EDITORIAL: Students to Be Exposed to Science Bug at Fair

Apr 06, 01:19 PM

Current Headlines: By The Modesto Bee, Calif.

Apr. 6--Rick Bartkowski wants children to catch "the bug." Those who do could someday end up at the doctor's office -- as the doctor.

The bug that Bartkowski is championing is an early interest in science. And one of the ways he is promoting it is by reviving the countywide science fair.

Bartkowski is the director of math and science for the Stanislaus County Office of Education and he is organizing a science fair May 1-3 for elementary school students. For almost 40 years, there was an annual science and engineering fair in Modesto. It died out in the early 1990s. In recent years, there's growing concern that elementary school science has been dying out, too. A key factor is the emphasis on reading and math -- and doing well on state tests.

Many elementary teachers say they just don't have time for science. Many also don't have the expertise.

Locally, one of those most passionate about the decline in science literacy is Steve Murov, a retired chemistry professor from Modesto Junior College. Americans, he notes, face crucial decisions about science issues -- i.e. global warming, stem cell research, biofuels -- yet they don't know enough science to understand the arguments. American disinterest in science is further evident at universities, where many of the doctoral students are from other countries.

Murov is as eloquent as he is adamant about the problem. Part of the blame rests with families that simply plop down in front of the TV every night, he suggests. "I don't think people realize how satisfying solving problems and being creative, is."

An elementary grades science fair won't cure a nationwide epidemic of science illiteracy, of course, but it's a healthy -- and potentially fun -- place to start.

Bartkowski and his organizing team have had no problem lining up volunteers to judge the science projects. The emphasis will be on participation, not cutthroat competition, he says. Participating teachers will be eligible for drawings for gift certificates for science equipment.

The fair is being organized with the idea that each school has a mini science fair first, then selects projects to go on to the county fair.

Elementary grades are the focus because there are existing programs for junior high and high school students -- the Science Olympiad and Science Bowl competitions.

Teachers and students -- and parents -- should have no problem finding project ideas. There are hundreds available on the Internet, at the library, in the inquisitive minds of children. (We heard about a fun one: a veterinarian who remembers doing a science project testing whether animals are naturally right-pawed or left-pawed.) The goal is to encourage curiosity -- to get children to ask a question, make a hypothesis and then test it out.

If the result is right, students will be exposed to a worthwhile bug -- an interest in science.

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Copyright (c) 2007, The Modesto Bee, Calif.

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