All School Science Fair draws 72 entries

Have you ever wondered what the germiest place in the school is? Or what solution will remove a stain from a five by five piece of fabric the best? 

Perhaps you thought about how music affects a dog’s behavior? Or if the five second rule is true? These are just some of the questions that students in the Hill City School District aimed to answer by scientific investigation at the annual All School Science Fair.

This year’s science fair had 72 entries with nearly a quarter of the student body participating. There were 38 elementary school exhibits, 27 middle school exhibits and seven exhibits from the high school. Students could enter by themselves, with friends or family or even as an entire class. 

Displays were judged in several categories including creative ability and originality, clarity, skill/age-appropriateness, thoroughness and scientific investigation. Each exhibit was judged by four judges with two different judging sessions. Fourty-eight people volunteer to be judges, consisting of  parents, grandparents, community members, business owners and science geeks. Normally science fair participation is high, with over 100 entries in previous years .

Last year the science fair was virtual because of COVID-19 and participants had to do videos to explain their projects, likely impacting participation this year.

Staff is hoping to get enthusiasm back for the program. New teachers including a new high school science teacher are helping to create more momentum for the fair. 

Besides science fair exhibits, students were also treated to a mobile planetarium courtesy of the Journey Museum. The Journey in Space Program, which normally occurs in the Journey Museum theater, displays real-time NASA images, in this case projected onto a blown up planetarium dome.

“It’s a snapshot of what’s actually taking place in the sky currently,” said Mallory Bader, museum services manager.

For those wondering, the water fountain is not the germiest place in the school. It is the ledges of the whiteboard that boasts the most germs. As for the  five second rule, according to data collected by students, it is not true.