SMS students show off skills in science fair
Students at Somers Middle School asked
tough questions and sought to answer them at last week’s science
fairs.
All sixth and eighth graders at the
school completed projects for the fairs, which required students to
come up with the topic, follow the scientific method and present
their findings for judging Thursday and Friday.
“The students worked hard and
experimented with some interesting topics,” eighth-grade science
teacher Danielle Blanc said. “The science fair is important because
it gives the students a chance to use the skills they’ve learned in
science and the scientific method in creative ways. It also
challenges the students to manage their time to complete an
experiment as well as a presentation board and a research paper
about their experiment.”
Projects were divided into physical and
biological science. Students were able to select a topic that was
interesting to them.
“It’s all about the inquiry process,”
sixth-grade science teacher Ansley Ford said. “A lot of them don’t
have a lot of experience with it. It’s a chance to ask a question
on their own.”
Students spent roughly five weeks
working on their projects, following specific guidelines.
“These guys are really excited,” Ford
said of her students. “They came to school dressed up, looking
professional. They are really proud of their projects.”
The top projects, which receive blue
ribbons, are now eligible to represent the schools in the county
science fair, which will be held Friday, March 4, at West Valley
Middle School.
“It’s really hard,” Ford said of
narrowing it down for sixth grade. “They’ve all worked so hard. Out
of 70 kids, only 10 or 12 get picked.”
Sixth grader Anika Murphy built and
tested a hovercraft for her project.
“I decided to do it because it seemed
interesting and fun,” Murphy said.
Her hypotheses was that her home-made
hovercraft, created from plywood and a leaf blower, could lift 385
pounds, or approximately the weight of two adults and one child.
Her experiment proved that to be true. She even tested it with her
classmates and judges at the fair.
“Trying it was the fun part and making
it,” she said.
Murphy said she enjoyed the experience
and believes other students should get the opportunity to
participate in a science fair.
“I learned it’s fun and other kids
should do it in school and get some interesting ideas,” she
said.
With his project “Zapped,” Cody Bowen
taught nearly everyone who walked by his booth about something
new.
Bowen learned about and tested types of
Leyden jars, which store static electricity. He only met one person
during the science fair who had heard of them before.
Bowen, who found out about Leyden jars
through a science website when starting to explore ideas for his
project, spent time researching the jars.
He tested designs that used water and
tin foil to determine which was more effective. He suspected it
would be the jar with water, but when he tested both devices for a
spark, it was the tin foil that had more significant findings.
Bowen said participating in the science
fair allowed him, and his peers, to learn about concepts that may
help them in their future careers.
“I think it’s very valuable,” he said.
“I think it might help you later on in life... If you win, it looks
better on your job applications.”
Winners
Eighth graders who will move on include
Sarah Kleinhans, Janae Barron, Zoe Loudermilk, Ashley Swelland,
Shauna Barnhart, Craig Greenhagen, Darian Massie, Mackenzie Bouma,
Nathan Tokarz and Josie Spoklie.
Sixth graders who will represent the
school at the county fair are Kelsey Noland-Gillespie, Mark
Verovoy, Jaden Anderson, Allison Gagnon, Cody Bowen, Roxy Ward,
Joey Zanni, Jordan Buxton, Meraiah Brewster and Nicole Bouma.