Lower School Science Fair Ignites Creativity and the Wonders of Discovery

The hour-long culminating event featured all things science as tables spanned across Taylor Gymnasium filled with three-fold display boards that detailed the topic question or subject matter, research, analysis, and conclusion of each student project. The tables were organized by grade level as parents, families, and guests walked around and conversed with the students, who excitedly explained their project or experiment. The young scientists were also given the opportunity to step away from their stations to view their classmates’ projects and ask their own questions.

The poster presentations spanned the disciplines of biology, chemistry, environmental sciences, health sciences, physics, technology, engineering, and a multitude of personal interest topics. How Does Tearing the Achilles Affect NBA Player Performance by fourth-grader Hugh Warren, Heartbeats and Horses by fifth-grader Minal Petal, Which String Has the Longest Ringing Time When Plucked on Violin by fifth-grader Lucy Wang, Battle of the Bricks: A Crushing Investigation of Legos by sixth-grader Quinn Melnick, and Rooted In Iron by sixth-grader Amalia Havill were among the projects.

Lower School Science teacher Emily Davies shared that preparations began months prior as students were given "inspiration boards" based around different scientific areas. The students were given the option to choose directly from one of the boards or they could be inspired to come up with a project all their own. Mrs. Davies encouraged students to think beyond what they know or have learned in class and choose a topic in which they're interested.

 

“The Science Fair gives students the opportunity to explore a topic they are interested in more in-depth and showcase their research in a meaningful way,” said Mrs. Davies. “It's especially important that they pick something they're really interested in, so I often ask them to think about their hobbies like sports, video games, music, or art. With this in mind, they are truly invested in the project."

 

Once a topic was chosen, the students were given a designated rubric and guidelines to follow with specific requirements for each grade level. Students in Grades 4 and 5 focused on research-based projects with a demonstration component while Grade 6 students had to conduct an experiment using the principles of the scientific method.