FAIRFIELD — Seventh and eighth grade students at Fairfield Center School participated in the school’s first ever-science fair on Tuesday.
The event was part of Fairfield’s project-based learning unit, an instructional approach designed to help students develop knowledge and skills by tackling real world problems,
Pairs of students chose a testable question and used the scientific method to test their hypothesis. No two questions were the same, and some students were surprised by their results, teacher Gabby Brown said.
“I thought the heaviest ball would roll the farthest, but the lightest actually went further,” Bentley Daudelin said. “The rubber caught more momentum.”
He and Olivia Mayville rolled three different balls made of different materials down a homemade ramp three times each and averaged the distances rolled. Their data showed not only did the weight of the balls matter, but the size too.
“This was fun,” Daudelin said. “I liked this project because it was hands-on.”
During the science fair, students also got public speaking experience, as they presented their project to visiting peers and community members.
Sara Golden and Lainey Smith tested how long it took three different types of candy to melt.
Overall, the project taught them how different factors, like temperature and environment, can affect the outcome of an experiment.
The girls had placed the candies atop aluminum foil on a hot plate, but said if they were to do the experiment again, it would be better to boil the candies in water so they don’t burn.
“I liked working together and getting feedback from other people,” Smith said.
“It was nice to get to eat candy too,” Golden said.