SMS students show off skills in science fair

Students at Somers Middle School asked

tough questions and sought to answer them at last week’s science

fairs.

All sixth and eighth graders at the

school completed projects for the fairs, which required students to

come up with the topic, follow the scientific method and present

their findings for judging Thursday and Friday.

“The students worked hard and

experimented with some interesting topics,” eighth-grade science

teacher Danielle Blanc said. “The science fair is important because

it gives the students a chance to use the skills they’ve learned in

science and the scientific method in creative ways. It also

challenges the students to manage their time to complete an

experiment as well as a presentation board and a research paper

about their experiment.”

Projects were divided into physical and

biological science. Students were able to select a topic that was

interesting to them.

“It’s all about the inquiry process,”

sixth-grade science teacher Ansley Ford said. “A lot of them don’t

have a lot of experience with it. It’s a chance to ask a question

on their own.”

Students spent roughly five weeks

working on their projects, following specific guidelines.

“These guys are really excited,” Ford

said of her students. “They came to school dressed up, looking

professional. They are really proud of their projects.”

The top projects, which receive blue

ribbons, are now eligible to represent the schools in the county

science fair, which will be held Friday, March 4, at West Valley

Middle School.

“It’s really hard,” Ford said of

narrowing it down for sixth grade. “They’ve all worked so hard. Out

of 70 kids, only 10 or 12 get picked.”

Sixth grader Anika Murphy built and

tested a hovercraft for her project.

“I decided to do it because it seemed

interesting and fun,” Murphy said.

Her hypotheses was that her home-made

hovercraft, created from plywood and a leaf blower, could lift 385

pounds, or approximately the weight of two adults and one child.

Her experiment proved that to be true. She even tested it with her

classmates and judges at the fair.

“Trying it was the fun part and making

it,” she said.

Murphy said she enjoyed the experience

and believes other students should get the opportunity to

participate in a science fair.

“I learned it’s fun and other kids

should do it in school and get some interesting ideas,” she

said.

With his project “Zapped,” Cody Bowen

taught nearly everyone who walked by his booth about something

new.

Bowen learned about and tested types of

Leyden jars, which store static electricity. He only met one person

during the science fair who had heard of them before.

Bowen, who found out about Leyden jars

through a science website when starting to explore ideas for his

project, spent time researching the jars.

He tested designs that used water and

tin foil to determine which was more effective. He suspected it

would be the jar with water, but when he tested both devices for a

spark, it was the tin foil that had more significant findings.

Bowen said participating in the science

fair allowed him, and his peers, to learn about concepts that may

help them in their future careers.

“I think it’s very valuable,” he said.

“I think it might help you later on in life... If you win, it looks

better on your job applications.”

Winners

Eighth graders who will move on include

Sarah Kleinhans, Janae Barron, Zoe Loudermilk, Ashley Swelland,

Shauna Barnhart, Craig Greenhagen, Darian Massie, Mackenzie Bouma,

Nathan Tokarz and Josie Spoklie.

Sixth graders who will represent the

school at the county fair are Kelsey Noland-Gillespie, Mark

Verovoy, Jaden Anderson, Allison Gagnon, Cody Bowen, Roxy Ward,

Joey Zanni, Jordan Buxton, Meraiah Brewster and Nicole Bouma.