Bigfork students compete in science fair

They ranged from making rock candy to powering an alarm clock with a grapefruit, but students at Bigfork Elementary and Middle School showed one thing in common with their science experiments; they're an inquisitive bunch.

The Bigfork Elementary and Middle Schools held their annual science fair on Monday morning, with students from 2nd grade through 6th grade putting their experiments on display. Fourth grade through 6th grade students were competing for a spot in this week's county science fair.

Lisa Bate, Bigfork Elementary's "Scientist-in-residence," said the main goal was for the kids to understand the scientific method, which essentially boils down to isolating a variable in an experiment, hypothesizing what will happen and then testing it out.

Bate said the winners would receive gift certificates for education prizes that would be presented at a later assembly.

Competition was stiff, with 95 total entries, but the judging staff that Bate had assembled was no collection of slouches.

Two of the judges were Kathy O'Siggins and Jerry Manning. O'Siggins worked for years as a biology tech and Manning is the retired chair of the Molecular Biology & Biochemistry department in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Claifornia-Irvine.

"They're very enthusiastic about their experiments," Manning said. "Now if we could just keep them enthusiastic. We need more scientists in this country."

Manning and O'Siggins listened intently while 5th grader Cat Michke explained her experiment using various types of fruit to power an alarm clock.

Michke explained that all of the fruits tested — even a potato — worked to turn on the small travel clock, but she had no way to measure the different output. Manning suggested a voltage meter could have supplied that information, though Manning and O'Siggins said they were impressed with the project.

Bate said the wide variety of projects — one student tested breakfast cereals for iron content — came in part from a Web site called Science Buddies (http://www.sciencebuddies.org) that gives kids ideas for projects and how to apply the scientific method.

"That way they can see all these great ideas," Bate said. "And then next time they can come up with some of their own."