The 1st of July, 2021 was exceptional as far as learning and excitement are concerned. Middle school students had an opportunity to showcase their science projects to primary school students and teachers. It was wonderful to see the interactions among students explaining what they had learned or researched. All who visited the science fair were mesmerized by the variety and depth or topics our young scientists explored. Topics were drawn from what students have been learning during the school year.
Students chose a variety of projects from biology, chemistry, physics, and integrated science topics. The visiting students and teachers were thrilled to learn about things as common as getting electricity from fruits to the recent discoveries in DNA editing. Considering the experiences this week, it is obvious that learning can be an experience that brings tremendous joy.
Excellence is giving your very best and exceeding expectations. I am sure all the visitors to our science fair would agree that the participants did this. The standard for excellence is improvement on previous successes. This means, striving always to do better. This was exemplified during the science fair this week.
Our young scientists took ownership of each of their projects and were fully engaged throughout. From research, to organization to presentation they gave their very best. As a result, the excitement this week was epic and learning has been at its peak. All who were involved learned a great deal.
For students to understand how science works they need to learn to work and think like scientists. This is why the theme of our science fair was, “Think like a scientist.” Teaching scientific inquiry allows students the opportunity to develop skills to do science well. During the process, students make observations which lead to questioning. With these questions, they apply the science knowledge they have acquired over the years to formulate hypotheses and design experiments to test their hypotheses. Most of the participants demonstrated an understanding of the scientific process.
At the end of the science fair event, we had winners in two categories, the first was for the best project idea which went to grade 7A who had a project about gene editing. The winners of the next category for the best explanation and presentation were grade 8 students who described the wilder-beast migration phenomenon in the Serengeti region of Africa with exceptional clarity. All our young scientists did a remarkable job during the science fair event. We hope they will reflect and improve next time.
▲获奖作品
Finally, on the value of reflecting. It is said that Albert Einstein spent a lot of time reflecting. This practice, ultimately led to many phenomenal discoveries. The earlier part of his life was one of failure and disappointment. Perhaps, these were the cause of his reflections which contributed to his later success.
As the semester ends, it is of paramount importance to reflect on successes and failures. Congratulations to the winners of our science fair. We encourage them to reflect and sharpen their skills. For all our young scientist who did not win, we encourage them to aim high in creativity and honing their science skills. Today’s failure may contribute to tomorrows success if lessons are learned.
