3...2...1...We Have Lift Off at the Science Fair!

The Science Fair was awesome this morning! The students were eager and excited to share their projects and their findings. I participated in judging the 8th-grade students; there were a wide variety of ideas and many different subjects. Anything from which type of dance burns the most calories to the concept of whether video games help people produce faster reaction times, and everything in between. Do horses grow less hair with the use of lighting, was probably my favorite only because I can relate to the horse world. The students' eyes lit up when I mentioned my daughter and I ride also.

I was so excited because this was my first ever Science Fair! Science Fairs create an environment where students can observe and challenge ideas, present their science project results either by giving reports, displays, and models they have created. It allows students to pick a choice of topics that interests them already or something totally new. I liked seeing that some students to work as teams while other chose to work individually.

8th grade Science Fair Projects

 MSMS - Graduate Program Projects



For my Science Fair project, I chose Biogas, to compare how much methane gas is produced by various fruit/vegetable waste products. However, I decided to title it "Food Waste." My hypothesis was correct, in that, the onions produced the most gas. With certain newer forms of technology, this gas can be used in place of some fossil fuels to heat stoves and for electricity.

I hope as a teacher to utilize this experience in my classroom each year. Not only does it allow students to be actively engaged in something of interest to them, but they can also use their math skills in producing graphs and analyzing data, enhance their writing skills, and it promotes independent thinking. It allows them to find the answers to the questions they created, in a way they choose. Will they be right?