Students at Summerland Middle School conducted experiments and analyzed the data as they prepared for the annual science fair which was held last week at the school.
Shona Becker, science teacher at the school, said more than 200 students took part as Grade 7 and 8 student had 104 entries in the fair.
“Some of the students have been working on these projects for three months now,” she said.
Becker explained that the students were asked to present projects which involved experiments and studies rather than presenting reports on existing data.
“It’s not the concept we were going after; it’s the process,” she said.
Caitlin Shaw, a Grade 7 student, studied whether cigarette butts affect the quality of lake water by analyzing water samples.
Jessica Erhardt and Miranda Basso, Grade 7 students, examined non-toxic ways to clean up oil spills and discovered feathers are most effective.
Grade 8 students Lucas Garrett and Kiran Rochon created an oscillator which used shadows and light to produce various tones.
Austin Hogg looked at alternate energy by building a battery using water, salt and galvanized or copper wire, studying which metal was most effective.
Now that the school has held its science fair, Becker said the top 14 students will move on to the district science fair in Penticton.
The fair will be held at KVR Middle School in Penticton on March 7 and 8. From there, top students will advance to the regional science fair and the Canada wide science fair.
Award winners
Several Summerland Middle School students received awards for their science fair projects.
Backdrop Awards
Grade 7
Austin Hogg, Alternative Energy
Elys Kinkead and Kaci Van Horlick, Pour y-a t’il deux feux d’artifrices dans le lait?
Grade 8
John Crofts, Pick-Up Lines
Haley Carson, Talysha Bradshaw and Donna-Lee Bradshaw, Stroop or Bloop
Bill Nye the Science Guy Awards
John Crofts, Pick-Up Lines
Future David Suzuki Awards
Austin Hogg, Alternative Energy
Caitlin Shaw, Do Cigarette Butts Affect Lake Water?
Einstein Awards
Cawston Tower and Aidan McLuskey, Propeller’s Away
Dillen Septon and Riley Theissen, 2 Fast 2 Furious
Alex Zander and Richard Thevage, Magnetic Leviation Train
Most Unique Topic
Lucas Garrett and Kiran Rochon, Riding the Audio Wave
Mad Scientist Award
Kendra Reger and Spencer MacIntosh, Tue la Pilule
Kaci Van Horlick and Elys Kinkead, Pourquoi – y a t’il des feux d’artificesdansle lait?
Future Researcher
Brian Bonthoux, Vitamin D
Gold
Spencer McIntosh and Kendra Reger, Tue la pilule
Maya Venkataraman and Ella Weir, C’est le bettement
Shane Foronoff and Geoff Stathers, Play the Pressure
Haven Dufty and Katelyn McCollum, Density is Destiny
Ana Clouatre and Simran Klar, La graine la plus chaude
John Crofts, Pick Up Lines
Arielle Jenkins and Emma Thomson, Blanc, brun, ou organique?
Abhi Lekhi, Take A Shot at Music
Kira Hughes and Sarah Lundman, Texting vs Spelling
Austin Hogg, Alternative Energy
Brian Bonthoux, Vitamin D
Kiran Rochon-Woitzik and Lucas Garrett, Synthesizers and Simplicity
Caitlin Shaw, Est-ce que kes megots affectent l’eau
Faith Johnstone, Snore, I’m Taller
Decio Pescada and Martha Headland, How To Stress Less
Aidan McLuskey and Cawston Tower, Propeller’s Away
Sydney Peterson, Stacked Plaque
The students who won gold will go on to the District Science Fair on March 7 and 8 at KVR Middle School.