Google Science Fair

The 2016 Google Science Fair is now open for entries. Google Science Fair is a global online competition. The competition is open to 13- to 18-year-old students around the globe, who formulate a hypothesis, perform an experiment, and present their results. You can submit projects as an invidual or as a team.
Last year’s Grand Prize winner was Olivia Hallisey. In the video, she introduces her project.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• encourage - to stimulate someone to do something, make it more likely that he/she will do something
• outbreak - a sudden start or increase of a disease
• silk - a smooth, soft, and shiny fiber that is produced by silkworms (zijderupsen)
• reagent - a substance that is used to test for the presence of another substance by causing a chemical reaction with it
• cocoon - a covering usually made of silk which some insects make around themselves to protect them while they grow
• assay - to test something to find out what it contains
• refrigeration - the process of keeping something in cold place to make sure it will not become bad
• imagination - the ability to think of new things
• optimism - a feeling or belief that good things can happen in the future
• innovation - the process of introducing new ideas, devices, or methods

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. How did Olivia become intrigued by the Ebola crisis?


2. Which goal did Olivia set herself and why?


3. Why did Olivia experiment with silk?


4. What is the Ebola Assay Card?


5. Name the two main USPs of the Ebola Assay Card.


6. According to Olvia, which specific qualities do teenagers have that can help in this kind of research?


7. Which project would you like to submit to the Science Fair?

Extra speaking assignment

You will give a short speech to introduce your own project.

1. First, listen to Olivia once more to hear how to build up your speech. Olivia begins by telling some personal things about herself, next she explains how her research project started and how she proceeded and finally she lets us know her plans for the future.
2. Determine the subject of your speech: Think of something special you can do, have discovered or are working at.
3. Use Olivia’s structure for your own speech.
4. Write down the main points.
5. Include some key words to help you talk freely.
6. Practice your speech.
7. Now for the real thing, hold your speech for your classmates and/or record it.

Extra extra assignment
Would you like to find out more about the Science Fair?
You can:
- Check out the hashtag #howcanwe.
- Visit the Google Science Fair website here.
- Watch more finalists’ videos, for example some of last year’s competition here.