The Science Fair has come and gone and it was a success! I lectured for weeks on variables and hypotheses and the Scientific Method, and I had no idea how things were going to turn out given the fact that none of them had done anything like this, ever. But regardless of their inexperience, the children all brought something in and it was evident the amount of pride each of them took in presenting their experiments. They wandered excitedly around the room asking questions, showing off their work to visitors, and checking out which were the coolest experiments.
Most were incredibly simple (the fourth place winner did a project about melting ice) but many were incredibly well executed. The winner made three boats of different materials and raced them.
The most popular experiment was from the kid who made a cannon from vinegar and baking soda... or maybe some other ingredients, I don't know. I pretended to be the Omnipotent One because I was the facilitator of the event, but in all honesty, I find it hilarious that a liberal artsy, language-loving student such as myself happened to be the go-to gal on these projects. Perhaps that is why one child actually showed up with a homemade hourglass. His Project Question: How do I make an Hourglass? I nearly died.
The winners (1st-5th):
I also taught the kids the meaning of the phrase 'look sharp'. Here is one of the winners of the Best Dressed competition:
