Green Elementary School Science Fair Inspires Student Scientists

The John Green Elementary School PFC teamed with Green Elementary student scientists, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), UC Berkeley, the Spectrum of Science Foundation (SOS), Dublin High School Academic Ambassadors and Green staff to host a science fair last Thursday. The goal was to encourage students to wonder, explore and discover new things, new ideas and new knowledge. The fair featured displays and interactive presentations by students and included LLNL’s Fun with Science program hosted by Nick Williams, UC Berkeley’s Pioneers in Engineering (PiE) robotics demonstration and Spectrum of Science interactive displays. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and UC Berkeley also recently supported the Dublin High School Engineering and Design Academy Open House featuring MythBusters (read more…).

UC Berkeley’s Pioneers in Engineering (PiE) is a non-profit robotics competition run by UC Berkeley engineering students and designed to encourage interest in science, math, and engineering amongst Bay Area students. Spectrum of Science brought anamorphic art and optical illusions to John Green.  SOS’s mission is to provide hands on science for all elementary students using fun and interactive techniques. John Green Elementary School was recently named a California Distinguished School (read more…).

LLNL’s Nick Williams and the Fun with Science program featured hands-on experiments to enrich and dazzle students including:

• Elephant Toothpaste – A chemistry experiment using H2O2 (Hydrogen Peroxide), dish soap, food coloring and KI (Potassium Iodide)
• Air Pressure – Several experiments, using a small vacuum pump and vacuum chamber, balloons, tin cans, lead bricks, shaving cream, containers of water
• Liquid Nitrogen (LN2) and Carbon Dioxide CO2 experiments
• Electricity experiment using a Tesla Coil – conductors and insulators (with students as the conductors)

The highlight of the event was the display of science projects by Green Elementary students (a few are showcased below). Parent volunteers Carolyn Caballero, Vijji Suryadevara and Houda Bourouha organized the event supported by John Green parent volunteers, PFC and school staff, three Dublin High School Academic Ambassadors and four 5th graders from the Green Leadership program. Dublin Councilman Don Biddle helped interview the students about their science projects. The event was sponsored by Green Elementary School’s PFC (Parent Faculty Club), along with volunteer time from LLNL, PIE, and SOS.

Below are just some of the student projects that filled Green Elementary School’s multi-purpose room:

• The Purpose of Fingerprinting (G.H. -2nd grade)
• Will Humpty Dumpty Crack Under Pressure? (Michael -1st grade)
• The Naked Egg (Michael -5th grade)
• Central Processing Unit (Rudra – 3rd grade)
• Spider Web Formation (Trinity – 5th grade)
• Splenda or Sugar? Which do Ants Prefer? (Zachary – 4th grade )
• A Volcano (Jaden – Kindergarten)
• Testing Hovercraft (Taris, 1st grade)
• Collection of Bay Area Shells (Natalie, Kindergarten)
• Solar Eclipse (Urmil, 1st grade)
• Quicksand  (Tavion, 3rd grade)
• Tornado Simulator (T.C., 5th grade)
• The Dark Side of the Moon (5th grade)
• The Science of Rock Candy (3rd grade)
• Destiny:  Density City
• Extraordinary Electricity
• Molds… lots of molds and crystals experiments!