Caleb Science Fair

Hi, my name is Caleb Peaden. I like the book “The Seven Silly Eaters”.

In the book Mrs. Peters has seven kids who will each only eat one kind of food. For her birthday, they decide to make her a breakfast of all their favorite foods.


It doesn’t go well.

First Mac’s oatmeal turned out lumpy, which made poor Mac turn Grim and Grumpy.

In fact, the lumps got him so cross, he dumped them in Jack’s applesauce.

This bothered Jack so much he threw it in the dough of Mary Lou.

Who tossed the mismash that that made straight into Lucy’s lemonade.

And that put her in such a huff she poured the icky sticky stuff

Into the double frying pan that held the eggs of Flo and Fran. Who flung the hodgepodge on the spot into the milk in Peter’s pot.

It was a disaster so the kids put it in the oven to hide the mess. When Mrs. Peters wakes up she finds a “pink and plump and perfect” cake!


For my experiment I wanted to know if you could Make Mrs. Peters Birthday Cake. My brother did an experiment about the seven silly eaters but it did not go well. I thought that if we used HOMEMADE ingredients it would work better.

So I made two cakes.

For one I did exactly what the book said. I dumped each ingredient into the next. It did not turn out very well because the inside didn’t cook, so we left it in for a long time and the outside got burned. Then we set it outside and it rained so it was super soggy. However, the top of it looked more like the book than my brothers.

The other we made with all the ingredients but different directions, it turned out much better - It looked like Mrs. Peters birthday cake but tasted more like bread than cake. 

I found that you can NOT make Mrs. Peter’s birthday cake like her kids in the book.

Austin Science Fair

Hi, my name is Austin Peaden. I wanted to try seeing if the popping method made a difference in the volume of the popcorn.


We have made popcorn at home before and noticed that the brown paper bag cooked the popcorn differently than on the stove. I wanted to know the best way to make the fluffiest popcorn and decided that measuring the volume was the best way to test that.

First I did some research,

I learned that there is a little water inside the popcorn kernel. When you heat the kernel up, the water turns into steam which gets bigger and bigger until it pops out of the shell.

I tested 4 different ways to pop popcorn to see if the way we cooked it changes the volume. We used ½ cup kernels each time and gathered data on the outcome.

My hypothesis was right. I thought the air popper would work the best and it did. The popcorn kernels were fluffier and bigger and had the largest volume. They were perfectly golden-yellow and had the least unpopped kernels.

The microwave was harder to make sure the popcorn didn’t burn.

The stovetop popped really good but the kernels were smaller and denser. Because we cooked the kernels in oil, they ended up weighing almost twice as much.

I loved this project, it was so fun and we got to eat a LOT of popcorn afterwards.

Lydia Science Fair

Hi, I’m Lydia. My science project this year is called “rainbow density”. 

Did you know density is not just weight? I didn't know that until this experiment! I didn't want my project to be something easy, or something I already knew the answer to. I had a couple ideas about density projects, so my mom gave a density challenge. It was pretty fun. 

I was challenged to make a density rainbow. I had 11 different materials.i had 3 research attempts. After my third one, I had to use my knowledge from my research attempts to create a 5 layer density rainbow. I did get to use food coloring, but I couldn't use it in any of my oils, or darker colored liquids. I almost succeeded, but my green sort of fought and won a battle with my yellow. I couldn't really count the blackish puddle in the middle of the cup. 

So my conclusion is it might be possible with more attempts, or more materials, but i was unable to make a color accurate density rainbow in a cup. 

As part of the challenge I also got to do two side experiments, involving ice cubes and grapes. (what city has the largest population? Den- city! ) they are on the bottom of my poster board, for the first one I had a cup layered less dense to more dense: vegetable oil, water, maple syrup. I had to make a hypothesis of where the following objects wound land in the cup. 

The items were,( pick up as said)an ice cube,a small piece of cardboard, a screw, and a grape. I had to make a hypothesis and when I tested it the ice cube floated on top, the cardboard floated just above the water( we think it soaked in oil), the nail went straight to the bottom of the cup and the grape bounced just above the syrup. Some of my hypotheses were right but not all of them. You can see details on my board after the presentation. 

For the second experiment I had to try to make another density rainbow but this time it was with colored water. I used salt to try to increase the density of the water. It was blue then a line of green and then pretty much black maybe really dark green to the top and then there was a maybe red layer that if it was there it was very, very, thin.

My project was fun and I learned a lot about density( and hopefully you did too)() I have had a lot of fun with this project. Any questions?

Rubbing Alcohol

Juice Cocktail

Cream Soda

Corn Syrup

Honey

Science Fair

We usually host our science fair in February, but this year I got behind on the preplanning stages and the thought of trying to make it happen in February quite literally brought me to tears. I ended up deciding that if I felt like it would cause significant stress and struggle - it wasn't worth pushing for it just because that's what we usually do. People were understanding and supportive when I canceled the science fair with the hope of being able to reschedule later in the spring. When we canceled, I wasn't sure that we would even be able to reschedule - but everything fell into place once I had a little more time and breathing room. We held the science fair kickoff and the science fair in the Kimber Acedemy building and the whole thing was a success. 

Science Fair Kickoff - March 25, 2023
We did a rotation for each of the steps of the scientific method. Question, Hypothesis, Experiment, Data, Conclusion. Each rotation had a small lesson about why that step was important and a small activity for the kids to do together. Then we came back together at the end for a group discussion to get the kids excited about doing their own science project. 

(note: next year I want to have one single science project and break into as many groups as we need but do one project from start to finish)

Prepping for Science Fair/ Projects
The kids did some great projects this year and I felt really satisfied with the amount of effort and the total experience. I am going to write a blog post for each science project with more details and pictures, but wanted to do an overview here. 

