A science fair is not a scary thought at Ethan H. Shive Elementary School for fifth-graders because their teachers make it exciting.
Many students had their basic ideas by the end of October and excitedly awaited approval to begin their research and experimentation. By November, student and parent science fair help sessions had been conducted and these young scientists had begun to explore ideas for a subject they wanted to explore. Procrastination was discouraged as students began to recognize that a successful project was a process, not just a product, for a project due in January. For most of these children, this was their first classroom assignment that provided an opportunity to plan over a period of months and to conduct research on a subject of their choice. Who wouldn’t want to know which bat is best, aluminum or wood (Sam Oster); what material makes the warmest socks (Sophia Brown); how you stop rot (Lillian Torbush); or whether listening to music will help you on a test? (Anna Hester)? That’s just a sampling of the almost 60 topics covered in this year’s science fair.
This year, first place honors went to Gage Jackson, who explored the strength of various shaped columns. Tyler Seamon studied the effect of video games on heart rate and won second place. Troy Mikoski’s experimentation with the effect of paper weight on flight distance of paper airplanes was a winner for third place. These three students will represent Shive at the District Fair at Horizons Unlimited starting Feb. 4. District winners will advance to regionals and then state competition.
Honorable mention ribbons were awarded to the following students for excellent projects: Marissa Blackwelder, Sophia Brown, Jeremy Clevinger, Maci Cooper, Hunter Courtney, Brennen Dwinell, Olivia Galloway, Adalie Harrison, Anna Hester, Clorisa Macmurray, Sam Oster, Gavin Talley, Lillian Torbush, Caroline Turner and Corbin Wyrick.