VanCleave's Science Fun

Your Guide to Science Projects, Fun Experiments, and Science Research

Science Fair Projects: Scientific Method

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Notes from Janice’s Desk Scientists make observations, identify problems, ask questions, guess at the answer (hypothesis), experiment to test their guess, collect and analyze data, and then make a conclusion stating where the result supported their hypothesis or not. These are the steps for a process called the scientific method. Do scientists always follow the […]

Science Can Be Depended On

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Yes, one thing about science is that you can depend on it to be in a constant state of change. About the time you think you have the facts straight someone comes along with a new study that negates something you thought was set in stone. The song, “And Another One Bites the Dust” could […]

Slime Science Fair Project

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Slime is an all time favorite with kids, so I have created a step by step process for a slime science fair project. The photo shows pink slime that was colored with food coloring, but I wonder how colored or even glitter glue would affect the properties of slime. UUM! Sounds like a fun thing […]

Fruit vs. Vegetable

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What is the difference between a fruit and a vegetable? Parts of a flower develop into a fruit. Seeds develop inside of fruit. For example, an avocado is a fruit with a very large seed inside. Vegetables are any other part of a plant. For example, lettuce is a leaf. People eat different parts of  plants. […]

Science Fair Projects: Plants

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Gardening Tip: Newspaper keeps weeds away I’ve read this tip before but have never tested to see if it is true. Wet newspaper is suppose to be put in layers around the plant. Then the newspaper is covered with dirt. The newspaper is suppose to act as a barrier to weeds. You could use this […]

Log Book and Topic

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Science Log Book Question: Help! I need to know what a science fair log book? Answer: This question as well as others that I receive about science fair project has a desperate sound to it. A log book is a science diary with information about your project from start to finish. A binder with dividers […]

Table Salts

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The term salt in reference to seasoning of food mainly refers to sodium chloride or more commonly called table salt. There are two sources of table salt: 1. Mined Salt This salt is harvested by forcing water into a mine to create brine (salt/water mix). The brine is then evaporated leaving cubes of salt. Mined salt […]

Green Fluorescent Protein

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I seem to be a bit behind in learning about fluorescent animals. Yes, I knew that jellyfish and other sea organisms can glow, but a green fluorescent pig, a potato plant that glows green when it needs water, and red fluorescent kittens!!! Yikes! I would very much like to have plants that glowed when I […]