Fair Look At Science

Traditional Event Provides Opportunities in New Fields

STAFF PHOTO FLIP PUTTHOFF
STAR SCIENTIST
Emily Mitchell, a student at Oakdale Middle School, talks about her science-fair entry with judges Virginia Rhame, center, and Michael Williams on Wednesday Feb. 13 2013 at the school. Emily's entry discusses the science of stardust, which is the trail of light seen behind falling stars.

STAFF PHOTO FLIP PUTTHOFF STAR SCIENTIST Emily Mitchell, a student at Oakdale Middle School, talks about her science-fair entry with judges Virginia Rhame, center, and Michael Williams on Wednesday Feb. 13 2013 at the school. Emily's entry discusses the science of stardust, which is the trail of light seen behind falling stars.

Sunday, February 17, 2013

— Technology creates new fields in science. Engineering uses new scientific developments, and math drives research.

Students draw from all those areas in creating science fair projects, allowing them to explore topics in a growing field, said Lynne Hehr, director of the University of Arkansas STEM Center for Math and Science Education.

Science, technology, engineering and mathematics, commonly referred to by educators as STEM, offer areas to pioneer, Hehr said.

Some 450 student science projects will be on display March 15 for the Northwest Arkansas Regional Science and Education Fair on the University of Arkansas campus. The regional fair can link students to professors and expose them to careers, Hehr said. To list careers open to technology, math, science and engineering students would take too long. A student could become an explorer or a gemologist, a computer technician or an environmental lawyer with a scientific background, she said.

At A Glance

What Is It?

Science, technology, engineering and mathematics jobs are projected to grow. Arkansas is projected to have 52,000 STEM-related jobs by 2018, according to a USInnovation.org report from the Alliance for Science & Technology Research in America.

Content areas

• Science: biology, chemistry, physics

• Technology: computers, web developer, information systems

• Engineering: chemical, mechanical, electrical

• Mathematics and statistical analysis

Source: www.usinnovation.org

Sidra Nadeem, an Oakdale Middle School sixth-grader, said she is interested in engineering.

“Research is fun,” she said.

For her school’s science fair, Sidra researched what geometric shapes scatter the most light. Inspired by a lesson on radar waves and the way aircraft avoid detection, she found that light reflects more off items with more indentations.

Oakdale students on Wednesday ringed the library where the results of their projects were on display. About 70 students worked on competitive projects, said Susan Tillery, Oakdale sixth grade teacher. Another 50 team projects were also on display. The science fair was planned for parent-teacher conference week.

“There’s something so powerful about having a public audience,” Tillery said.

Sixth-grader Annaleise Gates explored the mummification process used by ancient Egyptians by measuring the change in size of hot dogs covered in baking soda sealed away from air and heat.

Ariana Mejia, a sixth-grader, got the idea for her hovercraft from a library book. The book was about cars, but after some research, Ariana managed to keep a balloon afloat using a pop top from a drinking bottle. The bottle top released enough air to let the balloon hover a few inches.

Tyler Greenfield said he is interested in solar energy, physics, stars and space. He measured how long a solar cell could power an mp3 player or a light bulb.

“I’m interested in how the world heats up and how the sun works to keep the world warm,” Tyler said.

Oakdale sixth-graders started the year talking about the scientific process, Tillery said. Using the question, “How many licks to the center of a Tootsie Pop?” they began learning how to document their research. They moved to nanotechnology by winter break, researching and pitching the technologies used in clothing and cosmetics as if they were competing for government money.

“That’s very real world,” Tillery said.

The science fair requires students to review what they’ve learned and edit it down, she said.

Discovery is part of what the fair at Oakdale is about, said Principal Donna Charlton. Science and math can seem daunting to middle school students, she said, but students find untapped talents.

“This takes the fear out of science,” Charlton said.

Only Oakdale and Birch Kirksey Middle School in the Rogers School District hold middle school science fairs. Kirksey will hold its first science fair in years at the end of the month with a bigger fair planned next year, said Konrad Parsons, science teacher. Students at Kirksey meet twice a week to work on projects and will visit the Northwest Arkansas Regional Science and Education Fair for inspiration.

Good thinking habits are built with science, Hehr said. Students need to learn to question what they hear and do their own research rather than believing an old wives’ tale, something they saw on the Internet or heard from a friend.

“There’s a lot more about biology to learn. There’s a lot more about physics, math. In any of the fields that we have there’s more to learn — always,” Hehr said.