Student scientists delve into diverse topics
In a country where students’ science scores continue to decline, Sarasota County kindergartners through fifth-graders were at Robarts Arena last week, doing their best to turn around that trend.
The young scientists were presenting their projects at the Regional Science, Engineering and Technology Fair, held by the Education Foundation of Sarasota County, the Sarasota County Public Schools and the Sarasota County Fair Association.
Alta Vista Elementary School science teacher Jeremy Thompson said it is crucial for students to have a vested interest in science.
The goals of the science fairs, he said, are "one, get [students] excited about science, and two, to also get them familiarized with the scientific method," Thompson said.
Arielle Jordan talks with a judge about her experiment involving basketball practice. Photo by William Mansell.
Almost no classroom time is allotted for the projects, he said. The students have to take the initiative to do the work outside classroom hours.
"They love to be able to show off their work and do something they can be proud of," Thompson said. "Especially since these projects are things they do at home."
The students had help available at school in finding topics, he added, but many chose to go in their own directions and research topics they found more personal.
During the elementary school portion of the fair, Toledo Blade fifth-grader Gregory Pardue was excited to show off his project, for which he tested light bulbs to see which used the most energy.
At his station he had a contraption with three different sizes of 40-watt bulbs. His conclusion: All three used the same amount of energy.
"I like doing this a lot," Gregory said. "It’s something new and fun for me to do. The judges really liked it, too."
One of the judges, Kate Nierenberg, walked around to the hundreds of booths to check out the students’ projects.
"I think [the fair is] going really well," Nierenberg said. "I wish I had all day instead of just half a day, because I’d like to ask the kids even more questions."
Nierenberg, who works in the environmental health program at Mote Marine, said she was looking for many factors as she judged the projects. Originality was at the top of her list.
"Whether their projects are originally theirs, or whether they got [them] from a book [or] parents," she said.
Other factors: "If they know their material," she said; "also, if they had fun and if they’d do the project again or how they would change it. Or whether it was just doing the project to get here."
The booths, which lined the Robarts Arena floor, showcased a vast array of science experiments. One student, for example, wanted to discover what type of shark tail design achieved the fastest travel time through the water: symmetrical, asymmetrical or most asymmetrical.
The findings? Asymmetrical tails produce the most rapid propulsion. That’s the style of tail, by the way, that the Great White and Mako sharks have.
Another student, Arielle Jordan, presented her findings on the impact of practice on basketball shots.
Among other topics examined: archery, construction and even balloons.
The elementary level science fair was held on Jan. 27; the middle and high school students’ fair was on Jan. 29. Public, private and home-schooled students all participated. The winners will have their projects displayed during the Sarasota County Fair in March.
The high school students compete for prestigious scholarships and awards as well as the opportunity to participate in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. This year, that fair will be held in San Jose, Calif., in early May. The Education Foundation will send a group of high-achieving student scientists to the event to represent the county and to compete for international recognition, a foundation news release notes.
February 4th 2010 - 5:04PM