May 2, 2012
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VICKSBURG, Miss. — ERDC Vicksburg volunteer judges reviewed and scored more than 1,300 science experiments during January and February at local elementary school science fairs.
Human Capital's Education Outreach Coordinator Rick Tillotson coordinated the judges for 11 local elementary schools, whose winners advanced to district fairs held Feb. 22-23 for grades one through three and four through six at Vicksburg's city auditorium.
Budding scientists and engineers stood by their tri-fold boards to answer judges' questions about their posted hypothesis, procedures and conclusions at the district fairs.
While science fair topics vary by school, consistent categories include physics, chemistry, earth and space, environmental, mathematics and engineering. Judges' scores were averaged to select first, second and third place winners in each category. After all projects are scored, judges confer on their top picks to choose the "Best in Show" from among all categories.
Warren Central Intermediate School Science Fair Coordinator Katrina Goodwin spoke of the challenge of placing projects in the correct series, "because some of them could qualify for more than one category. Each student in grades, four, five and six was required to enter a project in our fair, so that is why we had 181 entries."
Goodwin said that the students feel encouraged by doing well in science fairs. "We want them to keep achieving in the areas of science and engineering," she emphasized, adding that she could already see some of her students pursuing those career fields, even as young as they are now.
Warren Central Intermediate is one of seven elementary schools boasting a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) laboratory for the Vicksburg Warren County School District.
Judges learn about a host of varied experiments, from which of three detergents best cleaned dirty socks to construction details on building a workable World War II bunker radio. Of course, baking soda and vinegar volcanoes provide popular experiments, as do citrus acid-powered electrical currents measured on milli-voltmeters.
Winners are eligible to advance to the Mississippi Science and Engineering Fair Region II, one of seven science fairs held annually in Mississippi. Participants from schools in Claiborne, Copiah, Hinds, Madison, Rankin and Warren counties convene to present an estimated 1,200 projects in the areas of mathematics, science and technology. The winners of this event go on to compete in the State and International Science and Engineering Fairs.