Eureka! Experiments abound at Evans Science Fair
Trying to get plants to grow with liquids other than water, attempting to turn on a light bulb with two switches, kicking soccer balls inflated with different levels of air and measuring the difference traveled — those were just some projects on display at the Evans Elementary School Science Fair on April 16.
The event was just one of several science fairs and science expos that schools throughout the district begin to hold around this time each year, with the Evans event in particular allowing students in kindergarten through fifth grade to enter projects and engage their interest in the field of science.
For those older students in grades four and five who entered projects, judges from Cherokee High School AP science classes judged the projects on a competitive basis, with awards for the top winners announced at the end of the event.
For students in lower grades, officials consisting of teachers, faculty members, the superintendent and even Evesham Township Councilmember Debbie Hackman went from project to project, giving positive notes to the students for their work, with goodie bags and homework passes available later for participating.
Evans Principal Nick DiBlasi said the event was one of the larger ones organized at the school, in conjunction with the science expo the following day, and thanked the students, parents and the judges for all their hard work.
“This has been a wonderful turnout once again,” DiBlasi said. “We have such wonderful PTA parents; they really spent a lot of time setting up for this.”
One student who worked hard was 9-year-old third grader Grace Garofola, who tested different bars of soap to see which would produce the most foam when used.
According to Grace, her hypothesis of picking the softer, lighter bar of soap to produce the most foam was correct, although the most difficult part of the project came when trying to deal with all the “soapy” smells for too long.
“It’s really fun to be in the science fair because you get to do a lot of stuff,” Grace said.
Another student, 6-year-old kindergartener Brock Sutphin, did his experiment on tornados, which he said he likes seeing in movies, and he was able to create the appearance of a small funnel cloud by shaking jars of water in specific ways.
Brock’s father Bill said his son one day came home with the science fair pamphlet, and he and his wife decided doing the project with Brock would be a good way to spend time with him and be proactive in his motivation to learn.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for the kids to be creative and learn about science at the same time,” Sutphin said.
Sutphin’s sentiments were also echoed by Evesham Township School District Board of Education members Lisa Mansfield and Trish Everhart, who were at the event serving as judges.
Mansfield, who said it was her first time judging, said she was excited to see the various concepts and experiments the children had explored at such a young age.
“I say kudos to the teachers in this school because they’re taking such an interest in science and technology and fostering that,” Mansfield said.
Everhart agreed, and said seeing the students having their interest in science sparked by their teachers and then manifest itself in the fair never ceased to amaze her.
“How refreshing is that, like, ‘what sounds do bottles make when they’re filled with different levels of liquid?’ You know, I’d forgotten all that simple stuff, and these kids were so excited explaining it all,” Everhart said.
