Each year, the Renfrew County Regional Science Fair (RCRSF) invites students from across the county in Grades 6 to 12 to enter projects in the fields of science and technology.
Students from Julia Harriet’s Grade 7 class at our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School (OLS) in Petawawa, and Kevin Walsh’s Grade 6-7 class at St. Mary’s Catholic School in Deep River were among this year’s participants who exhibited their innovative projects at the Petawawa Civic Centre.
The science fair is a fantastic way for students to explore their own interests, collaborate with peers, and showcase their hard work to the school and community, says Walsh. “By following the scientific method, students are honing their skills on making predictions (inferring), writing a procedural, creating an aesthetically appealing display, collecting data, and finally, formulating a conclusion based on their data analysis.”
While students may enter directly in the regional fair without participating in a school fair, Mrs. Harriet organized a fair for her class and says the students really enjoyed the experience. “Students enjoyed it because it’s hands-on, authentic, real-world learning. It’s the best kind of learning,” states Harriet.
An added bonus was that their experiment or research-based projects tied into the classroom curriculum as a culminating activity for the ‘form and function’ unit. The projects received lots of support from parents says Harriet. She also notes that they were not expensive to create. Most students purchased boards at the dollar store and used common household items.
Mrs. Harriet gave students one month to complete their innovative projects and judged them using the official RCRSF judges’ rubric to score and provide constructive feedback.
At the regional level, projects are judged in one of five categories: Engineering & Computer Science, Health Sciences, Physical & Mathematical Science, Life Sciences, and Earth and Environmental Sciences.
Four projects from Harriet’s class continued on to the regional fair in the junior engineering and computer science category: Alysa Watts – Doomsday Vault, Jacob Crossman & TJ Clouthier – Hydraulic Crane, Ty Sandrelli & Joey Simiana – Ferris Wheels, and Sydney Panchal & Jasmine Mitchell – What Boat Will Float. Julia Trainor and Leah Godsell – Does the brand and coat affect the strength of aluminum foil? were also selected but were unable to attend.
It was a great experience for the students who attended. “I really enjoyed the fair because I got to see other amazing creations. I really thought it was a cool experience inventing a structure. I would to do it again next year!” shares student participant Ty Sandrelli.
Clouthier and Crossman received honourable mention/fourth place and Alysa Watts earned second place. Imran and Ibrahim Chowdhury from St. Mary’s were awarded first place in the same division with their project, Light it Up with Piezoelectricty.
“I’m proud of the enthusiasm and the work that all of the students put into their research and experiments,” says Mrs. Harriet. “I’m looking forward to organizing a science fair again next year and I am more than willing to be a resource for other teachers who would like to start a fair for their class.”
Aidan Leach, Regional Fair Coordinator, noted that the fair is an important event for our region. “It serves to assist the scientific and teaching professions in the County of Renfrew with their active support of scientific progress and education among youth; and the event encourages young people in the county to consider lifetime vocations in science and technology and to stimulate their minds to achieve a better understanding of the role of these fields in national and international affairs.”
He also thanked Mrs. Harriet for her work in organizing a school fair. “Thank you once again for all of your hard work in making a great Sorrows science fair—and the enthusiasm of the Sorrows’ students from the regional fair shows that. I’d also like to thank the RCCDSB for its continued support of the fair.”
April 26, 2018
For further information, please contact:
Jaimie Perry, Director of Education
Renfrew County Catholic District School Board
499 Pembroke Street West
Pembroke, ON K8A 5P1
Phone: 613-735-1031 or 1-800-267-0191
Photo:
Jacob Crossman and TJ Clouthier (Grade 7, OLS) received an honourable mention for their Hydraulic Crane project.
