Classroom Happenings: Grade 5 Science Fair

How do vinegar and baking soda affect the height of a model rocket? When growing arugula, will different kinds of water make a difference in the plant’s growth patterns? What liquids and mixtures do a better job at cleaning pennies?

These questions, and lots of others, were on the minds of our fifth graders this semester as they embarked on a six-week science project. At home, they worked through the scientific method (observation, hypothesis, experiment,  analysis, and conclusion), and their work culminated in the Grade 5 Science Fair, which took place on May 1 in the Bryan Innovation Lab.  

Grade 5 Teacher Ron Coles, who leads the annual event, said that the project allows our young scientists to develop their time-management, problem-solving, and critical-thinking skills. 

“Students can engage in any experiments they want as long as they can apply the five-step scientific method,” explained Mr. Coles. “The projects that reach an unexpected conclusion and take us by surprise are especially interesting, as our scientists realize that there is no ‘straight line’ when it comes to experiments. The concept of ‘failure’ is just part of the process.”

When Tripp Oliff ’32 planned his experiment, “The Spud Showdown,” he was curious if specific varieties of potato give off more energy than others. Using a sweet, red, and butter potato, Tripp poked a zinc plate and a copper plate into each potato a few centimeters apart. With the help of a multimeter (which measures multiple electrical properties), he used a 20-volt setting and recorded the voltage readings over six weeks.

“The red potato had the most voltage: 0.99,” said Tripp. “That was different from my hypothesis; I thought the butter potato would have the highest amount of voltage.” The most fun part about this project, he added, “was figuring out that potatoes have energy … and how much energy they have!” 

Layton LeCompte ’32 used three pothos plants in her experiment, “How UV Lights Affect Plant Growth,” testing to see how each grew under different conditions: violet UV light, red UV light, and sunlight. 

“I hypothesized that the plant placed under a violet light would grow the fastest,” said Layton, who was surprised to discover that the plant under the red light was a speedier grower. "I thought watching the plants grow and trying to understand why they grew was fun," said Layton. "It was like a mystery that I had to solve."

Like all Spartans, our fifth graders are learning in an environment anchored in Steward’s core values, including academic achievement, individuality, innovation, and inspiration. 

“I’m really proud of the variety of experiments students chose,” said Mr. Coles. “They did a terrific job, and I am impressed by their enthusiasm and stick-to-it-iveness. Our fifth graders are dedicated scientists who are eager to learn and unafraid of the challenges that are part of every scientific experiment.”