***This article was written by Aundrea Serna, a participant of The Kewanee Voice Student Journalism Program, funded by the Harry Anderson Memorial Fund.
Curiosity, creativity and perseverance were on full display during the fourth-grade science fair at Wethersfield Elementary School last Tuesday.
Students presented projects across multiple branches of science, including physical science, life science, chemistry and earth and space science.
Fourth-grade teacher Amy Bryan said the purpose of the science fair is to encourage students to use their personal interests to drive curiosity, practice the scientific method and practice their presentation skills.
This year’s fair featured 34 student projects, with students working in groups of two to complete them. Some of the projects covered topics and questions such as what materials catch a bubble, whether color affects taste, how to grow the largest crystals and how the rings of Saturn formed.
Through the process, students learned that experiments do not always go as planned. However, this showed them that failure is the best teacher, as they then had to have patience, teamwork, and problem-solving skills.
Students faced numerous challenges while completing their projects. Many students said the hardest part of the project was identifying mistakes and what they were doing wrong. In addition to their experiments, students practiced explaining their projects visually and orally to family and community members.
The science fair also included several awards judged by two evaluators. Awards included the Future Scientist Award given to J.D. Maves and Greyson Burkeiwicz; the Junior Chemist Award won by Bexley Crabtree and Abby Peterson; the Student Choice Award won by Layla Ehnle, and the Outstanding Presentation Award won by Waylon Whitmer and Emmett David.
Bryan said the goal of the fair was to inspire curiosity.
“I want students to learn that curiosity is more than finding an answer; it is the process of learning why and how things work,” she said.
By combining hands-on learning and creativity, the fourth-grade science fair allowed students to explore science in a way that extends beyond simply looking up answers and into real-world discovery.
