Aaron School Science Fair
Aaron School fourth and fifth grade students have the opportunity to participate in a school Science Fair each spring. This year, the Science Fair was held in the Gym on Tuesday, March 28, for the Willow, Elm, Cedar, and Birch Rooms!
Students in each classroom spent several weeks working largely independently at home on their long term Science Fair projects. This assignment encouraged students to think like scientists by designing an experiment that solves a hypothesis of their choice. In Science class, as well as other subject areas, students have been developing skills in note taking, problem solving, writing, creative thinking, and oral presentation. All of these skills were applied when preparing for the Science Fair.
Throughout February and March, students were responsible for working on several steps within their projects in order to organize themselves, practice time management, and map out their projects long term. The first step was to select a topic. Students were given examples such as making a model of a volcano, tornado, ice, or waves; observing variables in plant growth; or experimenting with solids and liquids. Individuals used their creativity and imaginations and chose a range of topics from magnets, to rock candy, to experimenting with invisible ink!
The second step was to gather background information on their topics. In Homeroom, Library, and Technology, classes have been practicing various ways to perform research. They were encouraged to gather data through note taking from a variety of sources including books, magazines, newspapers, and the internet. Step three asked for students to implement the scientific method. They were prompted to consider, What is the purpose of your experiment? What are you trying to find out? What is your hypothesis?, in addition to actually conducting the experiment and recording the procedure, observations, and results in steps four and five.
The last step, and most significant, was constructing a display to exhibit in the Gym for parents, teachers, and fellow students at the Science Fair. Fourth and fifth graders created bright, colorful, and informative displays on large poster boards to present their experiments, along with their results and conclusions. Some students took pictures or videos, while others performed actual demonstrations of their experiments in person!
Teachers, parents, and students of Aaron School were so proud and impressed with the fourth and fifth grade Science Fair this year! Students worked so hard, which was obvious through their enthusiastic displays and presentations. Great job, and we look forward to next year’s Science projects!
