Middle School Science Fair

“I got positive feedback from my group. They seemed very interested…” - 8th grade student

On May 5 our 4th through 8th grade students along with teachers and parents gathered in Brophy to share science projects. Unlike a traditional science fair this event was designed last year as a way for students to share their learning with peers. Probably more like a science expo, the time is spent sharing and asking questions in small groups. Students are asked to give each other feedback, and also reflect on what they learned by listening to projects completed by other grades, because at ASA we believe that we can all grow.  

This year’s projects varied remarkably from grade to grade, and highlighted a number of different types of projects and presentation mediums, because at ASA we believe that creativity and innovation promote success.

Mr. Kress’s 4th grade shared their Rube Goldberg videos. A Rube Goldberg machine is a series of simple machines, linked together to pass energy from step to step, and accomplish some task. The videos were the topic of a previous blog.

Mrs. Livingston’s 4th grade did science concept demonstrations. Students researched a cool science phenomenon and created a demonstration to teach others about that concept. Demonstrations included how to create a lava lamp and hovercraft, exploring how much fat is in potato chips and how to blow up a balloon without using your own air.

5th grade students created distance scale models of our solar system. Each student determined the scale they wanted to use and selected the material to construct their model. Mediums included everything from food to large wooden constructions. All models had very realistic looking planets.

6th & 7th grades designed their own scientific investigation. Students selected a topic of interest to them and wrote a driving question. Then using the question, predict, observe, evaluate & explain scientific inquiry process they designed and carried out their own experiments. Students explored questions ranging from “Can taco sauce clean a penny?” to “Does listening to music impact mood?”

The 8th grade shared their experience with Level Up Village. Through a global web design platform during chemistry and geology units, students partnered with students in Egypt and India to research renewable energy sources and created Weebly websites to share and report out their work. Students also exchanged videos with their global partners and learned both safe digital citizenship skills and cultural awareness.

Some big student takeaways from the day in their own words:

• “Scientists use astronomical units to measure in space.”
• “Music can affect you mood.”
• “Toothpaste is the best substitute for bleach against coffee.”
• “Earth is the one planet that isn’t named after a Greek god.”
• Margaret tested which dish detergent worked the best. Meijer won.”
• “4th graders made a hovercraft out of a cd and a balloon.”
• “Everyone was respectful. We all listened and clapped.”
• “Students did better taking a test with gum.”
• “More dogs are left pawed than right pawed.”
• “Chain reactions have multiple steps. They can be simple or complex.”