Future scientists and engineers show prowess

Hundreds of Pasco County middle and high school students came to River Ridge High School on Saturday to put their academic prowess and creativity on display at the Pasco Regional Science and Engineering Fair.

Christabel Johnson, a student at Dayspring Academy Middle School, in the Port Richey area, dressed for the occasion. With her lab coat and safety goggles, she looked and sounded every bit the scientist as she described her experiment, which she called, "The Polar Bear Molecule."

The name refers to a water molecule. With its two hydrogen atoms attached to a larger oxygen atom, it resembles the head of a cartoon polar bear, Christabel explained. But as she continued, it was clear the cute name was linked to some advanced concepts.

Employing a mock-up of the device she used to gather data, Christabel asked the question that spurred her experiment: If she charged water and hydrogen peroxide with the same amount of electricity, which would yield more pure hydrogen and oxygen gas?

She said she got the idea while watching a TV show about future space travel. The show explained how astronauts on long-range missions would need to harvest hydrogen for fuel and oxygen for themselves.

Christabel's presentation had all the elements of a good science fair entry: a sound premise, solid science and a clear and catchy presentation. It was good enough for second place in her division and a berth at the state science fair this spring.

But Christabel's entry was just one of dozens of presentations on display Saturday. Individually, the presentations posed fascinating questions and displayed cleverness in the pursuit of answers.

David Gamero of Lady of the Lakes Academy and Colin Hanlin of St. Anthony's entered the middle school engineering category.

Gamero set out to see if he could design and build a functional LED numerical display using only switches and circuits. Hanlin's goal was to design a better doughnut box that would prevent the contents from getting smashed.

Some students delved into sophisticated principles.

Koosh Patel, from Dr. John R. Long Middle School, experimented to see whether fresh, frozen or freeze-dried sugar cane leaves would yield the best DNA samples.

Madeline Sierra from Paul R. Smith Middle School sought to pinpoint the optimum conditions for common kitchen microorganisms to thrive.

One student, Summer Anani of Pasco Middle School, counted the colors in several bags of M&Ms and turned it into an exercise in mathematical probability.

It's all about minds in motion, said Mark Butler, an environmental education resource teacher and staff member with Pasco County Schools' Curriculum and Instructional Services Department. Butler, who served as one of the judges Saturday, said he looks forward to the science fair every year.

"I love to see the motivation," Butler said.

As a judge, the amount and quality of work that a student puts into a project can be assessed in many ways, Butler said.

"An understanding of the scientific principles has to be there," he said. The topic is less important than the science applied to it. "I look for innovation. It has to be creative," he said.

It's important for the students to show they understand the scientific process, he said. Is there a clear hypothesis, does the experiment address the hypothesis and are the results of the experiment presented well?

"I tell students, if they aren't standing there, could someone walk up and understand what their experiment is about," Butler said.

Presentation matters, too, he added. When a student can add a bit of flash or flair, it shows the wheels are turning.

Even if the final presentation is rough, Butler said it's gratifying to see when younger students have a grasp of all the elements.