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Write it Down ELEMENTARY SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT IDEAS
In 1995, each American used an annual average of 731pounds (332kg) of
paper, more than double the amount used in the 1980s. Contrary to
predictions that computers would soon displace paper, consumption is
growing. (Paper remains the victor in the ‘Paper Wars’)
A Love Affair elementary science fair projects
In 1900, there were but 8,000 cars in the United States, but by 1919, it
had multiplied to 6 million. (Re-cars-t society!)
Keeping Kissing elementary school science fair projects
The story of Don Juan has been told over 35 times in the movies. But the
1926 version, starring John Barrymore holds a place in movie history,
for Don Juan (Barrymore) plants 191 kisses on various females during
the course of the film, an average of one every 53 seconds. (‘Hot
lips’ or ‘sore lips’?)
Plentiful elementary science fair project ideas
Aluminium forms one-twelfth of the Earth's crust. (How come it took so
long to discover and use?)
Hung Up elementary science fair projects
A fireplace is called a ‘mantelpiece’ because, at one time, people hung
their coats (or ‘mantles’) over the fireplace to dry them. (If I am
‘hung out to dry’, am I a human mantelpiece?)
Bitter at First
The earliest bars of chocolate were made of bittersweet chocolate. Milk
chocolate was first introduced in 1875 when Henry Nestle, a maker of
evaporated milk and Daniel Peter, a chocolate maker, got together and
invented milk chocolate, which today is preferred by 80% of the
world's population. (Much enjoyed in copious quantities!)
De-Skinned elementary science fair projects
If the skin of a 150-pound person were spread out flat, it would cover
approximately 20 square feet. (There is more to you than you think!)
Natural Birth Control elementary science fair project ideas
A recent U.S. study reports that there are fewer births 9 months after a
heat wave. The study found that an increase of 12 degrees Celsius
(approximately 21.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in summer temperatures reduces
births the following spring up to 6 percent. Researchers at the Kinsey
Institute for Sex Research at Indiana University, concluded that high
temperatures could reduce people's sense of well-being, which could
result in a reduction in sexual interest. Another study found lower
sperm counts and higher rates of miscarriage during hot weather. (Or
maybe it is just too hot!)
New Name elementary science fair project ideas
Chicago, Illinois in the US, was originally named Fort Dearborn,
Indian Territory. (What happened to the Indians?)
Try It
Crushed cockroaches can be applied to a stinging wound to help relieve
the pain. (Good for us, not so good for the cockroach – which is
doubly good for us!)
Limited Blackouts elementary science fair project ideas
Because of the speed at which Earth moves around the Sun, it is
impossible for a solar eclipse to last more than 7 minutes and 58
seconds. (The ‘Son’ will not be denied!)
Internal Compass
Both pigeons and hummingbirds have tiny magnetic particles in their heads
that respond to the Earth's magnetic fields and are used for
navigation. (You may know how to get there but you first have to know
where to go!)
It Happens Naturally
A person's nose and ears continue to grow throughout his or her life.
(So a gossips ‘big ears’ and a busybodies ‘long nose’ are a merely a
sign of age?)
Never on a Saturday elementary science fair projects
Although most weddings now take place on a Saturday, it was considered
unlucky in the past. Fridays were also considered unlucky for marriage
ceremonies, particularly Friday the 13th. (Maybe we should change back
again.)
Light Airs elementary science fair project ideas.
At the height of a hundred miles, air is only a billionth as dense as it is
on Earth's surface. Even so, the total amount of air that is higher
than the hundred-mile (160km) level still comes to 6 million tons.
(How do you weigh air?)
Compatible
The relationship of a godparent to the real parent of a child is called ‘compaternity’.
(For eternity?)
Start on a High
New York City's Empire State Building is considered by many to be the most
romantic place to be married. Each Valentine’s Day, couples joined in
matrimony on the 80th floor of the Building, so automatically become
members of the Empire State Building Wedding Club. This entitles them
to free admission to the observatories on their anniversary,
Valentine’s Day. In February 2000 there were 15 Valentine's Day
weddings planned - fourteen marriages and one renewal of vows.
Interested couples must write to the building’s owners and explain why
they want to get married here. Couples are chosen on the basis of
originality, uniqueness, and style. (Do they do divorces in the
basement?)
Like Me! Elementary school science fair projects
Earth is putting on weight day by day as meteors and microscopic space dust
falls from space. (So when will it fall out of the sky?)
A ‘Cruisey’ Life elementary science fair projects
The female lion does more than 90 percent of the hunting, while the male
is either afraid to risk his life, or simply prefers to rest. (Okay,
we all know that women do all the work!)
Not American Enough
Shangri-La, the presidential hideaway near Thurmont, Maryland, was
renamed Camp David, in honour of President Dwight D. Eisenhower's
father and grandson on May 22, 1953. (Hardly roughing it in the
outback though!)
Busy Bees
Honey is used both as a centre for golf balls and in antifreeze mixtures.
(Why a ‘sweet sound’ is made when a golf ball is hit well?)
Bouncy Sheep elementary science fair project ideas
Because wool has such outstanding elastic recovery, 150 yards of wool
yarn are used in an official baseball. (Sounds like they’re ‘spinning
a long woolly yarn’, to me.)
Environmentally Friendly
Aluminium, glass, and paper are the three materials most easily
recycled. (And amongst the most used.)
