Presenting science with flair and inspiration

INNISFAIL - With any creation, presentation is of critical importance.

Does the creator articulate the right message? Has all the necessary preparation been made? And will the audience seize the idea as true?

Peggy Freeman, Grade 9 science teacher at Innisfail High School, said when it came to last week's annual Science Fair that featured 40 projects from 75 students, all those questions were superbly answered by each creator.

"One thing I find a lot better is the presentation of the projects, how they set them up, how they come more prepared, their speeches and (how) they sell and present their projects they have," said Freeman of the March 1 event. "Each student comes up with their own idea in what they are interested in doing. They come to me for approval on it and then they proceed to work on it from there."

This year's Science Fair for Grade 9 students had four categories - Applied, Earth, Life, and Physical. The winners of those categories, along with the student with the top overall score, will go on to the regional science fair at Red Deer's Bower Mall on March 10 and 11. And if they place well there they can then move on to the big national show in Regina from May 14 to 20.

Last year students Benjamin Jud and Kirk Rieberger were both winners for their Human Sleep Patterns project. This year they came back and continued the subject with the entry Hitting the Sack.

"We like the subject because it affects everybody and it is a global issue that people are not getting enough sleep, and we are just generally interested in it because not much is known about it," said Jud, adding the experience at the nationals in Montreal was a valuable learning experience. "We learned lots for our project this year and it was good that we learned a lot of stuff that we would have not normally."

When the judging by grades 11 and 12 students was done, Jud and Rieberger were not winners, but picked up an honourable mention in the Physical category. Mostly though, the event was not only memorable for participating students but for those who dropped by to see the imaginative work from the school's best young masters of science.

"It is nice because this afternoon we have an open house for the middle school and students can come down and see what projects the students have done this year, and it will give them an idea what they can do in the future," said Freeman. "I think the kids overall have done a great job with their projects."

The winners from this year's Science Fair:

Applied 1. Sarah Gette and Nihan Van Wyk -- What plant material works best for Biofuel?

2. Lydia Mercer and Ally Perras -- Music and the mind

3. Connor Dickson -- Bullying is a grey area.

Earth 1. Molly Severtson and Ally Thompson -- Organic vs. Inorganic. What is best for you?

2. Austin Shier-Leslie and Cree-Ann Sunstrum -- Air Pollution in Innisfail

3. Garrett Maffenbeier -- Effects of weather on Home Runs

Life 1. Faith Heck -- Plants vs. Painkillers

2. Aliah Foster and Jessica Parihar -- Internet affects adolescence

3. Kaitlynn Sahlen - Preferred paws of our furry friends

Physical 1. Savannah Agalot -- What household items are effective in electrolysis of water?

2. Gerrit Handford -- Do all liquids evaporate at the same rate?

3. Zach Adams and Joel Westman -- The Nano-water cycle

Honourable Mention: Ben Judd and Kirk Rieberger - Sleep Patterns - Grade 10

Overall winners

1. Savannah Agalot -- What household items are effective in electrolysis of water?

2. Sarah Gette and Nihan Van Wyk -- What plant material works best for Biofuel?

3. Lydia Mercer and Ally Perras -- Music and the mind

4. Gerrit Handford -- Do all liquids evaporate at the same rate?

5. Faith Heck -- Plants vs. Painkillers

6. Connor Dickson -- Bullying is a grey area