Winners named in regional elementary science fair
From Staff Reportseducation@newnan.com
The judging has ended, ribbons have been awarded, and regional Elementary Science Fair projects are now being displayed by proud families in homes throughout Coweta County.
The annual event showcases first-place science fair projects from elementary schools throughout the region and included 10 schools this year. With 52 projects entered, this year’s fair featured numerous topics ranging from hot dogs to parabolas.
From Western Elementary, Tyashia Jimpson and Ashley Williams demonstrated why they will not be caught talking while driving. Their project, entitled, “Hang up and Drive!” earned second place in the fourth grade life science category. The pair carried out their investigations at school using video games, and they said that they now know for sure that phones and driving do not mix.
Tanner Bassett and Will Falkenberry, also of Western, used honeydew melons to investigate helmets. Basset told judges their project choice “benefits people more by preventing injuries” than other topics they considered. Their most valuable lesson learned? Always wear a helmet on skateboards, bikes or any moving vehicle. Earning second place in the fifth grade math/engineering category, “Crash Test” proved that there really is a difference between helmets.
Another Western team, Wesley Ann Norton and Haley Guarnera, now understand more about he best conductors of electricity. The students said they knew nothing about conductors and insulators prior to selecting their project, but they created “Light it Up!” to figure out what would light the bulbs. “Light it Up!”earned second place in the fourth grade physical science category. Mary Norton, Wesley Anne’s mother, said the pair already are planning next year’s project.
“It was amazing to see these projects,” said Princess Walton, who helped judge the contest. “You can really see that these students are learning and thinking.”
Carter Burton, a fifth grader from Willis Road, was interested to know more about gluten, so his project selection became “Gluten Packed.” Burton shared with judges that he had read and heard about gluten, and he began wondering which flour had more. He said it was very time consuming to test the various flours for gluten content and that he knew he had to conduct three trials to complete his project correctly.
He was surprised to learn that Publix flour had less gluten than the others tested, so he would recommend it to anyone looking for a low-gluten product. Earning second place in the fifth grade physical science category, Carter said he enjoyed learning while doing his project.
From Poplar Road, Ethan Copeland investigated how to create a mummy, because “I like mummies.” Using both beef and chicken hot dogs, Copeland experimented with salt and baking soda to discover whether he could create a mummified hot dog.
He hypothesized that the hot dogs would eventually become mummified, but said he was still surprised when it happened. Using a gauze wrap on his backboard, Copeland created a striking display as he supported his hypothesis. “Mummifying a Hot Dog” earned third place in the forth grade physical science category.
Elm Street student Taren Brown, was interested in ant behavior. After researching his ideas, Brown created “Are Ants Afraid of Baby Powder?” to discover what attracts and distracts ants.
Learning that various components of baby powder are the key to curious ants’ behavior, Brown said he also was surprised with his results. “Are Ants Afraid of Baby Powder?” earned first place in the fifth grade life science category.
Also from Elm Street, Colin Hinze wanted to know whether he could create something that would enhance Wi-Fi speed. Using household items, Colin created a parabola and learned that it actually did speed Wi-Fi. “Does a Parabola Strengthen Wi-Fi?” earned first place in the fifth grade math/ engineering category.
