Annual Science Fair Sparks Excitement on Campus
April 25, 2017Northfield, NH – Friends and relatives of students at Spaulding Youth Center recently enjoyed a morning learning about a variety of scientific topics at the annual Science Fair. Students were excited to present their assigned projects to family members and friends invited to attend the event.
Each class focused on a different aspect of science and worked together to conduct experiments and present what they had learned throughout the course of the lesson. Classroom teachers facilitated the projects and encouraged students to engage in each step along the way. Students were given criteria to follow at the start of each project and were judged and rewarded at the science fair based on their performance. The criteria and rewards were:
- Following the scientific method: providing a question to be answered by an experiment, developing a hypothesis, conducting the experiment, collecting data, analyzing the results and drawing the conclusion. Those students completing this criterion earned a medal reward.
- Providing a written summary with specific guidelines. Those students completing this criterion earned a medal reward.
- Project Display at Science Fair. Those students completing this criterion earned a ribbon reward.
A variety of scientific topics were explored that showcased the diversity of the students’ interests, including: bacteria and the effect different household products (such as hand sanitizer and wipes) had on preventing bacterial growth; rate of growth of various plants and vegetables; testing to see if a substance was a solid, liquid or both; trying different methods to make a mini-boat float; and experimenting which battery brand lasted the longest using flashlights as testing objects. One class conducted an animal behavior study using a hamster. With this project, students tested the reactions of the rodent in a maze to see if they would complete an activity faster based on an end reward. The conclusion? They won’t!
Students also impressed their friends and relatives by presenting research on alternative energy sources. Plants were used to create power and students were even able to conduct electricity using a potato and oranges. Students also built solar panels and used solar ovens to cook different foods.
“Students, relatives and Spaulding Youth Center staff were all excited to be part of this special event. The science fair really brought our community together and created such a friendly, warm and welcome atmosphere on our campus, “said Principal Colleen Sliva. “The science fair means so much to us at Spaulding Youth Center, and even more to the parents of our students. This special annual event provides them an opportunity to participate in a typical school event and watch their child engage in a school activity in a successful way.”
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