The Think Tube


Tami O'Connor, Educational Innovations

By Tami O’Connor

Many years ago while attending a summer ChemEd conference, I had occasion to sit in on an amazing presentation.  I have to admit that as a seventh grade teacher, much of the information presented at this conference would have been a bit over my students’ heads, but I still enjoyed the chance to learn new teaching ideas. One presenter, Jeff Hepburn, came out with a prop called the Think Tube.  I’m not honestly sure whether that was his name for it or if that’s how I eventually christened it, but suffice to say, I knew immediately that I had to build one for my students.

Back to School with the Think Tube

The first week of school was always my favorite because that was the time I worked especially hard to truly “hook” my kids on science.  I tended to bring in the most awesome and thought-provoking activities to share in class.  My students typically left my room busting with excitement and looking forward to what the rest of the year would hold. 

On day two, I brought in my homemade Think Tube.  Over the summer, my husband built it out of PVC pipe, string, and wooden cubes.  Initially, the students were unimpressed… that is, until the unexpected happened.

Continue reading

Science Fairs in the News


latino-professor-newspaperYou might be surprised how much news there is about the ubiquitous science fair!  We have collected a few worthy articles for you.  Some are funny, others are provocative—and they’re all worth a look.

If you come across an article of interest, please share it with us in the Comments section below.

Happy reading!

Read the rest of this entry »


Science Fair Discussion Starters


Discussion Starters - Educational Innovations NewsletterWhy are science fairs important?  What makes the science fair process valuable?  It’s an excellent question and a good way to start a class discussion about this time-honored tradition.  First and foremost, why DO we ask our students to work on a science fair project year after year?   The answer, in a nutshell, is to help them learn how to think like scientists.  Scientists find answers to questions that interest them.  In other words, your students simply need to ask themselves, What do I want to know more about?

Read the rest of this entry »


Science Fair TV


EI TV - Educational Innovations BlogWhether you’re a science teacher, a parent, or just a science buff, you probably know plenty about how rewarding—and stressful—a science fair can be.   If you’re looking for the best way to communicate with your students about the steps involved in developing a science project, we’ve got you covered.  Each of the videos below explains how to plan and execute a great science fair presentation.

Enjoy!  If you find a video on science fairs that you’d like to share with us, please leave a comment!

Read the rest of this entry »


You Said It! Science Fair Product Reviews


You Said It! Product Reviews - Educational Innovations NewsletterA science fair project is made of researching, planning, experimenting, analyzing… and of course, choosing the right materials!  That’s where Educational Innovations comes in.  We specialize in materials that really bring science to life—uniquely memorable, phenomenon-based products.  Whether your students want to perform science fair experiments on density, thermodynamics, ultraviolet light, electricity or anything else, we are your resource.

If you have a favorite science fair experiment or product, please let us know in the comments section below!

Read the rest of this entry »