Suzanne Stewart
Staff Writer
More than 100 third through eighth grade Pocahontas County students converged on the Green Bank Observatory January 28 for the annual county Science and Engineering Fair.
While the main point of the event was for students to present their projects in one of more than a dozen categories, there was also time for the students to do experiments and learn additional science and engineering skills.
The students competed in an alien scavenger hunt, built their own scribble bots, learned about the supercooling properties of liquid nitrogen and tested their engineering skills by building landers for a payload to Mars.
That payload was an egg or as some students called it – an eggstronaut.
Students whose projects placed first in their category are eligible to compete at the regional science fair in Greenbrier County March 15.
Elementary
Animal Science – third place, Briley Reed and Talleighia Reynolds, “Cat vs. Maze.”
Behavioral and Social Science – first place, Rufus Morgan, “Soccer vs. Mood;” and second place, Emma Pugh, “Will the Color of a Drink Affect How the Drink Tastes?”
Chemistry – first place, Fenna Marks, “Candy Chromatography;” and second place, Jerzie Jackson, “What Kind of Water will Take the Color off a Skittle?”
Earth and Environmental Science – first place, Kysor Calhoun, “Rocks and Acid.”
Energy – third place, Ca-leb Moore, “Wind Energy.”
Engineering – third place, Abigail Arbogast, “Water Filter.”
Medical Science – second place, Cora Baldwin and Aaliyah Lawson, “Which Nail Polish Remover is Best?;” and third place, Madalynn Brock, Natalie Sisler and Gaven Starks, “Lotion Potion.”
Physics and Astronomy – second place, Isaac Brown, “Static Electricity;” and Braxton Pugh and Brayden Ray, “Radio Astronomy.”
Material Science – first place, Diamond Owens, “How Does Borax Affect Slime?;” second place, Lydia Taylor and Simon Scotchie, “Snap It;” and third place, Adalyn Beverage, “What Makes the Stickiest Slime?”
Middle School
Plant Science – second place, Aiden Wimer and Bayla Plaugher, “How Does Antibacterial Cleaners Affect Cells?”
Technology – first place, Lane Wilfong, “How Satellites Help Farmers.”
Physics and Astronomy – first place, Moriah Thompson, Alivia Morgan and Colton Propst, “Sun vs. Ice;” second place, Zara Fanning, “Falling Down;” and third place, Madelyn Rittenhouse and Lucas Sutton, “Mass and Speed.”
Medical Science – third place, Ivy Moore, Gemma Brewer and Skylar McLean, “Do Clowns or Spiders Scare People More?”
Behavioral and Social Science – first place, Sydney Slifer and Eli Beezley, “Mind Over Matter;” second place, Karli Boyd, Palmer Simmons and Ava Edwards, “Lie Detecting;” and third place, Emilie Shipman and Halayna Blechl, “Do You Like Your Veggies?”
Chemistry – first place, Eva Tanner and Ava Fields, “Brain Rot? Nawww, Teeth Rot;” second place, Hailey Goldsberry and Lilly Barr, “Flame and Torch;” and third place, Kylie Underwood, “Let it Glow.”
Animal Science – second place, Jolene Workman, “Horse Treats Anyone?;” and second place, Autumn Hively and Sienna Hamons, “Bit vs. No Bit.”
Engineering – second place, Ailec Lindbloom, “What Does a Hover Craft Ride on Best?;” and second place, Daltin White, “Ball Launcher.”
Material Science – first place, Sterling Tomlin, “Does Rebar Make Concrete Stronger?;” second place, Amaisty Sharp and Dorothy Murray, “Dying Fabric with Kool-Aid;” and third place, Arianna Cassell, “Skittles Color Science.”
Earth and Environmental Science – first place, Laelah Clendenen, “Hard Water;” and third place, Ryan Kloecker and Jase Mick, “How Does Air Temp Affect Tornados?”
