“I would like to find a way to get the entire school involved with Science Fair,” said sixth grade Science and AVID teacher Ms. Valerie Armstrong

On February 2, Armstrong’s science classes and students who joined the club participated in the Science Fair.  It was an all-day event; students were welcomed review projects at lunch and after school.

According to Armstrong, by participating in the Science Fair students learn how scientists find answers to questions.  It is also a basic philosophy of her teaching and she mentioned that her students learn better when you actually do it.

Armstrong said that over 100 students participated, about 120 parents/siblings volunteered, 11 guest off-campus judges came, and two teachers helped judge, who were Mrs. Cristina Barber and Mrs. Imrana Iqbal.  The science fair has been going on four years here at MacArthur, but it’s her fifth year overall.

Armstrong said that each year begins a new year for the science fair because there are new students and new projects.  Students in her science class started working on the project in September and would work on it during class once a week.  Students who joined the club started in November.

According to Armstrong, she began the Science Fair as an annual event because it encourages students to think like a scientist, and it’s an important part of developing skills and having fun.

“The Science Fair was enjoyable because I got to experience new things and meet new people,” said sixth grader Isabella Novella.

The projects that are chosen to go on in the Orange County Science and Engineering Fair are based off the Judges score. Armstrong is in charge of tallying up the scores. The list was placed on February 8 outside of her door.

“Some things that I liked about the Science Fair was that the students would be able to walk around.  I also liked that the parents could join their child with this experience,” sixth grader Arleth Ochoa

All these students above are eligible to move on to compete at the Orange County Science and Engineering Fair. There are the top 3 and 11 honorable mentions chosen. On March 12 students go to set up their projects and on March 14 the judging begins. Students can either use the same project board or take the feedback from the judges and make it look better.

“The Science Fair was fun and enjoyable because I had the freedom to pick whichever experiment I wanted” said sixth grader Kendyl Pola.  

Below are the results:

First Place: Angie Patino and Dafne Varela

“Comparing Non-Renewable and Renewable Fuels”

Second Place: Alaina Hernandez-Nguen and Jeanine Khuc

“How do Different Genres of Music Affect Study”

Third Place: Isabella Novella, Alexandra Romero, and Genae Lumpkin

“How do Man-Made Materials React Differently than Natural Materials To Dye”

Honorable Mentions:

Bethany Alvarez, Katelyn Nguyen

“In which temperature do the crystals grow the largest?”

Ariel Arriero, Ashley Garcia, Evelyn Reyes

“Which Liquid Will Keep Strawberries From Growing Mold Longest?”

Kimberly Cabrera, Valerie Morales

“Which egg substitute works best as a leavening agent?”

Joseph Lira

“What Color Absorbs More Heat, Black or White?”

Isabella Alaniz, Kimberly Tiempos, Kassandra Galaviz

“Do You Really Need All the Ingredients in Your Cupcakes?”

Osmin Ventura

“Will the Direction and strength of the magnetic field affect the direction the motor will turn?”

Adrian Sanchez, Mike Nava, Christopher Arteaga

“How Much Salt is Needed in Water to Make an Egg Float?’

Christian Orozco, Anthony Ruiz, Jacob Sandoval

“How do Different Terrains Affect the Speed of our Bristlebot?”

Arleth Ochoa, Randy Espinoza, Nikolai Caro

“Will the Different Types of Fruits and Vegetables Light Up a Light Bulb?”

Angela Ayala, Natalie Pablo, Valerie Martinez

“How Will Hot Ice Cream Melt Differently When We Add Different Amounts of Methyl Cellulose?”

Teresa Gutierrez, Giselle Lindsay

“How Does Cornstarch Affect a Bath Bomb Recipe?”