Chartiers Valley Middle School students have fun with science fair projects
The science projects at Chartiers Valley Middle School ran the gamut from “Does Name Influence Personality?” to “Growing Gummies.”
Even the “5-second rule” was put under the microscope, as students dropped candy on the floor and waited to see if any bacteria emerged.
“There were so many different projects. There was one about the acidity of candy and what affects it has to piezoelectricity, which is electricity from crystals,” said Scott Caplan of Squirrel Hill, who teaches eighth-grade science and was lead organizer of the annual science fair, held Dec. 3.
The Science Fair featured 58 projects from 107 students, more than double last year's offerings. Judges from Bayer Corp. awarded prizes in categories including chemistry, consumer science, life science and engineering.
Caplan said students designed their projects around trying to determine the answer to a problem.
First-place winners who meet certain qualifications will enter their projects in the Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair, held at Heinz Field early next year.
“It's something to look forward to. They all enjoy that because they get to go to Heinz Field and the (Carnegie) Science Center,” Caplan said.
Sixth-grader Nadiya Bednarhuk, 11, of Scott investigated whether white roses could be turned different colors by placing them in water mixed with food coloring.
Her hypothesis turned out to be correct. She said the roses turned brighter and deeper shades of red, blue and other colors after sitting in the mixture.
“Every day and every hour they colored in more and more,” Nadiya said.
She got the idea from her father, who learned in his school science classes about coloring plants through water, and watched some videos about it on YouTube.
“I thought it would be fun,” she said.
Caplan said one ground rule helped steer students into picking which concept to investigate.
“What I like is they're learning more about something they're already interested in. That's what we focus on: Pick something you like and then go from there.”
David Mayernik is a staff writer for Trib Total Media.
