Unioto wins Elementary division at district science fair
CHILLICOTHE― Five fifth-grade Unioto students qualified for the state science fair after receiving high marks in the district competition.
The students are part of Unioto's SCOPES program. SCOPES stands for Science Cooperative of Physicians and Elementary Students. It is Unioto's program for accelerated students and helps to provide higher learning in STEM subjects. For the science fair, the students had to investigate a question they had using the scientific method.
Students Easton White, Paisley Paige, Autumn Lemaster, Noah Wallace and Isaac Purtee have been working on their projects since August and competed in the district science fair in March, all receiving superior marks. Having five students reach the high standard also allowed Unioto to win the elementary division at the fair.
White looked into the relationship between air quality and water quality. He became interested in the topic after a house fire and shellac primer changed the quality of his pet axolotl's water.
Paige investigated the effect of bridge design on weight-bearing capacity. She made three types of bridges of out popsicle sticks and tested which design would hold the most weight. Her truss bridge held almost 200 pounds. Paige said she would like the be an engineer when she grows up.
Lemaster posed the question, "Are fingerprints inherited." She collected fingerprint samples from multiple members of the same family, which included a pair of identical twins, and compared the patterns. Her conclusion: fingerprints are not inherited.
She said presenting her project to the district judges built her confidence and presenting skills.
"They kind of were slow with their talking and knew how to ask the question in order for me to understand it," Lemaster said. "I expected to have trouble answering some of the questions, but it turned out to be a lot easier. And presenting was not as nerve-racking as I expected. It was fun. It was a good experience."
Wallace investigated how drag affects the flight of different types of paper airplanes. He said he came up with the project because he's good at making paper airplanes. He's never been on an airplane before, he added.
Purtee investigated what common substance would melt ice the fastest. He tested the melting speed using sodium chloride, calcium chloride, sugar and sand. The sodium chloride melted the ice the fastest.
More: SCOPES students wow parents with science fair projects
SCOPES teacher Jenni Domo said the research can help students make early decisions about their future career paths.
The students have all entered the virtual Ohio state science fair.
Additional awards:
AEP Foundation Environmental Science Award: Easton White
Ohio Water Environment Association Award: Easton White
1st place Earth and Environmental: Easton White
2nd place Engineering: Paisley Paige
3rd place Biomedical Science Category Winner: Autumn Lemaster
US Metric Association: Noah Wallace
1st place Chemistry Science Category: Issac Purtee
National Oceanic Award: Isaac Purtee
Megan Becker is a reporter for the Chillicothe Gazette. Call her at 740-349-1106, email her at mbecker@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @BeckerReporting
This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Unioto wins science fair elem division, five students going to states
