How does water temperature affect cleaning effectiveness? Why do we feel warmer when we wear dark clothing compared to light clothing? Will salt crystals grow in liquids such as olive oil, vinegar, water, and cola? 

These questions, and lots more, were on the minds of our fifth graders this semester as they took on a six-week science project. At home, they worked through the scientific method (observation, hypothesis, experiment,  analysis, and conclusion), and their work culminated in the Grade 5 Science Fair, which took place on April 29 in the Bryan Innovation Lab.  

Grade 5 Teacher Ron Coles, who leads the annual event, said that the project allows our young scientists to develop their time-management, problem-solving, and critical-thinking skills. 

“Students can engage in any experiments they want as long as they can apply the scientific method,” explained Mr. Coles. “The projects that reach an unexpected conclusion are especially compelling, as our scientists realize that there is no straight path when it comes to experiments. The concept of ‘failure’ is just part of the process.”

Ruby Reynolds ’33 centered her experiment on tapered candles and wondered: Does candle color and scent affect its burn rate?

Over the course of several weeks, she experimented by burning three candles — pink, blue, and white — at the same time. She hypothesized that the white, unscented candle would burn the fastest. Meticulous photographing and note-taking led Ruby to conclude that the white candle consistently burned the fastest.

“I burned the eight-inch candles at the same time for 30 minutes,” she said. “Then I measured them and wrote down my results.” Ruby did this over and over and concluded, “If a candle has less pigment, it will burn faster.” 

Cooper Ryland ’33 gets a charge out of potatoes — literally! He experimented with four potato varieties (red, butter, russet, and sweet) by poking a zinc plate and a copper plate into each potato a few centimeters apart. With the help of a multimeter (which measures electrical properties), he used the 20-volt setting and recorded voltage readings over six weeks to see which spud variety produced the most electricity. He hypothesized that the butter potato would take the lead, but that was not the case: In the end, the red potato was the top tuber.  

What he most enjoyed about this project, said Cooper, “was the testing. And seeing the numbers pop up on the meter was pretty cool!” 

Like all Spartans, our fifth graders are learning in an environment anchored in Steward’s core values, including academic achievement, individuality, innovation, and inspiration. 

“My fellow fifth-grade teachers, Emily Oliff and Heidi Bailey, join me in congratulating our students,” said Mr. Coles. “We are impressed by their dedication and creativity and their ability to bounce back from the inevitable challenges that are part of all scientific experiments.”