Viewfinder: Science Takes Center Stage at Jarrettown Elementary Fair

Jarrettown Elementary School hosted its fifth annual Science Fair Wednesday, April 6. 

Hundreds of parents and family members turned out to support participating students. There were more than 200 different science projects presented by over 250 students, nearly half of the school's population. 

The event was coordinated by the Science Fair Organizing Committee, which is composed of four women: Lisa Lownes, Laura Juelke, Deborah Carver and Mara Robu. Each woman had children who participated in the fair. 

At the fair, members of the community and Upper Dublin High School students come together to present hands-on, interactive activities and demonstrations promoting varying degrees of science awareness. 

This year, the Upper Dublin High School Robotics Club demonstrated three of the robots they have constructed and entered into various robotics competitions. Club members also gave younger students the opportunity to steer the remote-controlled constructions. 

Representatives of Upper Dublin's Robbins Park attended to promote the theme "Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle" with their program "Treasures from Trash." Volunteers helped children make "Shrinky Dinks" out of recycled no. 6 plastics. 

Jim Galloway, the former president of the Ambler Area 4-H Herpetology Club, brought various reptiles for both students and parents to see. His goal was to promote respect and reduce fear by allowing children to handle snakes and reptiles at a young age and under adult supervision.  

Members of Science Explorers, a company that hosts after-school clubs and summer camps, were also in attendence. They were running an interactive demonstration using vinyl alcohol as a polymer to create bouncy balls out of a Silly Putty-like substance. 

Even a former Jarrettown Science winner, Noah Carver, was helping to run an activity. The seventh-grade student at Sandy Run Middle School returned to teach other children about chemical bonds and molecular structures with toothpicks and marshmallows. 

Mara Robu, a biochemist from Fox Chase Cancer Center, gave students zebrafish, which were used to help study gene regulation in her cancer research. 

The fair itself is not a contest. However, fifth-graders participating in the science fair have the opportunity to enter a judged competition. Contestants had to design a rigorous experiment using the scientific method, and they had to present their project to a group of judges and demonstrate their understanding of the scientific principles they studied.  

This year's 2011 Jarrettown Elementry School Science Fair winners are:

First Place: Kevin Duan for "Does the Size of Parachutes Matter?"

Second Place: Anastasia Weggel for "Optimum Motor Design"

Third Place: Ean Lownes for "The Shocking Facts about Food"

Honorable Mentions were:

Reehan Siraj for "DS Wireless Communications"

Lea Mangifesta "Whose Mouth is Cleaner: A Dog's or a Human's?"

The judges were Honors and AP Science students from Upper Dublin High School, each of whom have competed in Science Fair Competitions at the high school level:  Jennifer Shah, Aurora Janes, Alex Weiss, Tom Parsons, and Carter Merenstein.  Their faculty advisor is Chris Smith.