Kids experiment at Sultan science fair

Static electricity, cookies sales, dog noses, bacteria and dissolving meat were just a few of the themes presented during Sultan Elementary School's annual science fair last week.

The science fair, which was held on Thursday, March 19 in the Sultan Elementary School gym, boasted 194 projects and welcomed more than 360 parents, grandparents, students and other family members. With the help of a committee, the event was organized by first-grade teacher Cynthia Lee, who has helped coordinate the fair for the last 13 years.-á -á

To participate in the science fair, students were asked to demonstrate a working knowledge of the scientific method. Participation is mandatory for fourth and fifth grade students, while students in kindergarten through third grade typically participate via class-wide projects.

For their projects, kids are instructed to pose a question, develop a hypothesis, outline a set of procedures, record the data and report a conclusion. Students are then asked to examine their initial hypothesis and state whether it was correct. -á

Fifth-grade student Ahnika U'Ren got first place for her project, which incorporated the use of electroscopes to measure which hairbrush created the most static electricity. She built three different electroscopes, using aluminum, steel and copper. She then used a boar brush, a vent brush, a porcupine brush and a comb, gave her hair 15 strokes with each brush, and then held the brush next to the electroscopes and recorded the data.-á

In U'Ren's case, her hypothesis was correct. She predicted that the boar brush would create the most static electricity, which was confirmed by the data she recorded with her electroscopes.

Tiffany Norton's second-grade class posed the question, "How many slurps does it take to finish a 1.6-ounce rainbow Popsicle?GÇ¥ Each student was given a Popsicle, and asked to record their slurps. The resulting data was then presented visually on a graph.-á

"It took me 90,GÇ¥ said student Elianna Emmons.-á

Fourth-grade student Alec Galicia learned about polarity for his project, using the scientific method to examine why oil and water don't mix. He examined the molecular composition of oil and water and experimented with the fluids to better grasp the concept.-á -á

Some projects had surprising results. Fourth-grade student Donald Bridgewater decided to find out which type of manure worked the best for growing a bean plant. He used six different types of manure, including llama, horse, dairy cow, chicken, sheep and deer. His hypothesis indicated that he believed the dairy cow manure would be most conducive to growing a bean plant but, at the end of his 18-day trial, the deer manure won by a longshot.-á

His mother, Polly, said that the project was a little odiferous, but it definitely provided an unanticipated result.

Fifth-grade student Meagan Johnson decided to create a science project based on something that was happening in her life. A member of Sultan Girl Scout Troop No. 44590, Johnson had been focused on her goal of selling more than 1,000 boxes of cookies GÇô a goal that she reached. Deciding to incorporate that into her project, Johnson asked, "How will the Rah Rah Raisins compare to the other cookies?GÇ¥

She predicted that would be the least popular, due to the fact that many people dislike raisins. Her hypothesis was correct.

Other projects analyzed the strength of paper towels, the amount of bacteria present at a gas station in comparison to a public restroom and the effect of age on Simon scores.-á

First, second and third place ribbons were awarded to students from each classroom, plus three honorable mentions. Organizer Cynthia Lee said that, as always, she was impressed by the creative and innovative projects.

U'Ren was excited about her win.

"It's my first time getting first place,GÇ¥ she said.