George Washington Students present experiments and research at STEM Fair

George Washington Elementary School students put their hypotheses to the test, and they presented their findings at the annual STEM Fair on Thursday. Students presented their experiments and research to their classmates during the day, and the final projects were shown after school to parents and judges, including White Plains staff and community partners. 

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Students in grades 3-5 were given the choice to research any scientific concept, whether they were exposed to it by teachers at school or it was just something that they were naturally interested in. Several of the projects explored different concepts discussed in class such as the laws of motion, bacteria and the solar system.

“Sometimes they're exposed to a topic like energy or force, and then that might prompt them to have a hypothesis,” said Principal Laura Mungin as the fifth graders prepared to present. “And then they can take that question and guide themselves or their partners through the scientific process.”

Students also gained experience in public speaking, as they needed to be able to describe their research and experiments to their classmates and the judges. One student, Ansley Sandler, explained how she used this opportunity to study the evolution of gender stereotypes.

“I studied gender stereotypes and how they have changed since 2015 opposed to now,” Ansley said as attendees viewed her poster board. “Because it's a social issue, I did a social experiment. I handed out these questionnaires, and I went around the school for fourth and fifth graders and asked them to fill them out.”

Her results showed her hypothesis, that gender stereotypes have changed since 2015, was partially true. 

“Certain things have changed, like favorite colors and hobbies, but some things we still need to work on, like jobs,” she said. 

Students took the lead on their projects, deciding their research topic and working after school and during free time to complete them. Students visiting the fair also filled out worksheets about what they learned from the projects. 

“I'm hoping that my students learn about the whole science process with conducting an experiment, forming a hypothesis, and actually going through all the steps,” said Lena Eldana, a fourth-grade teacher at George Washington. “A big benefit is that they can learn about something that they were just naturally interested in, because they had their freedom with selecting their topic and their questions.”

Students in the lower grades participated in the STEM Fair as onlookers. The experience of seeing their older peers’ research also helps to ignite their sense of scientific curiosity to tackle their own research once they reach third grade. 

Students also begin to understand that the scientific process never stops, and their conclusions may just bring more questions. One student, who was awarded at the fair last year, said it inspired further research because he had more questions from his conclusion. He decided to explore those questions in this year’s project.

“So it's kind of cyclical in terms of either planting an idea and then showing them how the scientific process works,” said Ms. Mungin. “Scientists are not finished because they answer one hypothesis.”

Ellie Tirado, a fourth grader who presented about the efficacy of animal camouflage, had a similar experience and would like to research further. She tested her sister and mother by hiding clay balls in materials of different colors, seeing which ones were found easiest and which ones were camouflaged effectively.

“I want to explore more about what other animals use camouflage,” Ellie said. “Like, what other animals use camouflage that I don't know about.”

Another fourth grader, Charlie Tocco, decided to study propulsion using balloons to push a model car. He found that his hypothesis, that the larger balloon would be more effective, was incorrect.

“I think this material is slightly lighter than the other two,” Charlie explained. “And with it being lighter, I think it pushed the car farther because it had less weight holding it down.” 

Charlie was also pleasantly surprised that his experiment was a topic that they began learning about in class soon after.

“When I picked this, I picked it right before we started learning about Isaac Newton's third law of motion. It tells me that for every action, there is an opposite in equal reaction,” he said.

The George Washington PTA was also instrumental in organizing the event and volunteering to help set up the fair. Volunteers were on hand throughout the fair during the day and in the evening to ensure a successful experience for the students and guests. At the end of the fair, exemplary projects for each grade were acknowledged by the judges.

Students who received exceptional feedback from the judges: 

3rd Grade
Giovanni Giordano - Slip, Slide and Science Friction
Mishika Venkatesh Kumaar - Water Seeks Its Own Level
Lincoln Nam - Center of Gravity

4th Grade
Ellie Tirado - Animal Camouflage
Charlie Tocco - What Balloon Will Push the Car the Farthest?
Claire Dowd & Julia Ravick - The Effects of Sugar and Acidic Drinks on Teeth

5th Grade
Sophia Ibanez, Catherine Brady, Jacqueline Ortega - What's in our Water?
Eve Matera - Are You Lovin It?
Alexander Garcia Rodriguez - How did Prehistoric Brains Evolve for Survival?

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