initiator
investigator
innovator

There is no limit to how many points you can earn.Accumulate 100 points to receive your i3 certificate and your Amazom.com gift certificate. Be sure to record the date you performed the activity and include that date when you fill out the Participation Form

Initiator
Earn 5 points by performing/participating in any one of the activities listed below.

• Watch an episode of a science- or nature-themed television program.
• Watch an online video presentation on a science or nature topic.
• Listen to a radio program on science or nature.
• Ask a parent to rent or take you to a movie that deals with science or nature.
• Complete an extra-credit science homework assignment.
• Accompanied by a parent, visit a greenhouse.
• Accompanied by a parent, visit a beach at low tide.
• Who was Hans Christian Orsted? Ask a parent or teacher to help you research and describe how his discovery affects our lives today.

Investigator
Earn 10 points by performing/participating in any one of the activities listed below.

• Accompanied by a parent, visit a science or nature museum.
• Accompanied by a parent, visit a state or national park.
• Accompanied by a parent, take a tour of a factory, hospital, or similar facility.
• Accompanied by a parent, attend a lecture or presentation on a science or nature topic.
• Accompanied by a parent, attend a meeting of the Audubon Society.
• Read a book or long magazine article on science or nature.
• Ask a parent to help you plant some flowers or vegetables.
• Ask a parent to help you design and build an electromagnet that will pick up 100 standard, metal paperclips.You may only use D-cells (batteries), wire, and a nail or screw.Describe how you solved this challenge.
• How much iron is in your morning cereal? Ask a parent to help you put some "Total" cereal" in a zip-lock plastic bag.Use a teaspoon to crush it into a fine powder. Pour the powder into a clear plastic cup.Use the strongest magnet you can find to separate (attract) the iron from your cereal. Describe the iron particles in your cereal. Research to determine if Total cereal provides you with your "Recommended Daily Allowance" of iron.
• What is the composition of beach sand? Ask a parent to take you to a local beach. Use a magnifying glass to examine the sand. Describe what you see. Use a magnet to separate some of the particles. What do you think these "magnetic" particles are? Why? Note: Please be aware of local laws regarding collecting on coastal beaches.
• Most microorganisms do not cause disease. Research how beneficial organisms are used in foods. Find a recipe for bread or yogurt. Ask a parent to help you bake a loaf of bread using yeast (a microorganism) or make yogurt from a live culture.
• Research how to make an Alka Seltzer Pop Rocket on the NASA education website. Ask a parent to help you build this simple rocket. How high can your rocket fly? Can you make your rocket fly even higher? What did you do? What chemical action is taking place to propel your rocket? Note: White Fuji film canisters work best.
• Research and then ask a parent to help you build a simple lung model using a plastic cup or bottle, balloons, and straws. What do the balloons and straws represent in your body? What part of your model represents the diaphragm? Describe how your model works.
• Research how to create a cloud in a bottle. Ask a parent to help you with this activity. What must you have BEFORE clouds can be formed? What does "cloud seeding" mean?
• Research how you can make a "plastic" polymer with milk. Ask a parent to help you mold your "plastic" into a shape and allow to air dry. Describe what you did to make this plastic and what shape you made.
• Chromatography was originally developed to separate plant pigments. Research and ask a parent how you can separate inks using paper towels and felt pens. Describe what you did and what you discovered about the different colors of ink in felt pens.
• 3-D movies are very popular. How are these images created? Research and ask a parent to help you create some of your own 3-dimensional pictures. Describe how you accomplished this challenge.
• Ever wonder how much liquid a baby diaper can really absorb? Ask a parent to help you design an investigation to find out. Try your investigation with "distilled water," tap water, and water with a little salt. How did your outcomes differ for each kind of water? Describe exactly what you did and what you discovered.

Innovator
Earn 25 points by performing/participating in any one of the activities listed below.

• Enter your school's science fair or another science contest.
• With a parent's permission, attend a science, nature, or technology camp.
• Accompanied by a parent, volunteer at a zoo, an animal shelter, or other animal facility.
• Get a parent's permission first, then ask a parent to help you perform an experiment from a book, TV program, or website.
• Accompanied by a parent, volunteer with a community group that gets involved in science or nature issues, such as a group creating a nature trail or working with the town on a plan to improve water quality.
• Get permission from a parent or teacher to visit a high school science class.
• Write and perform a short play dealing with a science or nature topic.
• Ask a parent or teacher to help you form a science and nature book club.
• Ask a parent to help arrange an interview with an engineer, doctor, science professor, wildlife expert, or similar professional.
• Write an article on a science or nature topic for your school newspaper.
• What is a biosphere? Ask a parent to help you use a plastic jar to build your own desktop biosphere. Describe how you built your "mini ecosystem." What animals and plants did you use to ensure that you have a system that can live forever? Compare this to a larger biosphere, the Earth. How are they the same and different?  Identify the producers, consumers, and decomposers in your system.
• Begin a plant seed collection. Ask a parent to accompany you while you look for different seeds in your neighborhood. How seeds are dispersed or transported is very important to insure the species' survival. Examine and describe how your seeds might travel outside of your neighborhood.
• Research and ask a parent to help you make a formula for a "glow in the dark" slime using commonly found materials.(Gel school glue works great!) What are some of the properties of your slime? Is it a solid or a liquid? What did you do to make your slime glow? Spread out your slime into a thin film and allow it to air dry. Lift the film off the drying surface. What does it look like? Put the sheet into water and observe what happened. What useful product can you make from this new material? Describe.
• Growing crystals can be fun, but it does take time to grow a perfect one. Research how you can grow a beautiful salt crystal at home. Ask a parent to help you try to grow one that is at least 1 cubic centimeter. Describe what chemicals you used, what you did and the resulting shape of your crystal.
• Chemists use "indicators" to test whether a substance is an acid or base. Research how to make your own indicator using red cabbage. Ask a parent to help you test some common substances around your home with this cabbage indicator. Be sure to ask a parent to help you with this activity and do not open any bottles you're not sure of on your own. Are there other plant juices that can be used as an acid/base indicator?
• Who is your favorite scientist? Research his/her life and write a short (5-minute) play. Why did you select this person? What contribution to science did this person make? Optional: Ask your teacher for a time to present your play to the class.
• How does a seed grow? Ask a parent to help you research how to germinate a bean seed and a corn seed in a glass with paper towels. How are the bean (dicots) and corn seeds (monocots) the same? How are they different? Keep a log of your observations. What did you learn about seed germination? Use a magnifier to inspect the various parts of your plants. Describe what you see. How are the root systems different? Are there advantages of one over the other? Explain.
• Triops are interesting animals very common in vernal ponds, but rarely seen. They are sometimes referred to as "living fossils." You can easily raise triops at home. Kits can be purchased from most toy stores. Ask a parent to help you set up your triops tank and raise these unusual creatures. Investigate the triops' behavior (e.g., food, light, etc.) How long do triops live? Did your triops reproduce? How do triops behave when they're ready to lay eggs? Can you tell a male from a female? If you only had one triop, can it reproduce and lay "viable" eggs? Keep a log of your investigations and observations. What did you discover about life of triops? Were you able to begin a "second generation" of triops? Describe how you accomplished this.