Students in Kerry Eidson's fifth - eighth grade science classes at High Point R-III have been very busy preparing for the annual science fair.
Students were allowed to browse the internet, search through science fair books and just be creative for this years fair. Students did projects on energy drinks, performance enhanced by exercise, hearing loss with age, the different taste between sugar-free and regular, what to water plants with to make them grow the fastest, taste buds changing with age, popcorn, the best cleaners, just to name a few. Students used display boards for their hypothesis, facts and supporting documentation in order to be judged.
This year Robert Dover, former science teacher at High Point, and retired teacher Kathryn Capps interviewed the students and listened intently as they described what they had learned.
Dover and Capps had a very difficult time judging. "Many of the students did a top notch job," according to Dover. Eidson shared, "We only had nine points difference between first and last place for the eighth grade students. I am very proud of all of them."
This was the first year fifth grade students were allowed to be a part of the science fair. They were able to be judged at the school level, however, the winners will only be able to attend and observe at the Regional Science Fair Competition to be held at Lincoln University.
The competition was held Wednesday, Feb. 12, and the winners are as follows for the fifth grade class - first place, Tristan Porter; tying for second place, Sydney Percival and Jackson Rutledge; third place - Camron Little and fourth place, Mackenzie Blankenship. Sixth grade winners were Elizabeth Eidson, first place; Quinn Randall, third place; and Nathan Ahart fourth place. For the seventh grade class, first place, Trey Porter; second place, Destiny Cook; tying for third place were Kenzie Schuler and Kenyon Haggerman; fourth place went to Trey Gaunt. For eighth grade first place went to Brittney Sauer; second place - Haley Richardson; tying for third place were Molly Dampf and Olivia Percival; fourth place - Breckin Blankenship.
This was Eidson's first year to conduct the science fair at High Point and he was very pleased with the students. He is looking forward to taking them to competition at Lincoln University in March.