Schools
Engaging the Imagination Through Science at Sea Crest School
Half Moon Bay school revamps traditional science fair model and hosts first-ever Science Festival instead.
by Ellen Wright, Sea Crest School
Science is an important part of the curriculum at . Starting in kindergarten, students view science as a way they can explore and learn to understand their world.
This year, Sea Crest decided to revamp the old model of the 7th-grade Science Fair and replace it with a school-wide Science Festival.
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At the Jan. 12 event, physicists from the Lawrence Hall of Science showcased a fantastic array of interactive experiments and exhibits that literally left your hair standing on end. As “science wizards,” students explored the almost magical properties of matter and energy, participated in high voltage and subzero experiments, and figured out how things work in the fun, fact, and phenomenon-filled world of physics. The Lawrence Hall of Science shared the stage with Sea Crest 7th-graders who proudly displayed the end results of their own scientific journeys.
7th-grade scientists answered questions from parent and student visitors. Students’ exhibits demonstrated lessons learned in a broad array of scientific inquiry, including biological, behavioral, physical, and Earth sciences.
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Projects were judged by a group of volunteers from a variety of backgrounds.
Five of the 7th-grade projects were selected for competition in the upcoming Fair:
- Shannon Harger, “What is a Dog Doing?”
- Sean Koenig, “Everything I Need to Know, I Learned in a Petri Dish”
- Matthew Marsland, “Muscles and Electricity”
- Morgan Drobnick, “Does It Matter What Size Your Bat Is?”
- Keaton Macdonald, “Trebuchet Optimization”
The Science Festival helped to prepare these young scientists for what lies ahead at the county and, possibly, state levels of competition.
Judging by the enthusiasm of students and parents alike, this is a new tradition that is here to stay. Next year, Sea Crest School looks forward to opening up the Science Festival to the whole Coastside community.
We believe science matters, and want to give all children a chance to join the fun. Perhaps some of these students will be the next generation of inventors and innovators.
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