Home

Photo Gallery

Science fairs

Science fairs at Soda Creek and Strawberry Park elementary schools.

Steamboat Springs — Science fairs are commonplace in middle schools and high schools across the country, but elementary children in Steamboat Springs didn't want the older students to have all the fun.

On Thursday, Soda Creek and Strawberry Park elementary schools held their annual science fairs, showing off their creative sides and their knowledge of the scientific method, which is part of an elementary school curriculum.

Soda Creek fifth-grader Cindy Gantick saw students taking ownership of their projects, wanting to conduct the experiments and having fun putting the data together. The students were encouraged to work on their projects during school hours as well as at home.

"We thought it was a great opportunity to have them thinking scientifically," Gantick said.

Soda Creek's gymnasium was abuzz Thursday morning while students set up their projects and presented them to judges.

Jane Johnson, Steamboat's newest - and perhaps youngest - authority on sandhill cranes, said the judging "wasn't so scary" because they had practiced during fifth-grade classes. Jane had the sandhill crane call on a tape recorder, and included dry grasses and cattails, part of the sandhill crane's habitat, on her display.

"They are one of my favorite types of birds," Jane said, standing before information and pictures of Routt County's sandhill crane population. "I hadn't really had a chance to study them before, but I had a good chance to study them, and it was fun."

Jane set up her display next to two of her closest friends - Anala Sokolowski and Maggie McElhiney.

Anala wanted to know whether different types of popcorn left a different number of kernels. She started with several brands, but switched to all Orville Redenbacher and picked four different types because she needed a better "control group," Anala said.

"I guessed white would leave the most kernels because there is less butter," Anala said. "I thought butter would get hot and pop more.

The white popcorn had 139 kernels left in a microwave bag. The buttered popcorn had 73 kernels left in a microwave bag.

"I was right," Anala said.

Maggie also proved her hypothesis after reaching her conclusion. The Soda Creek fifth-grader thought a Philodendron would grow better in potting soil than in any other material "because that's what you normally put plants in, and potting soil did the best."

Maggie believed the lethal combination of potting soil and ice melt would kill her plant, and the wilted Philodendron on display Thursday demonstrated that. She said it was important for her to select the same size and type of plant for her experiment, which took her several weeks to complete.

"If I did a different plant they'd be different to measure," Maggie said.

The science fair displays were up all day Thursday so staff and parents could see the projects on display.