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Chelsea’s Beach Middle School 8th graders’ science projects

Riley Watkin poses with his science project.
Riley Watkin poses with his science project.

Riley Watkin decided to see whether copper, steel, aluminum or bronze was a better heat conductor.

Zach Yeakey wanted to see if normal store bought bubble solution would last longer if it was made a little more dense.

Hannah Adkins wondered if the amount of oil used to pop corn made a difference in the popcorn, while her sister, Madison Adkins, wanted to figure out which type of bat propelled a ball further.

Hannah Adkins and her science project.
Hannah Adkins and her science project.

These Beach Middle School blue team science students presented their projects last Friday. Nov. 8, to students in 6th and 7th grade, answering their questions during a science performance assessment.

The gold team science students presented their projects last Thursday, Nov. 7.

When asked how the students chose their projects, science teacher Dave Polley said the emphasis was on questions the students had themselves.

Watkin measured the resistance of the metals and proved his hypotheses that copper was the best heat conductor.

Yeakey says his hypotheses — adding corn syrup to normal bubble solution would make the bubbles last longer — didn’t work out the way he hoped it would.

Madison Adkins and her science project.
Madison Adkins and her science project.

“The normal store bought bubble solution works better than a solution with a 1/2-teaspoon of corn syrup added, Yeakey says, explaining the additional density didn’t enhance the length of time the bubbles lasted.

Madison Adkins hypothesized that a composite bat would send the ball further than wood or aluminum and her project “Going the Distance” proved her right.

Hannah Adkins learned that 1 teaspoon of oil popped more popcorn kernels than a 1/2 teaspoon when the corn was cooked on the stove.

Sarah Bunten, a 6th-grade teacher, said her class was visiting the science projects asking questions and seeing what they are doing in science class is connected to what they will study in the future.

“The eighth graders really put a lot of time into their projects,” one 6th-grader said, adding that her favorite project was one that involved the absorbancy of flour.

Zach Yeakey and his science project.
Zach Yeakey and his science project.

 

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