Get Ready for Science Fair Season: Tips, Projects, and Inspiration to Shine!

South Point is buzzing with excitement as the Lawrence County Science Fair approaches next month. Schools in the area are holding their own fairs to choose participants for this big event.

This week, Burlington Elementary hosted its science fair, while South Point Elementary showcased 43 projects in their gym. Fifth graders worked hard on their projects, competing in six different categories.

Tabatha Gordillo, the fifth-grade teacher in charge, said that students presented their projects to local judges. Later, at a ceremony with parents, awards were given out.

Some students teamed up, like Myles Joy and Garrett Hutchinson, who created “Boy vs. Bots.” Their project involved a small robot racing on a track, and they wanted to see if it could beat a 10-year-old boy. “We’re both very competitive,” Joy shared. They discovered that, over a specific distance, the robot and a boy ran similar times—six laps for the robot versus four to six for the boy.

Nahla Robinson worked on her own project, focusing on how light affects Venus flytraps. She set up three plants in different lighting: direct light, indirect light, and total darkness. Surprisingly, she found that the plants thrived best in indirect light, challenging her original hypothesis.

Robinson concluded that the plant exposed to direct light had acclimated too quickly after being bought from Lowe’s, where it was used to more indirect light.

Lyndlee Edwards explored common childhood fears in her project, “Things That Go Bump in the Night.” She aimed to prove that strange noises in homes aren’t caused by monsters. With her dad’s help, she recorded pops from different spots in a house, then created a device that mimicked those sounds by heating and cooling wood. Edwards quickly became confident in explaining her findings, even managing to present without notes.

Winners from these school fairs will get the chance to compete at the county science fair, organized by the Lawrence County Educational Services Center, set for February 6.