While some of the students participating in the School District 67 science fair earlier this week are thinking ahead to next year’s project, many of them are taking a second look at this year’s project before heading to the upcoming regional competition.
Creating a successful science project is no easy job. First there is coming up with an idea, then researching it, designing an experiment, collecting and evaluating the data. And if that wasn’t enough work for the student, then they have to present their project — to their class, to their school and possibly to the judges at the district science fair, many of whom are drawn from the local scientific community.
And if you win a gold medal at that district competition, it’s time to get ready for the regionals, where the competition and evaluation is even more fierce. Between now and April 7, the students moving on to compete at that level have a chance to improve their project, refining the experiment and correcting any weaknesses found by the judges.
Of the 88 projects entered into this year’s district fair — representing Grades 6-9 — 21 won gold medals, including James Nemes, a Grade 7 student in the Home Learning Program.
“My project is to build a platform that the polar bears can live and hunt on, because if they can’t hunt, they just die of starvation,” said Nemes.
He’s not alone in being concerned about the environment — many of the projects focused on such issues, including Claire Selwood, a Grade 7 student at Glenfir School, whose Grey is the New Green — investigating the use of grey water and recycling it in homes — earned her a special award for the project most relevant to natural history conservation.
“We have some future scientists that are looking at making salt water batteries and energy out of salt water. That’s the kind of creativity we want out there in the career world too,” said Shona Becker, a Summerland Middle School teacher who helped organize the fair.
Becker was impressed with the quality of the projects at this year’s fair, seeing that many of the students were going beyond the basics for their projects, as well as learning to present their data properly.
“Wow, is it impressive … they are seeing that next step of what to do with an experiment,” she said. “It’s exciting to see how dressed up some of them are, they are really taking that communication piece really seriously too.”
Grade 6: Gold
The Rise of The Muffins, Makeena Hartmann, Skaha Lake Middle School
Natural vs. Man made, Sasha Mandaione, Skaha Lake Middle School
Variable Mass Wheel, Adam Gamblen, Skaha Lake Middle School
Eco Friendly or just Expensive, Reece Haberstock, Skaha Lake Middle School
Stretch Those Gummy Muscles, Mahkaila Lusch, Skaha Lake Middle School
Got Juice, Makena Thompson, Skaha Lake Middle School
Stains Out No Doubt, Lyndsey Selles, Skaha Lake Middle School
Grade 6: Silver
The Truth, Graedon Freeman, Skaha Lake Middle School
Rocking Rheostat, Todd Corrie, Skaha Lake Middle School
Rusting Out, Megan Archibald, Skaha Lake Middle School
The factors that effect burning, Emily Trupp, Skaha Lake Middle School
Snowshoes for your Vehicle, Sarah Bradley, Skaha Lake Middle School
Grade 6: Bronze
Bacteria, Ashley Patton and Brooke Planedin, McNicoll Park Middle School
Fantastc Flams, Shaina Finlayson, Skaha Lake Middle School
Radish Race, Danika Caverly, Skaha Lake Middle School
A Breath of Fresh Air, Carmen Johnson and Katie Huston, McNicoll Park Middle School
Powerful Fruit, Shelby Rodgers, Skaha Lake Middle School
Cloud in a Bottle, Walker Singleton, Glenfir School
Acid Attack, Billy Beecroft, Skaha Lake Middle School
Pyramid Energy, Jamie Lezard, Skaha Lake Middle School
Bugs B Gone, Sierra Ranger, Glenfir School
Smells Tasty, Monty Tebbutt, Glenfir School
Grade 7: Gold
Go, Go, Stop, Anne Lu and Natalie Kushner, KVR Middle School
Save the Arctic, James Nemes, Home Learner's Program
Testing Vs Spelling, Kira Hughes and Sarah Lundman, Summerland Middle School
Beat It, Maya Venkataraman and Ella Weir, Summerland Middle School
Super Cool Soda, Sean Combres, KVR Middle School
Science Pong, Jaimy Coates and Vanessa Pearson, KVR Middle School
Sand Sinker, Cassie MacLeod Lutz and Jocelyn Daublas, KVR Middle School
Do Cigarette Butts Affect Lake Water?, Caitlin Shaw, Summerland Middle School
How To Stress Less, Decio Pescada and Martha Headland, Summerland Middle School
Lucky Word, Edina Bijovoet, KVR Middle School
White, Brown, Or Farm?, Arielle Jenkins and Emma Thomson, Summerland Middle School
How Does Your Water Grow?, Leah Watts and Shauna Gardiner, McNicoll Park Middle School
Grade 7: Silver
Alternative Energy, Austin Hogg, Summerland Middle School
Study Buddy, Megan Bull and Jessica Henderson, KVR Middle School
To Open or not to open, Sophie Rutter and Abbey Rutter, KVR Middle School
Dream On, Nadine Ashby, KVR Middle School
Snore, I'm Taller, Faith Johnstone, Summerland Middle School
What Does the Nose Know, Emily Barbour and Nicole Joostema, McNicoll Park Middle School
Kill the Pill, Spencer McIntosh and Kendra Reger, Summerland Middle School
Water You Drinking?, Kelsey Davie, Glenfir School
The Troll Catapult, Graham Smith Boyle and Keenan Haithwaite, KVR Middle School
Grey is the New Green, Claire Selwood, Glenfir School
Play the Pressure, Shane Fofonoff and Geoff Stathers, Summerland Middle School
Grade 7: Bronze
Plaque Attack, Jenaya Copithorne, KVR Middle School
Sugar High, Kailyn Walker and Payton Nackoney, KVR Middle School
La Graine La Plus Chaude, Ana Clouatre and Simran Klar, Summerland Middle School
Action and Reaction, Tami Mann and Minju Yu, KVR Middle School
Magentic Force, Sam Clarke, KVR Middle School
Vitamin D, Brian Bonthoux, Summerland Middle School
Les fournaises sont médiéval utiliser le Géotherma, Annmarie LangHodge and Zoë Konanz Entre Lac
Can You See the Difference?, Kaylee Kozari Bowland and Anika Holowaty, KVR Middle School
Solar Energy, Tristan Stadnyk and Bryce MacKay, KVR Middle School
Keeping Strawberries Fresh, Rosebell Espinoza and Athena Bonneau, KVR Middle School
Chemical Geyser, Keirran Godbold and Devon Hill, McNicoll Park Middle School
Grade 8: Gold
Take a Shot At Music, Abhi Lekhi, Summerland Middle School
Pick Up Lines, John Crofts, Summerland Middle School
Grade 8: Silver
Stacked Plaque, Sydney Peterson, Summerland Middle School
Grade 8: Bronze
Optical Illusion, Izabella Arnold and ShayAnn Cartwright, McNicoll Park Middle School
Synthesizers and Simplicity, Kiran Rochon Woitzik and Lucas Garrett, Summerland Middle School
Non Newtonian Fluid, Alaina Ramkaran and Ceridwyn Olaffson, KVR Middle School
Grade 9: Silver
Bad Boats, Mac Tebbutt, Glenfir School
Grade 9: Bronze
The Growth of Agriculture, Jonathan Rothe, Glenfir School
Naturalist Award Winner - Project most relevant to natural history conservation
Grey is the New Green; Claire Selwood; Glenfir School; Grade 7