The sixth annual River Valley School (RVS) science fair held last week marked the smallest fair to date, with 28 projects on display.
But the participating students were eager to share their projects as their curious peers gathered around their displays asking several questions, at the school on Thursday, Feb. 6.
Nine-year-old Dylan McLean's project ñ creating electricity through lemons -- took first place in Grade 3.
ìThe whole key to the project was to light a light bulb with lemons,î said McLean.
He explained that the light bulb did not light on the first and second attempts. It didn't work using one lemon, or two lemons. But when he tried three lemons, it powered a little bit of light, and four lemons powered more light.
ìThen we added five to see if it was brighter and it made it brighterÖone lemon powers 1.38 volts,î he said.
ìThe whole key to it is electrochemical reaction. The acid in the lemons travels up through the copper and the zinc, goes through the wires, into the light bulb, creating a spark, which creates electricity.î
He decided to create the project because he noticed his grandfather didn't like paying his power bills.
ìMy grandpa ñ sometimes you have to go through the electricity bills and all that stuff ñ and he doesn't like doing that,î he explained.
ìSo he powered his house with lemons. He uses 62 lemons ñ 62 plus 62 lemons in his power box, instead of all the cords and stuff. And it powered his house for six weeks. And he uses lemons now to power his house.î
He was proud to show off his project while several kids surrounded his display.
ìBut how did you know it would power the light? But how did you know there is acid in lemons?î shouted kids from the crowd.
He was more than happy to win first place for his grade.
ìIt's amazing so far. I've never won first in anything and it's my first time for winning first place and I just ñ it's amazing.î
Eight-year-old Nolan Spurrier who is in Grade 2 received honourable mention for his food-moulding project.
He left a homemade burger and a McDonald's burger out to see which one would mould first.
ìSo I'm guessing the cheese would mould and then the burger would mould second,î said Spurrier.
ìI found little green stuff in the homemade burger.î
He determined that the homemade burger moulded before the McDonald's burger.
When asked how he came up with the idea he said: ìbecause I left a burger in the fridge and I saw it was rotten.î
RVS teacher Stacey Lowes said the largest fair in the past had 73 projects and she hopes that it will grow.
ìI think it provides an opportunity for kids and parents to work at home together on a project where they learn something new,î said Lowes.
ìIt gives them time to be together and create a project that they normally wouldn't have done in school.î
The students start working on their projects after the Christmas holidays each year and the fair is held at the beginning of February. However, they do have the option to work on it year-round.
ìIt will hopefully be a tradition that keeps going at River Valley (school) for a long time.î
All grades are invited to participate, and this year grades 1 through 8 entered projects. There is a first-place winner, a second-place winner and honourable mention awarded in each grade.
This year, Chris Vardas, owner of Trendies Restaurant, provided gift certificates to the students with the overall top three scores.
