Gross but Great!

On Friday, February 7th I had the pleasure of judging a Science Fair at Noble Academy.  Participants in the science fair were students in the 5th – 8th Grade.  I had the honor of judging a group of students that were interested in moving on to a statewide competition.

This was my first experience judging a Science Fair and I had no idea what to expect.  I was very impressed with some of the projects that I saw and with the students that presented their work.  I was impressed with many of the students and the projects that I saw.  The students clearly put a lot of time and effort into their projects.

There were two young ladies that really impressed me.   The first young lady experimented with the best way to clean and sanitize a tooth brush.  Her research question was, “What method of disinfecting a toothbrush kills most bacteria?”  When presenting her project, you could see how proud she was of the work that she did!  She had all of her procedures clearly outlined and attractively displayed.  While talking to her about her project, she spoke very confidently about how she conducted her experiment.  It was very inspiring to me to see her enthusiasm. 

The second young lady experimented with growing bacteria on a variety of items.  Trust me when I tell you I learned more about bacteria and where it grows than I wanted to know!  Her research question was, “How does bacteria spread in our lives?” There are so many items that we handle on a daily basis without giving a second thought to the germs and bacteria that may be growing on them.  One of the items she used in her experiment was a cell phone.  I know that when I put my cell phone up to my ear and mouth, I was not thinking about bacteria, but I sure am now.   I was a little dismayed to discover that she found more bacteria in the kitchen than in the bathroom!

I was fascinated with the research questions that many of the students came up with.  Their sense of curiosity was contagious and as they presented their projects, you could see that they were really engaged and invested.  Not only did they gain scientific knowledge, they also developed presentation skills.  I was amazed at their comfort in describing their projects and answering questions.  I see a bright future for these students and pray that their curiosity and enthusiasm continue to inspire them in the future.

I am grateful to Noble Academy for inviting me to be a part of their Science Fair.  I truly appreciate the opportunity to see some of the exciting things that are going on in the schools and to meet some of the impressive young people that will be making the important scientific discoveries in the future.