Experiments Abound Hundreds Of Students Enter Coeur D’Alene Science Fair

Batteries, flowers and volcanoes were just several examples of projects students focused on at the District Science Fair 2000 this weekend.

Six hundred kids from kindergarten through high school participated in the fair, totaling 567 projects.

Students from public and private schools in the Coeur d’Alene area researched, designed and performed experiments on all sorts of subjects.

“Can you think of one thing that we eat or use that isn’t scientifically related?” asked JoNell Barber, fair director and fourth-grade teacher at Bryan Elementary. “I can’t think of a thing!”

Barber began coordinating the event 15 years ago. Planning for this year began last September. Like the past 21 years she’s taught, Barber required her students to create a science project to enter in the fair.

Sometimes the assignment causes parental frustration, but the result is worth it, she said.

“It rewards scientific knowledge and exposes (students) to different ideas for scientific reasoning,” Barber said.

Seventy volunteers judged the projects Saturday night. Awards for each grade, as well as best of show, will be presented Tuesday night. Plaques will be given to the winners of each grade.

First-grader Kjirsten Magnuson’s project involved salt water, sugar water and regular water. She wanted to find out which liquid froze the fastest. Her salt water mixture barely froze at all.

“Now I know why salt is put on icy roads,” the 6-year-old wrote in her conclusion. “It keeps them from being slick by melting ice.”

Magnuson and her dad, Scott Magnuson, found the idea in a science book at home. The hardest part was logging the times and waiting, said Kjirsten Magnuson. Her dad said she learned the most by recording all the different freezing times.

Fifth-grader Caitlin Thornton wanted to see which battery lasted the longest for her project. The Duracell battery came in first, lasting one minute longer than Energizer.

“I just like finding out how things work,” she said.

Last year Thornton studied acid rain. She hasn’t figured out what she will study for next year, but she wants to find out how light bulbs work sometime, she said.

Barber said she’s noticed that one science project turns up every year.

“They love volcanoes, and they love hands-on experiments,” Barber said of the students.

Judges base their decisions on presentation, title, hypothesis, and whether the results are clear, said volunteer Kris Newby.

“They want to look for things that make a project stand out,” she said.

This sidebar appeared with the story:

IF YOU GO

And the winner is …

Science Fair 2000’s award assembly is scheduled for Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Kootenai County Fairgrounds, Building 3.