Lincoln School looking ahead to Science Fair

The annual Science Fair for the Lincoln Public Schools is set for March 6-7, 2024.

Students in grades 7-10 are required to participate, and the science fair counts for a large portion of their science grade.

During this long-term project, which begins the day students return from winter break and runs through March 7, when judging takes place, students come up with a hypothesis and then test and experiment to prove or disprove their idea. They then write their results and present it to the judges.

Students not only utilize their science skills, but are also able to use their creative skills when presenting their science boards. Everything on them are things they have come up with, researched, and designed.

Nancy Schwalm, the high school science teacher, has been part of this event for five years. She enjoys watching the students and seeing their breadth of ability and workmanship. Some of her favorite projects in the past are those where she learns something new from her students. She also really likes the projects where students demonstrate their knowledge and solve real world problems, especially those that also have an economic benefit.

One project from the past that Schwalm remembers, and was fascinated by, included the metal Gallium. Normally, this metal is solid, but will melt in the palm of the hand. One student's project involved taking the liquid form of Gallium and injecting it into a plant. The thought was that it would kill the plant, but it only killed the portion of the plant where cells were blocked and the rest of the plant continued to grow around it.

This year looks to bring more interesting scientific data. I spoke with one of the students as he was working on his project. It was a very interesting hypothesis, and one I'm looking forward to seeing completed for the science fair.

Parents and the community are encouraged to come and see what the students have been working on. The exhibits are open Friday, March 6 from 4-6 p.m, and all day Saturday until the students present their projects for grading to the judges. Awards are presented Saturday at 3:30 p.m. This is a great opportunity for the public to come and witness students academic knowledge and see the showcase of what students have come up with.

For more information, please contact Nancy Schwalm at [email protected] .