St. Raphael School students in grades K-4 worked hard during Memorial Day weekend to put the final touches on their respective science projects, which they proudly displayed at their Science Fair on May 27.
Through their science projects, students sought to answer questions such as What impact does your carbon footprint have on climate change? What are the effects of drinks on your teeth? Can a lemon be used to power a light bulb?
Each student asked a scientific question and proceeded to answer the question by using the scientific method: formulating a hypothesis, attempting to prove their hypothesis through experimentation, analyzing results, and forming a conclusion.
At the helm of the Science Fair is junior high science teacher, Dr. Questa Medrano, who is also a forensic anthropologist for the Los Angeles County Coroner. She organized a school-wide science fair to engage all students in learning about science through experiments selected and conducted by the students themselves. The excitement generated through these projects was evident.
“Student participation and parent involvement exceeded our expectations,” said Barbara D. Curtis, principal at St. Raphael School.
St. Raphael School plans to implement a new science/technology program as an introduction to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). This new program will augment the current junior high science curriculum to include technology, along with interactive science software, biology specimen for dissections, and chemistry sets.
