Students Demonstrate Science Projects

Carter Parks demonstrates his science project on Saturday at Russell Wildlife.

Oskaloosa, Iowa – Learning and fun can go hand-in-hand, as was proven at Russell Wildlife Center on Saturday as some local young scientists demonstrated.

Some North Mahaska 6th graders along with some students from the Oskaloosa 3rd and 4th grades joined Laura DeCook, MCCB Naturalist, during their lunch hours and recesses to work on their science projects. Each student chose a topic, did the research on it and then had the chance to present it. Those students had their opportunity on Saturday. DeCook said, “I wanted kids to have the opportunity their greatest interest.”

Parents and teachers agreed to help and support the student involved with the science club, along with help from DeCook in researching their ideas. Students would spend their own time at home to also develop their ideas, and how they wanted to present them. “They were able to invite anybody they wanted to come and listen to them, so they would have an audience.” DeCook explained about the day’s presenters.

DeCook explained in her initial letter to teachers and parents that this wasn’t just an opportunity for the student to talk about something they are interested in, “In a broad spectrum, they are researching a job occupation too. They are kind of modeling what I do as a naturalist. I take something about science and nature and I teach about it, but they are teaching us.”

It wasn’t necessary for the science project to be based upon nature, as was demonstrated by the first presenter, Carter Parks, as physics was his choice in topics.

Parks demonstrated his remote control car, with his presentation titled, “Trajectory Motion”. He was able to calculate speed by the distance the car flew, because of some known’s in the angle of the ramp and how much time it would take the car to travel from point A to point B.

Parks then demonstrated this for those in attendance by taking his car outdoors for a couple of jumps off the ramp.