By Ellen Samuelsen
February is most often thought of as the month for valentines, but at Ocotillo Ridge Elementary (ORE), it is also the month for the science fair! On Wednesday, February 6th, 2019, ORE welcomed thirty judges from Del Webb and Raytheon to judge nearly 140 projects completed by grade-level classes and fifth grade students.
The projects covered a wide variety of topics, such as building homes resistant to natural disasters, to how the pH level of a liquid will affect how quickly an M & M candy dissolves. In the months leading up to the science fair, students learned the steps in both the scientific method and the engineering design process. Then they explored areas which interested them, and then designed a project to either answer a question by performing a science experiment or solving a problem by building and testing a prototype.
The top two projects reflected both areas. Fifth-grader Jonas Werley used the scientific method to explore using AI (artificial intelligence) as a way to objectively score skill levels in gymnastic competitions. Leigh Zsitvay’s third-grade class applied the engineering design process to create an easier way to carry the large lunch buckets to and from class.
From all the projects submitted, the top thirty will now be entered in the Southern Arizona Research, Science and Engineering Foundation (SARSEF) city-wide competition, which will be held March 6th – 9th at the Tucson Convention Center. They may or may not win awards at SARSEF, but to the ORE community, our science fair participants are all winners for their creativity and effort in this year’s event!
