Dianne Radcliffe, 6th grade science fair judge, discusses one of the display boards called “Slime Test” with other 6th grade students. (Johnson Publications photo)
Eighth graders, Matalie Wallin, left, and Trynity Briggs, discuss Wallin’s science board display, “Hair is for Horses.” (Johnson Publications photo)
Juniors Hanna Dubas, left, and Brooke Schilke, discuss their science board project with Judge Tom Gaschler. Their display was called “Bacteria in a Dog’s Mouth vs. Bacteria in a Human’s Mouth.” Both students declared that a dog’s mouth is “much dirtier.” (Johnson Publications photo)
CCS science fair welcomes lower grades this year
According to Kim Wilson, high school chemistry and physical science teacher, Chase County Schools has been putting on the science fair for about 10 years.
Up until this year, the fair has only included high school students. This year, for the first time, the science fair opened up the competition to grade 6-8 students, said Jennifer Gonzalez, grade 7-8 science teacher.
Wilson said that together with Elisha Hinojosa, high school science teacher, they decided to award the top three projects in each of the 9, 10 and combined 11-12 grades.
Gonzalez said they will award the top three awards for middle school in each of the 7 and 8 grade classes.
The top three in each grade will compete again in Curtis at the Regional Science Fair. The winners there will go to the state competition in Lincoln, and possibly on to the nationals in Washington D.C.
The 6 grade science fair participants were included this year and submitted a modified starter science project to “get their feet wet and learn the basics,” Gonzalez said.
The grade 7-12 participants were required to do a full report and lab write-up as well as their science board display.
“All of the students in the science fair competition are getting the chance to discover what science is all about, and to learn and grow so they can do better each year,” she stated.
The judge for the sixth grade students was Dianne Radcliffe. She spoke with each of the participants about their science project procedures and displays and instructed them on how to improve their projects in the future.
The judges for the grade 7-8 science projects were Eric Gonzalez and Shane Gerhartz.
High school student projects were judged by one of four judges: Tom Gaschler, Jim Graham, Nadine Bishop and Eric Haider.
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