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Testing in the ClassroomConsumer
Testing in the Classroom
Those whiners who constantly mewl "why do I need to learn this?"
can be in charge of this lesson - let them brainstorm ways to use the scientific
method in testing consumer products. The following are just samples; have
your kids come up with other products to test, and devise ways to test them. Project Ideas:
Popcorn: which pops better, fluffier or tastes better? (One brand
may not be best in all categories.)
TV: Which channels have fewer commercials? Which shows have the most
interesting commercials?
Weights & Measures: Devise a way to test accuracy of scales, then
have each student check their bathroom scales at home.
Laundry Soap: test on stains soaking in jars of solutions.
Dog Food: Students can bring in pieces of dog food from home. Make
a blind taste test to send home to try on their pets, giving the pets
a choice between different brands, to see which food they eat first.
Paper Towels: measure how much water will be soaked up for a given
size of towel. Also, how accurate are the sizes given on the paper towel
packaging?
Soft Drinks: use a graduated cylinder to measure soft drink volumes
from 3 or 4 different brands.
