Date: Tue, Mar 14th, 2023

Great Falls College Regional Science and Engineering for elementary students a big hit

Cason Lehnerz, a fifth-grader from Power, presentd a project titled "High Bouncers" at the Great Falls College MSU Regional Science and Engineering Fair on Tuesday. More than 50 students from throughout the region brought projects to the fair.

GREAT FALLS  — Dartanian Widhalm has some rather shocking advice for you.

“You should avoid working on electricity on carpet,” he said at the Great Falls College MSU Regional Science and Engineering Fair on Tuesday as more than 50 students from throughout the region demonstrated their scientific knowledge for judges.

The Sunburst fourth-grader conducted an experiment to help those working with electricity be as safe as possible.  

Widhalm tested out carpet, hair, plastic and cardboard to see which was safest to be around.

He hypothesized carpet would generate the most static, and he was right.

“You have to be aware of your surroundings,” he said about working with electricity.

Haris Bumgarner and Salem Wilson, fifth-graders at Belt, experimented with white sugar substitutes while making brownies.

“If you’re out of white sugar, don’t use molasses,” Wilson said.

“They were really dark and didn’t taste good (with molasses),” Bumgarner said. “They tasted kind of like barbecue.”

The other substitutes – brown sugar, honey and syrup – all tasted fine, the girls said, with just textural differences.

The aim of the elementary fair is to expose students to a broad range of scientific inquiry and give them the tools and knowledge needed to answer questions about the world around them. Student projects open the door to important concepts in physical and biological sciences.

When students were finished with judging they were able to take in hands-on scientific explorations thanks to various area businesses and civic groups.

On Thursday, the stakes get a little higher as the top two grand award project winners from the Great Falls College high school fair go on to compete at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in Dallas, May 13-19.

The top 10% of participants in the middle school fair (grades 6-8) will be nominated to advance to the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge.

Judges are still needed for Thursday’s fair, which will feature more than 200 projects.

“It is not possible without judges from all over the community,” said Charla Merja, Great Falls College science fair director. “It is incredibly fun, and we really appreciate those who are able to take a few hours out of their day to make this event possible for our youth. Plus, you’ll learn something.” 

To register as a judge, follow this link Judging Registration or go to https://bit.ly/3E5ypar, select the “Create Account” tab and select “Judge.”  This will take you through the necessary steps. 

Fourth Grade
Individual Projects

1st Place
Cadence Sudbrock
Calming Colors
Sunburst Elementary

2nd Place
Bree Chilton
Colorful Chicken Feed
Sunburst Elementary

3rd Place
Zoey Martel
Keep It Fresh
Sunburst Elementary 

Merit Awards
Consumer Science
Broklin Bykonen
Kernels Be Gone
Sunburst Elementary
Mesa Scalese
Hot Topic
Geyser Middle School

Earth & Space
Zoey Martel
Keep It Fresh
Sunburst Elementary
Tucker McAlpine
Icy Science
Sunburst Elementary
Dartanian Widhalm
Electrifying Materials
Sunburst Elementary

Health & Medicine
(Sponsored by Scheels)
Levi Taylor
Temperature and Pulse Rates
Sunburst Elementary
Cadence Sudbrock
Calming Colors
Sunburst Elementary

Medicine & Health
Bree Chilton
Colorful Chicken Feed
Sunburst Elementary

Microbiology
Jaxen Johnson
Misleading Liquids
Sunburst Elementary
 

Fifth Grade
Individual Projects
1st Place
Raya Sagnella
Dirt Be Gone: Filter Out the Yuck!
Sunburst Elementary
2nd Place
Colette Bucklin
Banana Wars
Sunburst Elementary
3rd Place
Hunter Fenger
Let There Be Light
Sunburst Elementary
 

Team Projects
1st Place
Landon Johnson
Garrett Remington
Unseen Airspace
Belt Elementary
2nd Place
Haris Bumgardner
Salem Wilson
Sugar Me Sweet
Belt Elementary
3rd Place
Khaila Gaylord
Kenady Keaster
Skunk Attack
Belt Elementary
 

Merit Awards
Earth & Space
Colette Bucklin
Banana Wars
Sunburst Elementary
Grayson Buckley
Power of Aloe
Sunburst Elementary
Andrew Whitman
Battle Against Erosion
Sunburst Elementary
Finnegan Frisbie
Refrigeration Without Electricity
Jenness Homeschool

Engineering
Raya Saganella
Dirt Be Gone: Filter Out the Yuck!
Sunburst Elementary
Otto Davis
How Does an Egg Float?
Power Middle School

Health & Medicine
(Sponsored by Scheels)
Logan Check
Are You Ready?
Power Middle School

Medicine & Health
Hunter Fenger
Let There Be Light
Sunburst Elementary

Microbiology
Memphis Pallare
Dirty Door Handles
Sunburst Elementary

Technology
Tory Bossen
Chromatography
Geyser Middle School
Mia Bossen
Mind Blown
Geyser Middle School
Caleb Toeckes
Volcano in a Bottle
Power Middle School
Cason Lehnerz
High Bouncers
Power Middle School
Isaac Toeckes
Which is the Bounciest
Power Middle School
 


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Record Number: 809


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