Caleb - Mrs. Peters Birthday Cake 

Caleb was unconvinced that Austin's previous science experiment truly replicated the book's instructions and wanted to try again. I loved this science project the first time so I was happy to do it again with Caleb. 

Austin - Popcorn Volume 

Austin was excited to test different cooking methods of popcorn to see if it affected the volume of popcorn. This was sparked because I've been making popcorn in the microwave in a brown paper sack lately and then once I made it on the stovetop for the kids. We noticed the texture was a little different and decided that volume would be the best variable to test. We ate a lot of popcorn this week. 

Lydia - Density of Liquids

Lydia really struggled to nail down a science experiment she wanted to do. She has such big ideas and I wasn't sure we could make some of her more extravagant thoughts happen, however, it was important to her that she not already know the answer to the question - she wanted to really discover the answer. Finally, I decided to present her with a science fair challenge where she had three practice attempts exploring the density of different liquids and then had to try to create a rainbow of liquid using their density as separation. 

Science Fair - April 22, 2023
The kids did great on their presentations and we had a great turnout. I love my kids having this experience and think it's such a valuable part of their education so I am thrilled that it came together this year. I had enough time/energy to print all of the materials for the day - but the real magic is when everyone shows up and shares the things that they have been working on. 

I had four judges come and I split the projects into two rooms, two judges per room. The only thing that I think I will change from here on out is the way that medals are awarded. When I first started doing the science fair I read a bunch of articles and blog posts about "How to host a science fair!" One of the things that was repeatedly mentioned was the importance of having a science fair winner. There were lots of different ways that you could determine that winner, and we ultimately decided to take a popular vote. We were a small group and my judges didn't feel confident in their ability to pick winners. It worked fine, but with each passing year it's felt more like a popularity contest than people judging for the best projects. I would like to change next year to have a gold silver broze for popular vote and a gold silver bronze "Judges Choice".  I've felt it was important to have outside feedback for the projects and have consistently had judges fill out rubrics for the projects and it makes sense to have them pick their top 3. I wish I would have implemented that this year, but I didn't and it's okay - we keep learning and adjusting as we do. 




Austin and Caleb both won medals in their age group; 

Austin 2nd Place Silver  (9+)
Caleb 3rd Place Bronze (8 and Under) 

I can not express the level of relief when the science fair was over and everything had gone relatively smoothly. It was a push to make the science fair happen this year, but we rode it out and it all came together. On the way home we stopped at Arctic Circle for Ice Cream which turned into ice cream and a massive amount of french friends. The kids played on the playground while I sipped a soda and listened to my audio book on headphones and took deep breaths. We stayed for a long time and it felt so good. 

Lydia Science Project

Lydia Peaden Science Fair 2023
Delicious, Daring, Donuts

Question:
“How do different cooking methods affect the outcome of a donut?”





Research
There are three main types of heat movement that we use to cook food:

Convection- the flow of heat caused by the motion of air currents. Example: The heated air in an oven surrounds the food and cooks it.

Conduction-the flow of heat from object to object. Example: Stovetop heats a pan then, the pan heats the oil, and the oil heats the food.

Radiation- the flow of heat between objects that are not in contact with each other. Example: A microwave sends tiny waves that target water molecules in food causing them to heat up.


Health Consideration: Deep frying foods in oil can lead to health problems if you eat too much.
Healthier options can help your health.

Hypothesis:


I believe that frying the donuts will cook donuts with the best texture,taste, and in the fastest time.




Supplies:
Donut recipe
Oven
Grill
Microwave
Frying Pan and Oil

Procedure:
Follow the recipe to make dough.
Cook the donuts in four different ways:
Oven, grill, microwave, and frying pan.
We will start with the grill
then move in order to the oven, microwave, and finally the frying pan.
Analyze the results.

Data:

Conclusion:
My conclusion is that different cooking methods do affect how donuts are baked.

I found that first, if we had taken the donuts out of the grill faster they would be perfect. I also found that you should never cook donuts in the microwave because they turn rock hard and still have a hint of dough. The oven I wouldn't recommend because they have a floury taste and also have a hint of dough, but maybe if we brushed them with butter first they would turn out better. As for the hot oil ones,I do recommend them because they are cooked very well and have a soft and fluffy taste.

My hypothesis was correct that the fried donuts would be fastest, taste best, and look the best. I learned a lot doing this,and am glad I decided to do it.

Presentation

Hi, My name is Lydia Peaden. 

My science project was”Delicious, Daring Donuts “ My question was” How do different cooking methods affect the outcome of a donut?” My hypothesis was that frying the donuts will cook donuts with the best texture,taste, and in the fastest time. I learned that there there are three main types of heat movement that we use to cook food: Convection- the flow of heat caused by the motion of air currents. Example: The heated air in an oven surrounds the food and cooks it. Conduction-the flow of heat from object to object. Example: Stovetop heats a pan then, the pan heats the oil, and the oil heats the food. Radiation- the flow of energy between objects that are not in contact with each other. Example: A microwave sends tiny waves that target water molecules in food causing them to heat up. For my science project,I made a donut recipe, then used the grill, the microwave, the stovetop, and a frying pan to cook the donuts. I then gathered my data, to see if my hypothesis was correct. It was! Out of those four methods, frying was one of the fastest, the tastiest, and had the best texture. The least effective was the microwave, it made the donut rock hard, but still had some dough. I was surprised at how well the donuts cooked on the grill, but I still think that frying was the best option. I also made a donut frosting machine. It works like this: This project was really, really fun and I am glad I chose to do it. Thank you.

Lydia won 3rd place!