Smart kids, helpful parents mark Monroe Elementary's 10th science fair
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Consultant-judge Bob Burns chats with second-grader Madelyn Wilson about her project on ocean habitat at Monroe Elementary School’s 10th annual science fair. Dozens of students participated in the non-competitive event.
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Claire Kettle sports antenna and a pair of wings as she talks to judge-consultant Dave Groth about her project on butterflies.
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Second grader Nicole Smazal crafted a normal brain and a brain having seizures out of gelatin and other ingredients for her science fair project on the brain and seizures.
JANESVILLE — If you drink two bottles of Mountain Dew a day for seven days you will have consumed 1.5 pounds of sugar.
The best way to preserve an apple is with sugar or salt.
Finally, if your dad is an electrical engineer, you will know more about ohms in third grade than the average, college-educated newspaper reporter.
All of those lessons and many more were learned at Monroe Elementary School's annual science fair.
This year, the fair celebrated its 10th anniversary, a significant milestone for an event that takes almost three months to organize, features between 80 and 100 kids and requires about 20 consultant-judges.
Monroe Elementary School principal Lori Burns, who has been at the school for four years, still is amazed by the whole production.
"It's fabulous; the PTA really gives 100 percent," Burns said, looking around the fair in wonder.
Rows of folding tables divide the school gym into tidy strips of brainpower and creativity. Nearly every table features a giant, tri-fold display board featuring photos of the kids at work, computer-generated graphs and charts, and typed or handwritten information about what they learned.
"The kids get to pick a topic that's important to them; it's not an assignment they have to put together," Burns said.
Harry Kubiak, first-grade student and future aeronautic engineer, experimented with paper airplane design.
Kubiak, 6, took the classic science fair project to the next level, sending each plane through seven rounds of testing and creating a spreadsheet of his results. When praised for his hard work and commitment to the scientific process, Kubiak just grinned.
Next to him, his sister Sarah Kubiak, 9, showed how she used a digital multimeter to measure ohms, thus demonstrating which water was cleanest.
According to Webster's, an ohm is "the practical meter-kilogram-second unit of electric resistance equal to the resistance of a circuit in which a potential difference of one volt produces a current of one ampere."
Sure, right.
Kubiak, speaking slowly and repeating herself, explained that the digital multimeter would react to particles in the water. The fewer particles, the cleaner the water.
Judges—they're called consultants because the fair is a non-competitive event—traveled up and down the rows, talking to the kids about their work.
Bob McCallister, geology professor at UW-Rock County, has been judging the contest for several years.
Like the other consultants, he's impressed by the creativity and mental engagement shown in the projects.
He sees students "following through a logical process." It's the "scientific process" at its most elementary level.
Dr. Bill Winkler, a family practice physician, was pleased to see how some families came together to help their children.
"I was really impressed by any kind of support the kids get at home," Winkler said.
Some siblings worked together on the same project. Sophia Dooman, 8, and Carson Dooman, 5, measured the amount of sugar in 18 sodas, sports drinks and other beverages. They illustrated their finding by putting the appropriate amount of sugar in the bottom of each bottle they tested.
Sophia and her mom, Renee Dooman, did most of the explaining, but Carson clearly knew what was going on with the project.
At the end of the evening, all of the students who participated received trophies with their names on them—tributes to their hard work, creativity and their science smarts.
Science subjects
A selection of topics from this year's Monroe School Science Fair:
First grade
-- Gravity brings me down
-- How fog forms
-- What makes a greyhound fast
Second grade
-- Lifting with pulleys
-- Spit test
-- Did someone say flat bread?
Third grade
-- Sugar vs. sugarless gum
-- Which pop is worst for your teeth?
-- Volcano
Fourth grade
-- How to make lava
-- Homemade slime
-- The coolest things about acids
Fifth grade
-- Potato vs. liver
-- Rice static
-- You are a battery!
Feb 13, 2009 at 4:06 p.m.
