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***image1***Each spring Kaiserslautern American Elementary School holds its annual science fair in which kindergartners through fifth-graders display their creations in the school’s gymnasium.
In this year’s fair, April 25 to 28, hundreds of children participated with projects ranging from the classic exploding volcano to one with a German flavor of “Which castle do you like best?”
Fifth-grader Alayna Castle’s “Diaper Derby,” demonstrated which diaper actually had the most absorbency.
“It was a little gross, but it was to see how much a diaper could actually hold,” she said.
Nicole Francis, also fifth grade, confirmed in her project that an egg left in vinegar for a period of time will lose its shell.
“I liked doing the project and it wasn’t as much work as I thought it was going to be,” Nicole said.
“Doing a project for the science fair was easy,” said third-grader Zachary Hastings, “but wait until you see what I’m doing next year.”
Projects were dispersed throughout the school gym by grade level. However, before students could display their projects, they were required to discuss how they accomplished their task.
The focus of the science fair was not to see which child won what prize, but rather to have students become engaged in science, and to be able to share their project in as many ways as possible, according to Sonny Bertschinger, KES vice principal.
First, second and third place winners from each grade had to meet certain criteria for their awards. Winners were determined by a series of judges who not only looked over the projects, but also conducted interviews with students asking about their project, including asking some for demonstrations. All entrants received a certificate for participation.
“Each year, the kids seem to become more and more creative,” said Mr. Bertschinger.
Many parents shared in their children’s experiences, assisting where needed and giving an extra bit of advice when asked.
