Students set out hypotheses, conducted tests and calculated their results as they prepared entries for the Okanagan Skaha School District’s science fair.
The fair was held at Summerland Secondary School on March 5 with 70 students from Summerland and Penticton schools.
Koen Buckingham, a Summerland Middle School student, began his science fair project with an urban legend.
The legend is that a dog’s mouth is cleaner than a human’s mouth, a claim Buckingham questioned. After taking saliva samples from dogs and people, Buckingham grew bacteria and analyzed it. He discovered higher bacteria levels in the samples taken from dogs than in the samples taken from people.
“My hypothesis is correct,” he said. “Dogs have more bacteria in their mouths than humans.”
Charley Smith, a Penticton Secondary School student, examined alternative fuels for vehicles. His project was chosen into the top 30 which will move on to the regional science fair in April. His entry included a hydrogen fuel cell he had designed and a prototype for a wood-fuelled car.
Smith said he has worked on his entry for the past three years. He would like to test his wood and water-powered vehicles at the Penticton Speedway in the future.
Grant Mansiere of Summerland Secondary School studied how various eye colours are affected by blue light. He said blue eyes let in more blue light than other eye colours. The blue light affects circadian rhythms. This means blue-eyed people are more strongly affected by the blue light from electronic screens. Mansiere has entered science fairs in the past and took his project to the national level last year.
“I enjoy learning about my topic and presenting my project,” he said. “I’m presenting myself with facts to back me up.”
Named in the top five projects from KVR are Duncan Robinson (Cher Ou Pas The Vert) and Isabella Gunderson (Let It Float).
Joining Penticton Secondary School’s Smith in the Top 30 projects are from KVR; Emily Moseley (What a waste), Ariana Lasinski and Katiana Picton (Des nettoyants proper), Katrina Kirschman (Animaux et De l’herbe), Kendall Brooks and Olivia Ransom (Les sabots se salient), Marcus Grainger (The quest for the battery of the century), Sophie Brydon and Jaden Yamamoto (Comment comprenons-nous?), Lyndsy Acheson (Ebola), Juliana Pariag (Can chalk neutralize heartburn as well as antacids?), Kayla Cobb (Arc en ciel), Olivia Loewen and Alexis Picton (Music: distraction or benefit?), Maria Iannone and Tess Widney (Se rechauffer avant de faire de l’exercise?), Josh Finer and Adam Koczij (La bataille des batteries), Amber Martel and Passion Von Dein (Health to sweet).
Students from Skaha Lake MIddle School in the top 30 include; MJ Cournoyer (To cut or not to cut?), Ian Heck (The exploding egg), Nicola Thompson (Seeing colours), Breanna Betz and Emma Flores (Self-inflating balloons).
Nick Nourassa Iannone from McNicoll Park also made the top 30 with his project Industrial hemp rocks.
From Entre-Lac Amy Whitty and Brooke Hall Eckes will also be headed to the district science fair with their project Finir de Brunir.