So here is my two cents.
Cons
Anyone who has ever dealt with tape knows that if it can twist, and stick to the wrong places, it will. This can be frustrating for young students. A little perseverance will be in order. Once they have some mess ups, they should figure out the best way to do it, and the other thing to remember about science is that you learn from your mistakes.
If you have short hair, shorter than 8 inches, you will need to “borrow” hair from a friend. Besides convincing a friend to depart with hair on the underneath layers in the back of your hair, you will need a permission slip if your friend is under 18.
Even though these are just hair products, some things if may need safety goggles, rubber gloves to be sure the stuff does not get rubbed in your eyes or even a mask if you are using chemical treatments. By ow you should be aware of any skin allergies, but before starting an allergy test might be wise, and will also look good on your report.
The experiment had lots of great photographs, but I think a step-by-step graphic drawings might make it easier to understand the measuring and where to attach the tape. But once I read it a second time and imagined the steps, I got it.
Is this hair products science fair project for girls worth a try?
I love this project, and yes I had to read the directions carefully a couple times through, but really, the extra measuring and exactness teaches how important the scientific method is and makes the students feel like miniature scientists. Sometimes you are assigned to do project in groups, and I can see this project done as a small group may-be even as a sleep-over.
The best thing is that it takes products your girls use already and have an interest in, and they can use the results to make them better consumers. Young girls will have lots of fun with the display board with all the different types of products they used. It will make the extra research them need to do, more interesting and an attractive display as there will be real products to have on hand.
Where to get the experiment and what to you get with it?
This is one of a set of five experiments that you get with Middle School Science Projects. They are designed to interest both girls and boys by the way and use common every day items you probably already have at home! Organized with the steps to the scientific method, you get the detailed step by step instructions, including a detailed material list, links to research and a pre-formatted Excel spreadsheet and charts. Each experiment can be done in a 24 hour period or over a weekend if you want to make a huge display. Once you have the experiments, you are set for all three middle school years, for you next child or for fun things to do on a snow day!
