Caldwell Science Fair: Evolving from Volcanoes to Robots

While the projects have evolved from baking soda-powered volcanoes and light bulbs powered by potatoes, the grade-school science fair is a classic piece of Americana that continues to endure in the Caldwells.

Only now, they’ve got robots.

On April 9, displaying their projects before a judging panel that included representatives from Novartis, Students2Science and Montclair State University, eighth-grade students from Grover Cleveland Middle School in Caldwell participated in the school’s first eighth-grade science fair.

Showcasing the process and results of various in-home experiments that compared attributes of common household items - including the absorbency of sponges, fizziness of soda and viscosity of ketchup - the students dazzled the professional scientists with their knowledge of the scientific process and their ability to present and respond to questions from fair attendees.

The event, which showcased nearly 100 scientific experiments, also featured a robotics competition for students currently enrolled in the STEM class at the school.

Student award recipients included:

• Marie Curie Award: Nicolas Galup, Gianfranco Martone, Steven Heredia and Christian Dremel (for comparison of light bulb temperatures)
• Brahmagupta Award: Ryan Stevens, Julia Tuck, Hakim Cottle and Nicole Caracappa (for an experiment on syrup viscosity)
• Steven Hawking Award: Brianna Thompson, DeeAnna Meluso, Marisa Novak and Alison Frank (for an experiment on the drying time of nail polish brands)
• Robotics Maze Challenge Awards: First-place team of Devon Stafford, Allie Vinick and Rebecca Zaki; Second-place team of Nicholas Castellano and Madelyn Chelak

According to a release, the fair and associated competitions were the idea of parent Rosa Biancone, who has a seventh-grade student at the middle school.

“It started last year when I was invited to a robotics class,” said Biancone. “I witnessed the kids having so much fun while learning quite complex concepts, and I was equally impressed by the enthusiasm of the teachers.”

Several local companies and individuals sponsored the event, including Camaco, Inc., Jack’s Foodtown, Adeline Biancone and Leslie Girordano, Chase Bank, Sheikh Ali and Anita Garay, and Jack Sauer.

Photo courtesy of Christine Corliss

Photo caption: Novartis scientist Aida Mark, right, poses with the winners of the Steven Hawking Award, Brianna Thompson, DeeAnna Meluso, Marisa Novak and Alison Frank, during a science fair at Grover Cleveland Middle School in Caldwell.

Send Caldwell area news releases and tips to eric.kiefer@patch.com