Hey kids, guns are bad, mmmmm-kay? Even for Science Projects

Perhaps some school administrator types need to be reminded that guns are still legal to own, even when the students are supervised and are working towards providing detailed documentation on just how dangerous guns can be -- even if the guns are BB guns.

Headline is linked. (From Associated Press, via MSNBC).

Students’ BB gun science project banned

Mass. eighth-graders wanted to show toys are dangerous

The Associated Press
Updated: 1:49 a.m. ET June 12, 2005

AMHERST, Mass. - Two eighth-graders who spent months working on a science project to prove how dangerous BB guns can be were disqualified from the state middle school science fair. The reason for the dismissal: BB guns are too dangerous.
Nathan C. Woodard and Nathaniel A. Gorlin-Crenshaw spent seven months researching and testing their hypothesis that BB guns can be deadly and should not be used by children.
The students spent about $200 on ballistics gelatin, which has the same density and consistency as human flesh, to use during their tests.

‘We had a good point to prove’
Nancy G. Degon, vice president of Massachusetts State Science Fair Inc. and co-chair of the middle-school fair, said fair rules prohibit hazardous substances and devices.
“The scientific review committee does not consider science projects involving firearms to be safe for middle school students,” Degon said.
The boys were invited to present their findings to some judges and receive a certificate of accomplishment, but they rejected the offer because they were not allowed to compete.
“I was really disappointed,” Woodard said. “We had a good point to prove.”

So, after these kids did the work, after they spent the money on the materials, after they did the research, the best they get is a certificate?!?

What a joke.

I would have thought that a nice liberal state like Tax-a-chussetts would have loved to have these youngsters prove just how dangerous guns are -- even if they are just BB guns. Too bad the system instead decided for the kids that their work wasn't needed.

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Zoomba

Join Date 11/2002

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While kind of dumb... the rules DID state that dangerous substances and devices were prohibited. The project itself was proof that the kids were breaking the rules of the competition.

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I guess they proved how dangerous BB guns were after all...

Seriously, though, if I had to make the decision, I would allow the kids to bring in the ballistics gel, bring in whatever pictures, reports, etc. they needed, just leave the gun itself at home (maybe bring in a picture of the gun).

Although I would warn next year's class not to do science projects involving such dangerous materials (and cite the BB gun incident), as they can hurt themselves working on it.

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I don't know on this one. I can see both sides of the issue here. I empathize with the kids after putting so much time and thought on their project. But, the rules did state that dangerous devices were not allowed and the whole point of the project was to demonstrate that the BB gun was dangerous therefore by the project's own stated objective it's prohibited by the science fair's rules. A circular trap at best.

In most schools science fair projects typically must be approved by a teacher so that raises the question in my mind as to why the teacher approved the project in the first place.

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In most schools science fair projects typically must be approved by a teacher so that raises the question in my mind as to why the teacher approved the project in the first place.

Maybe it was how they described the project. Possibly a litte careful editing on thier part, or they did not tell her they would bring a BB gun to the school. Or, maybe the BB gun was an addition after the project was approved.

IG

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