Students from the Sturgis Composite High School and the elementary school showcased their scientific projects to fellow students, judges, teachers and family members during a science fair on June 2.
Meghan Clancy, the science teacher, organized the fair.
Students picked a project, researched it and were required to identify a purpose, show results, make conclusions, make predictions and record any data derived from their researched projects, Clancy explained. Students in grades 3 to 5 were not judged on their projects but the students from grades 6 to 9 were judged and awarded scores based on an established set of criteria.
Judges looked at creativity, project originality, applications used to interpreted the data, and information was required to be clearly stated.
The projects featured numerous experiments. Experiments included: butane rockets; plant water; jet engine in a jar; flavour outlast; popping one’s taste buds; sight, sense and taste; the liquid test; dancing balls; Coka-Cola and Mentos; bending water with electricity; magnetic rocks; magnets; elephant toothpaste; hovercraft; colour-changing flowers; coloured smoke; magic salt and pepper; bubbles; deadliest animals; expanding soap; slime; the digestive system; lightning in a jar, and a mouse trap car.
There were some experiments that questioned many theories. These included the following. Is smiling contagious? Does gum help one concentrate? Does hair colour affect static electricity? Which pop will explode best? And does liquid affect a plant's growth?
The winners in the grades 6 and 7 category were: Kaiden Masley and Keannu Albarricin, first place; Wyatt Mastrachuk and Skylar Ryczak, second place, and Daniell Mirva and Camron Secundiak, third.
Winners in the grades 8 and 9 category were: Shae Peterson, first; Kacie Meroniuk and Tiara Yagelniski, second place, and Jordon Kardynal and Kale Musey, third.
