Two Beach Middle School scientists took the advice of their teacher Dave Polley and entered their projects in the individual competition at the recent Southeast Michigan Science Fair.
Leah Pifer and Marielle Lenehan spent the day at Washtenaw Community College for the 56th annual event, which is sponsored by the University of Michigan and Washtenaw Community College in cooperation with public and private schools in the five county regions – Livingston, Washtenaw, Monroe, Hillsdale and Lenawee counties.
“I encouraged all the students to enter the science fair,” Polley said, and two of his middle school students did just that; one of them bringing home a second-place award.
“I’m delighted with both of them,” Polley said, adding the two young ladies “have excellent science minds” and their projects demonstrated “good science.”
Pifer’s project was titled “Are you a Smart Cookie.” She looked at the correlation between the amount of flour added to a cookie recipe and its effect on cookie diameter.
In fact, she ran several trials and derived an actual mathematical formula that showed the relationship.
Lenehan looked at the effects that different types of wood had on the pitch and amplitude. Titled “The Sound of Wood,” she investigated the frequency (pitch) and amplitude (loudness) of three different types of wood, to see if there was any correlation between the type of wood and those qualities.
She used aspen, pine and oak and looked at the vibrations at a certain pitch and amplitude when hit by a hammer.
Her idea came to her as a cellist, wondering what goes into choosing the type of wood with which to make string instruments.
Lenehan won a second place award from the Michigan Botany Club and a gift certificate from Amazon.com.
Her award was one of five the club presented.
At the club’s meeting this week, it was noted that Lenehan’s placement was the first time a student from Chelsea had won.
Lenehan also won 6th Place in Experimental Physical Science Award for middle schoolers.
“We are really proud of her, “ said Principal Nick Angel of Lenehan’s accomplishments. “And, so glad that she had Mr. Polley and Mr. (Loren) Thorburn encourage her to take her project to the Science Fair. She has grown so much this year under the wings of Mr. Polley and all of her other teachers. You should be proud,” he said in an email to Lenehan’s parents.
