Courtesy photos
Cierra Johnson and Georgia Quintero display their top science submissions in the Schurz Science Fair.

An abundance of science projects lined the multi-purpose room of Schurz Elementary School as students had taken their hypothesis and questions to task when carrying out each display to completion. Some science projects were highly successful, while others proved that the science was not substantially correct. In every case the student’s procedural presentations showed a determined dedication to their methods of explanation.

Three outside judges walked the room, with clipboards of rated categories being seriously determined. Students were called up to explain their projects while reviewing the ingredients used to create their science endeavors. Many had taken on the wondrous creation of making goo’s. Goo’s that had magnetic qualities; goo that glowed in the dark; goo that was edible and goo’s that simply had a strange, cool sensation when touched.

The traditional combination of various liquids creating volcanic activity were on hand in bottles, as well as several which demonstrated active lava oozing from a mountain, as students mixed mysterious potions together. Crystals were slowly being formed, plants were played music to grow faster and science came alive to every student.

Fellow students lined up to see the successes, as well as the attempts which were sometimes not as favorable as the intent. Either way, the Schurz teachers were on hand to encourage every attempt and effort as a success, reminding the students that any outcome was an answer to whether a scientific question could work or not.

Two female students stood out as they had used moving parts to create their science projects. Cierra Johnson had sacrificed a mini motor from her stuffed bear’s heart, creating a mini-dryer which worked when adding doll-sized clothing to the shaved-off soda can drum. By creating a cardboard replica, including the front-loading style of a real dryer, Johnson had provided a small button on the front to initiate the round internal portion to spin.

Georgia Quintero demonstrated an intricately built hydraulic arm, using syringes filled with varying colored liquids. These colors helped her maneuver the entire gadget through specific movements, achieving success within the project. One push of a syringe would lift the contraption’s main component, while another drew the side arms in and out. Other students gathered around to watch Quintero use the tubes of air and water as a motorized lift occurred. Applause happened as an empty water bottle was successfully grabbed, picked up, then lifted by the thin, cardboard arms of Quintero’s invention.