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I am so disappointed with some of the comments made on this wonderful event. This was our first year participating and our first year attending. I was so impressed! Yes, our family worked together on the science fair projects. It was great family time! And yes, my childre did a great job on their projects and learned alot from the experience. I was impressed by the quality of questions that science consultant asked and the time he spent conversing with the children on their projects! I too, stepped back and didn't answer anything about the projects because it wasn't mine to answer. As a family, we took the projects to the level that the kids wanted to take them to and nothing more. Perhaps instead of criticizing parents and children, we should thankful that there are parents who are showing how to be great role models for learning and also parenting! Shame on you SpongeBob! ( Also, nothing was graded....this was all done on the student's time away from school and noncompetitive!) Thank you Monroe School parents!
Feb 12, 2009 at 8:45 a.m.
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Actually I'm just bitter because I helped my kid with his science project and he only got a "C".
Feb 12, 2009 at 8:35 a.m.
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I've got to side with spongebob on this one. Science fairs are great but it's obvious that the parents do most of the work. But hey, if the kids learn anything from it then that's good too.
Feb 12, 2009 at 8:31 a.m.
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rocket21- Are you serious? There are only 11 posts here and you feel the need to copy and paste your previous comment? Do you really think it was that funny or are you just too unclever to think of something else? Thank you rocket21 for being the voice of the people.......twice. Be sure to copy and paste that amazing zinger to word, print it out and hang it on the fride for family and friends to enjoy as well.
Feb 12, 2009 at 8:07 a.m.
Feb 11, 2009 at 10:11 p.m.
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As a Monroe parent, I'd like to thank the community businesses, also, that helped make the Science Fair possible. Without their support and generous contributions, the Science Fair committee would not be able to rent tables or purchase trophies. And yes, I helped my two children with their projects and displays, but when the consultant came along, I stepped back and they did all the talking about what they discovered. The most important thing is quality family time we spent together working on projects, discussing them, and being at the Science Fair as a family. I am proud to be a Monroe parent! 10 years of science fairs is a fantastic accomplishment. The parent committee (not through PTA) works hard to make this all come together, and it was wonderful once again!
Feb 11, 2009 at 9:45 p.m.
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What a great story. Thanks.
Feb 11, 2009 at 9:20 p.m.
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Spongebob your rude these are kids from all grades and if you would of went you would see a lot of great projects that kids did! Yes parents help every child gets a trophy and tells the judge about their projects it's really cool.Maybe next year you will go and see it for yourself and its free to the public. way to go monroe mustangs!
Feb 11, 2009 at 9:07 p.m.
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Keep up the good work, kids. Science is fun and most kids love it. I was a judge at an elementary school science fair a few years back. Smart kids for sure! The kids do a lot of work on their projects, and those whose parents helped too much got lesser scores. Let me tell you it was obvious when parents intervened, because the projects were well above the aptitude for the grade level and they were more interested in the project at judging time than their kids. I wonder if every school in the district has an annual science fair?
Feb 11, 2009 at 7:40 p.m.
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I am a scientist and I have long been amazed and astounded that children are such natural scientists, beginning at birth. They investigate and probe the world around them just like a scientist. Somewhere between birth and about age 11, the wonder and awe that propels this natural curiosity is browbeaten out of them by impatient parents and a society that still would prefer children be seen and not heard. If SpongeBob thinks children between the ages of 5 and 11 cannot be mesmerized by numerous scientific subjects, then he or she is guilty of a very typical underestimation of the abilities of children. I applaud Monroe for recognizing and nurturing the scientific potential in all their students.
Since this is not a competitive event in Monroe, I see no problem with family involvement in the projects. That's why the consultants roam around and ask questions, to see how much the kids have learned in their research. And a quick review of a few of the topics will indicate that the kids DID investigate things near and dear to their hearts, like soda and spit (maybe these substances even came from their noses). Any school event that brings families together in a learning environment should be praised, not scoffed at, SpongeBob.
Feb 11, 2009 at 7:05 p.m.
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That's kinda the impression I got...but, it's been that way for a long time.
Feb 11, 2009 at 6:26 p.m.
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Judging by the pictures shown above it appears that the kids' parents did a great job in the science fair this year. These are freakin' second graders! If it's not a project about what they're picking out of their noses then they could care less.
Feb 11, 2009 at 2:43 p.m.
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What a great story. Keep up the good work Monroe! Sorry I had to miss it this year.
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