SUNDRE – River Valley School students recently donned their thinking caps and explored the world of science in the pursuit of knowledge in a field of their interest.
Students from grades 1-8 had the opportunity to submit a project and subsequently showcase their inquiry to a panel of judges as well as the public. This year, there were 36 projects and 50 students who got involved.
Grade 3 student Beau Gleeson, who presented a project called Concussions: The Risk of Impact, was among those who participated in the annual science fair, which was held on Wednesday, Feb. 5.
He used raw eggs to simulate the damaging effects on the brain resulting from blows to the head and answered questions during the public viewing portion when classes like teacher Rhonda Cottrell’s came to learn about the results.
Among the many other projects displayed included one studying the physics of skateboarding, another investigating whether Mars can support life and one titled Genetic 101: Why Do Animals Evolve?
The top two projects from each grade will earn those students a chance to move onto the Mountain View Science and Technology Society science fair, which takes place March 1 at École Olds High School.
Participants
Grade 1: Biman Weerasekara, Parts of the Tree; Eli Newsham, Volcano
Grade 2 Emmie Allison, Soap
Grade 3: Heili Weerasekara, Lava Lamp; Tina Trinh, Boat Toy on Water; Olive Urlacher and Ruth Rock, Bird Buffet; Eliana Austin-Bergen, Markers; Hendrix Reicker and Maisie Reicker, Lava Lamp
Honourable mentions
Grade 1: Delia Ritchie, Exploring Frozen Differences: Freshwater Ice vs Seawater Ice
Grade 2: Soren Jensen, The Venom
Grade 3: Grayer Fancie, How Do Sharks Float?; Lennon Mjolsness, Can Mars Support Human Life?; Huckleberry Hus and Grade 1 Arlo Hus, The Microbiology of Our Home
Grade 4: Jayla Hughes-Jackson, The Claw; Isabelle Brink and Rebecca Blackhurst, How Do Figure Skates Work on Ice?
Grade 5: Allison Bontilao and Given Grace Gozum, Waterfall; Zachary Zloty and Yenuka Indrapala, Hand Held Vacuum
Grade 7: Elizabeth Ebelher, How Airplanes Fly!
Grade 8: Emma Anderson, Physics of Skateboarding
Second place
Grade 1: Jude Shippy, How Wheels Change Colour Champion: What's the Best Water Temperature?
Grade 3: Beau Gleeson, Concussions: The Risk of Impact!; Piper Free, Shaky Skies: The Science of Skyscrapers
Grade 4: Alaya Myette, Life of a Side Boom: Piper Storey and Harmony Hannah, Eww Germs!
Grade 5: Maeve Petersen and Violet Phillips, Can You Change Budgies Colour?
Grade 7: Julie Murphy and Elizabeth Downey, Eggsperiment
Grade 8: Jillian Dumas, OH NOO! (Our habits nullify our oceans!)
First place
Grade 1: Miller Forster and Sawyer Forster, The Centrifugal Force-ter Boys
Grade 2: Jack Brenneis, How Much Heat is Needed To Open Pine Cones?
Grade 3: Adara Myhr, Secrets of the Venus Fytrap
Grade 4: Katelyn Hope and Everly Zinter, What Materials Conduct Electricity?
Grade 5: Stuart Juke, All About Catapults
Grade 6: Aida McSeveny, How Was Mount Taranaki Formed?
Grade 7: Zeme Eike, Animals’ Adaptation to Pollution
Grade 8: Brooklyn Butts and Jamay Boulton, FireIce