Make Some Toffee elementary school science fair projects
Toffee is simply made by boiling together brown sugar, butter, and vinegar.
(A classic case of the whole being better than the parts.)
Starting Young
According to researchers at the University of Texas, babies like
pretty faces better than plain ones. (Yet they still smile for me –
mostly!)
A Little Friendly elementary science fair projects
American inns during the Revolutionary War era were neither lush nor
comfortable. An innkeeper would think nothing of requesting a guest to
share his bed with a stranger when accommodation became scarce.
(Getting to know each other – quickly!)
Scurrilous elementary science fair project ideas.
Captain Cook lost 41 of his 98-men crew to scurvy, caused by a lack of
vitamin C, during his first voyage to the South Pacific in 1768. By
1795 however, the importance of eating citrus was realised, and lemon
juice was issued on all British Navy ships. (The sailors were sour
about this!)
Rearranged
Cicadas have their hearing organs in their stomachs, at the base of
the abdomen. Crickets have their hearing organs in their knees, or,
more precisely, in the oval slit of their forelegs. (Crickets rubbing
their knees together with a deafening noise.)
Getting Nearer elementary science fair projects
Barnard's star is approaching the Sun at a speed of 87 miles/second.
By the year 11,800AD, it will be our closest neighbour. (Still leaves
plenty of time yet to plan a welcoming party.)
Super Cells elementary school science fair projects
The cells making up the antlers of a moose are the fastest growing animal
cells in nature. (If I’m not ‘moose-taken’!)
Don’t Look Please
If you are a ‘scoptophobic’, you have an intense fear of being seen. (I see!)
Snails Pace elementary science fair project ideas
Snails sleep a lot. In addition to several months of winter hibernation, they
crawl into their shells to get out of the hot sun, which dries them,
or heavy rain, which waterlogs them. Desert snails may even doze for
three or four years. (Become shell-shocked?)
Collective Fantasy elementary science fair projects
According to Professor David Saunders of the Psychology Department of
the University of Chicago, abnormally large numbers of UFO sightings
occur every 61 months, usually at distances from 1,500 to 2,000 miles
apart. (Eyes light up, as big as ‘saucers’!)
Lonely ‘Q’
"Q" is the only letter in the alphabet that does not appear in the name of
any state of the United States. (But we could easily fix that…
Arquansas, Aquizona, Caquifornia…)
Right Brained, Left Handed
The son of a lowly bookie, Peter O'Toole attended a Catholic school where
the nuns beat him to correct his left-handedness. (Helped him develop
the ‘tools’ of his future profession.)
Non Jumping Jupiter elementary science fair project ideas
On the planet Jupiter, your weight would be nearly three times greater than
it is on Earth. (It’s already too much – so I’ll stay home, thanks.)
‘Hippety Hop’
Rabbits never walk or trot, but always hop or leap. (Would win at ‘hop
scotch’ then?)
So Practical elementary school science fair projects
Roman statues were made with detachable heads, so one head could be removed
and replaced by another. (Gives ‘off with his head’ an added
dimension.)
Modern Alchemy
Gold salts are sometimes injected into muscles to relieve arthritis. (Truly
a ‘golden girl’?)
All The Eights
In golf, a ‘snowman’ is a score of 8 for a hole or 88 for a round. (Even
a snowman is a better golfer than me, then!)
Lost Heritage elementary science fair projects
According to one particular study, plant and animal species are
becoming extinct at the rate of 17 per hour. (Can we stop the clock?)
The Opposite Nod elementary school science fair projects
In Albania, nodding the head means ‘no’ and shaking the head means ‘yes’.
(Pays to develop a stiff neck when in Albania!)
A Fishy Story
The custom of serving a slice of lemon with fish dates back to the Middle
Ages. It was believed that if a person accidentally swallowed a fish
bone, the lemon juice would dissolve it. (That idea truly was ‘a
lemon’!)
A ‘Filthy Liver’ elementary science fair project ideas
According to Aristotle, the liver served as the body's seat of
emotions. He also thought that wind direction determined whether a
baby would be a boy or a girl. (Which did you ‘wind’ up with?)
Red For Purity elementary school science fair projects
In ancient times, the traditional colour of bridal gowns was red. The
wife of Napoleon III broke with tradition and wore a white gown. Then,
copycat brides began wearing white gowns (that were worn only once) as
a symbol of their wealth. (Roses are red, violets are blue, Napoleon’s
wife went white, so we did too.)
A Lack of Charm elementary school science fair projects
Birth-control campaigns in Egypt in the late 1970s failed when village
women ended up wearing the pills in lockets, as talismans. (Now -
where do babies come from?)
How Very Odd
Centipedes, members of the class Chilopoda family, always have an
uneven number of pairs of walking legs, varying from 15 to more than
171 pairs. The common house centipedes ‘Scutigera coleoptrato’, has 15
pairs of legs. (Putting their best foot forward?)
All Inclusive elementary school science fair projects
'The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog’ is commonly believed to be
the only English sentence devised to include all the letters of the
alphabet. However, typesetters and designers employ a shorter version.
‘Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.’ (Seems a lot shorter but is
only 3 letters different in length.)
Inflation
In 1915, the average annual family income in the United States was $687 a
year. (Still greater than many people elsewhere experience today.)
Two True elementary science fair project ideas.
Most of us have two true vocal chords. We also have two false vocal chords,
which have no direct role in producing sound. (Are double-minded
people, more accurately, double voiced?)
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