East Granby Middle School Science Fair Projects on Display

From concussions and biodegradability to suspension bridges and the absorption of heat, the science fair on Thursday night at East Granby Middle School showcased the talents of nearly 150 students. 

John Langan, a science teacher at the school and coordinator of the science fair, said the seventh and eighth graders spend roughly eight weeks choosing a project, putting it together and completing the experiment each year.

This year, 13-year-old Lily Gaudreau tackled heat absorption. Her project dealt with how the shape of a building affects how much heat is absorbed.

 “I want to be architect when I grow up," Gaudreau said. "I love math and science.” 

Gaudreau said she thought it would be 'really cool' to adjust the shape of a building to make it more energy efficient. In the end, she found that different climates produced different outcomes in terms of the amount of heat absorbed.

Drawing on his love of bridges, 12-year-old Alex Hacia chose suspension bridges for his science project this year. 

Hacia hypothesized  that if there is more suspension cable, then the bridge will sustain more weight. Hacia said during the project, he found that the bridge was more likely to be sturdy with more suspension. 

In addition to his interest in bridges, Hacia said he chose this topic on bridges because “there’s a lot of transportation on them."

Normally, Langan said between 500 and 600 people attend the fair, and are able to see the variety of projects on display. Thursday night brought a large group of students, parents and friends to the auditorium at the middle school for the fair. 

“They really up the ante over the years,” Langan said of the originality and creativeness of this year’s projects. 

And, Langan added, “It is good to see every one out for an academic purpose.”

All of the projects, Langan said, will be judged on Friday by scientists from the Department of Environmental Protection and Hamilton Sundstrand. The top six winners, he said, will go on to the state championship in mid-March at Quinnipiac University.