Turning a Classroom Betta Death into a Science Fair Project

2nd grade teacher's classroom Betta died. Wants to design a goldfish/guppy experiment on animal needs/habitats for science fair.

Project Framework

Question:

"What do goldfish need to survive in a container?"

Variables to Test (one per group):

• Filtration vs. none
• Live plants vs. none
• Daily water changes vs. weekly
• Heater (78°F) vs. room temp
• Quality food vs. minimal food
• Surface area (wide vs. tall container)

Controls:

Same species, size, container volume, light cycle, initial water.

Duration:

Minimum 4 weeks for meaningful data.

Key Requirements:

• DI/RO or dechlorinated tap water
• Stable room temperature (no night drops >5°F)
• Ethical oversight: IACUC or district approval, humane endpoints
• Parental consent

Learning Outcomes:

Data collection, graphing, hypothesis testing, animal welfare ethics. Aligns perfectly with "needs of living things" standards.

Teacher must define timeline, temperature stability, and water source before starting.