Fairy Tale Science Investigator

Did the Beanstalk Really Reach the Sky?

A Scientific Investigation of Fairy Tales.

Purpose: Inquiry requires students to be able to use their existing scientific knowledge to formulate hypotheses and critique and evaluate things they observe around them. Modeled after the television program Mythbusters it is meaningful for middle school students to examine familiar fairy tales with a scientific lens and to question the possibilities of what is written in fairy tales because the students will use the skills of questioning, formulating hypotheses and systematic search for answers will be useful to help dispel myths.

Definition of Fairy Tales- Stories that have been handed down through the years in oral and written form. Different cultures have different fairy tales. Often, fairy tales include characters familiar to children such as talking animals, fairies, and wizards

Elements:

Choose a fairy tale.
Create a bibliography (for the resources and information you looked up)

Do not cut and paste from your references. This is plagiarism and points will be deducted. Paraphrase, cite the reference, and add the reference to your bibliography.
Make sure you have a research question or problem first, followed by your hypothesis statements.
Make sure you have a concluding statement at the end of your report. This should either say that your original hypothesis was or was not supported.
Papers should be 2-5 pages long, double spaced, and use font size 12, and Courier New font. Research information sources and websites have to be listed on a separate page and do count to the total number of pages
As an extension students could describe or outline an experiment they did or would do if they had the proper facilities or they could detail why the fairy tale cannot be tested due to legal or moral issues.