Gilpin science fair – winners all

Lynn Volkens

2/10/2005 - How many times can a doe be bred in one year? That’s a female rabbit in this case, and 4^th grader, Jonna Hodges will tell you the answer is 3-4 times. The question was one of many posed by students at Gilpin School’s annual Science Fair held last Thursday and Friday.

   Want to know which cheese to buy if you’re one of those people who tends to leave it sitting in the refrigerator? Choose American. Hanna Anderle’s experiment shows that Swiss molds faster. Brawny paper towels absorb 33.3 grams of water, Bounty absorbs only 32 grams, and Scott Towels are last on the absorption list at 25.3 grams. (Thank you 6^th graders, Christina Ondriezak and Kirsten Welch.)

   There was a lot to learn at this year’s science fair. In addition to rabbit studies, there were a variety of observations about birds, hermit crabs, dinosaurs, cats and ducks, horses, and mice. Has someone already built a better mousetrap? First-grader, Rebecka Allen doesn’t think so. Her test results (in the Engineering category) show the old spring-type stand-by still ranks number 1. But put some cheddar on there for bait. Brett Allen, a 5^th grader, found that it’s more tempting (to mice) than peanut butter. Animal studies fall into the Biology category of the science fair or Health and Behavioral Science. Biology also included numerous plant experiments with students using greenhouses, fertilizers, vitamins, and manipulations of water, soil and light to see the effect of these factors on plant growth.

   Fans of the Weather Channel’s “Storm Stories” program would have been just as happy strolling through the Earth and Environmental Science section of the fair. There, students revealed their findings about volcanoes, the solar system, fog, lightning, clouds, tornados, decomposition, pollution, and lunar eclipses. The recent tsunami in Asia has shown us all what devastation these killer waves can wreak, but did you know that a tsunami can actually speed up the rate of the earth’s rotation? Fifth grader, Jonathon Adams, found that a December 2004 tsunami had increased the planet’s rate of rotation by three microseconds. (Better pause and catch your breath.)

   Wander over to the Engineering section to find the motor maniacs and the gear heads. They’ll not only teach you about motors and gears but also elctro-magnets, solar voltage, water conductors, static generators, batteries, and pendulums. Are you in the market for a small aircraft? Wing shape influences the amount of lift, so pick carefully. If you’re planning to fly a long distance, you might want to consult 3^rd grader Tatum Lepro to see whether a monoplane or a biplane will best suit your needs.

   When all was said and done, about 6 p.m. on Friday evening, secondary science teacher Jessica Hopper announced the winners. (Everyone who participates in the elementary grades is considered a winner and awarded a ribbon and medal just for entering.) At the secondary level (grades 6-12), there are 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd, place winners for all categories.

    In Biology, Chelsea Norris (6^th grade), won 1^st place by determining (using Mom’s Tupperware) that clay cat litter absorbs more moisture than the pellet kind, although it does pretty much turn into cement. David Yerkman (7^th grade) took second place with his mold experiment, and 3^rd place went to the team of Erin Brownson and Megan Ball for their experiment observing the effect, on mice, of darkness and light.

   For Health and Behavioral Science, Freshman Larissa Hardesty, was awarded 1^st place for her research attempting to determine a correlation between West Nile Virus and Plague. Juniors Adam Quinney and Erik Hill won 2^nd place. They teamed up to see if they could fool Freshmen perception with peer pressure (only 17% of the time – way to stick to your guns, Freshmen). Jayme Smyth and Megan Spellman, a 7^th grade team, took 3^rd place with their Soap Suds experiment.

   Sixth grader Amanda Barngrover won 1^st place in the Earth and Environmental Science category with her experiment on Smog Invasion. Future spelunker Brittany Schmidli’s (8^th grade) project on stalagtites and stalagmites won her 2^nd place. Third place went to Cody Thompson for “Disaster Zone.”

   In the Engineering category, Senior Irina Hardesty redesigned the Genesis Sample Return Capsule for the nation’s space program, and won 1^st place. Second place went to Junior, Dan Barngrover, for his ingenious contraption, the All Wheel Drive Mousetrap Car (powered by two mousetraps – more, and unique, evidence that the old- fashioned traps are still the best…). Kaylea Morrison and Katie Schimanskey (7^th grade) took 3^rd place for their team effort to determine how to make a pendulum swing the longest amount of time.

   The category of Physical Science was the only category sub-grouped for middle school and high school winners. For middle school, 7^th grader Kira Hicks took 1^st place for her experiment measuring heat capacity in various metals and ores. Collin Lipsky’s (6^th grade) “Bismuth” experiment took 2^nd, and 8^th grader Tori Norris was awarded 3^rd place for her absorption tests on paper towels. For high school, 1^st place went to seniors Erin Murray and Lauren Wellman for their experiments on gas tubes of elements from the periodic table. They used focused light to examine the variance in light spectrum displayed by each element. Sophomore trio, Earl Williams, Aaron Newsome and Tucker Cullar took 2^nd with their entry, “What’s Hot, What’s Not.”  Third place was awarded to sophomores Adam Aker and Mike Marr for their team project using sodium to attempt neutralization of base substances. (Don’t count on it working on Drano…).

   Regional qualifiers Chance Morgan and Josh Newsome (experiment titled “Nuts About Energy”), Kira Hicks, Irina Hardesty, Dan Barngrover, and Larissa Hardesty were selected based on factors of originality, presentation and competition potential. They will represent Gilpin School at the regional science fair held later this spring. If any of these qualifiers are unable to attend, alternates Lauren Wellman and Erin Murray will fill in.

   A lot of hard thinking and hard work went into these science fair entries. It was an exciting event for students, judges, custodians, organizers, parents, and visitors. Tiring, too. So here’s a tip from Connor Bottke, a 5^th grader whose project, “Activities and Their Influence On Dreams,” determined that what you do during your day really does affect your dreams. (More than food, even). So be careful. Fill your days with positive activities and pleasantries, and you’ll be dreaming pleasant too.