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Journal-News.com

Students given fair way to learn science

HAMILTON — Does the amount of air pressure inside a basketball affect its bounce?

Yes, it does, according to Grant Elementary fifth graders Harlan Fugate and Alyssa Crandall.

That question was the basis of their science fair project. After a number of experiments, the duo proved that if a ball is under-inflated, it bounces lower — if over-inflated, it bounces higher.

Working on science fair projects teaches students "organization, to think logically and focuses a lot on graphics and data collection," said Angie Nelson, a sixth-grade teacher at the school.

Students are required to follow a scientific method when doing their projects, which means they have to prove something or answer a question.

They come up with their own ideas for their projects, which is good, Nelson said. because it "allows them to explore something that they have an interest in."

"Basketball is also for women," said Crandall, who likes to play. Through her research for the project, she found that basketballs for women are "lighter."

Which "I think would be harder to control," Fugate

said.

A subject she found on the Internet and the fact that she has a 5-year-old sister led sixth grader Brittany Stewart to

do her project on "what age

do children know the difference between candy and medicine?"

Her hypothesis is that "a

7-year-old would know because they are older and their parents would have talked to them about it."

She plans to test her hypothesis next week on 5-year-olds;

6-year-olds and 7-year-olds.

Students in the Hamilton City School District who qualify will go on to present their projects at the Hamilton Rotary Annual Sixth Grade Science Fair scheduled May 13 at the Wilk's Center at Miami University Hamilton.

Contact

this reporter

at (513) 820-2158

or

lebbing@coxohio.com.