Official Program
Of the
Inaugural Technical Meeting
Darke County Science Day
Hosted by Greenville High School
Sponsored by Tippecanoe STEAM Boosters
Affiliated with the
Ohio Academy of Science
Upper Miami Valley Science Days
West District Science Day (Central State University)
State Science Day (The Ohio State University)
Wednesday, February 19th, 2014
Participating School Districts:
Ansonia, Arcanum-Butler, Bradford, Greenville,
Tri-Village, Versailles
INAUGURAL DARKE COUNTY SCIENCE DAY
Wednesday, February 19th, 2014
Greenville High School
CONFERENCE PROGRAM
4:30-6:00………………………………………………………………Judging of Projects
(GHS Cafeteria)
6:00-6:30……………………………………………………….Public Viewing of Projects
6:30-7:30…………………………………………………………………Awards Ceremony
(GHS Main Gym)
AWARDS PROGRAM
Welcome & Introduction……………………………………………………Mr. Mike Koenig
(GHS Science Dept.)
Why Science Fair?................................................................Dr. Martin English, D.V.M
(UMVSD Committee)
Keynote Speaker……………………………………………………………..Ms. Lisa Wendel
(Darke County: Partnering for Progress)
Project Awards………………………………………………………….Committee Members
Special Awards………………………………………………………………….Special Judges
Top Project Recognitions………………………………………………Committee Members
Closing……………………………………………………………………….Ms. Angie McMurry
(Darke County ESC)
District 10 Science Day Meeting**………………………………………..Dr. Martin English
**This meeting is for “Superior” rated student projects and their parents immediately following
the awards program, held in the Main Gym**
Districts—Central State University, Saturday, March 22nd, 2014
State—The Ohio State University, Saturday, May 10th, 2014
2014 Darke County Science Days Sponsors
Major Sponsor
$500+
Aptalis Pharmatech, Inc., Vandalia, OH
CMD Technologies, Dayton, OH
Partner
$250 - $499
Edison Community College, Piqua & Greenville, OH
Darke Co. Educational Service Center
Greenville High School
BASF Corporation, Greenville, OH
Patron
$100 - $249
Dr. Michael Maher, Greenville, OH
The Researchers at Aptalis Pharmatech
Darke County Economic Development
English Veterinary Services, Tipp City, OH
Darke County Science Day:
Project Topic Category Awards & Special Awards
Animal and Plant Sciences (AS) and (PS)
 BASF Corp. Award for Outstanding Project $50
Behavioral and Social Sciences (BE)
 McMurry Award for Outstanding Project in Behavioral & Social Sciences
$50
Chemistry (CH)
 BASF Corp. Award for Outstanding Project in Chemistry $50
 Aptalis RDF Award for Outstanding Project in Chemistry $25
Engineering: Electrical /Mechanical (EE) * Engineering: Materials /
Bioengineering (EN)
 Darke County Economic Development – Lisa Wendel $50
Environmental Management (EM) & Environmental Sciences (EV)
 BASF Corp. Award for Outstanding Project in Environmental Management
$50
 BASF Corp. Award for Outstanding Project in Environmental Sciences $50
Medicine and Health Sciences (ME)
 McMurry Award for Outstanding Project in Medicine & Health Sciences
$50
Microbiology (MI)
 BASF Corp. Award for Outstanding Project in Microbiology $50
Physics and Astronomy (PH)
 Darke County Economic Development – Lisa Wendel $50
Other Special Awards
 Award for Best Presentation of Data (Tables & Graphs), any category $50
(Aptalis Pharmatech, Inc., Vandalia, OH)
 Award for Best Abstract, any category $50
(Aptalis Pharmatech, Inc., Vandalia, OH)
 Best Project From a Designated School District (based on 40 point scoring)
*Greenville - Award
 2nd & 3rd Place - $50 each
(Aptalis Pharmatech, Inc., Vandalia, OH)
 Grand Prize for Best Overall Project (based on 40 point scoring) $100
(Aptalis RDF)
ABSTRACTS:
Versailles:
1. Cotner, Kyle—Plant Science—Robe—9th Grade-In my experiment, I was testing to see if there was a difference in the growth of plants when
watered with filtered and unfiltered water. I watered two pots of radishes with pond water that I
ran through a filtration system and two pots with unfiltered pond water. It took only five days
for the radishes in one pot with filtered water to sprout. The next day, the rest of the pots had
growth also. Within the first week, all four of the pots had radish sprouts of one to two
centimeters. After two weeks, the radishes were between three to five centimeters tall. By
week three, they had grown even more to an average height of four to six centimeters. At the
end of the experiment in week four, the radishes finished with an average height of six to eight
centimeters tall. Overall, the plants with the filtered water grew to a greater height than the
other plants watered with unfiltered water. The filtered plants were an average of two
centimeters taller than the other two plants. In conclusion, the plants watered with filtered
pond water grew taller than the plants watered with unfiltered pond water.
2. Frantz, Jenna—Physics—Robe—9th Grade—The Effects of Back Handspring Angle on
Parabolic Path of a Double Back Flip
The purpose of this experiment is to discover whether or not the angle leaning forward on the
takeoff for a double back flip can affect the parabolic path of a double back flip. I hypothesize
that leaning forward on the takeoff of a double back flip will increase the curvature of the
parabolic path. I researched many articles about the takeoff of a double back flip, which
showed that the takeoff angle is an important factor of the height of the flip. For this
experiment, each test subject will perform 6 double back flips, and the double back flips will be
photographed from the side at about 12 photos per second. The first 3 tests show the gymnast
leaning forward more on the takeoff. These frames will be lined up beside each other so the
parabolic path of each double back flip is visible. One difficulty with this experiment is that it
can be difficult to keep the tumbling speed consistent, and speed has a big impact on parabolic
paths. The hypothesis was supported, so leaning forward more on the takeoff of a double back
flip increases the curvature of its parabolic path. I hope to be able to explain why gymnasts
need to lean forward at the end of their back handsprings to ensure safety, since the more
curved the parabolic path is, the safer the flip.
3. Toner, Denver—Energy/Transportation—Robe—10th Grade—Hydrogen Generator
Scientists have supported the fact that hydrogen can be used as a fuel source. I wanted to test
this myself, so I built my own hydrogen generator based off of Grant Thompson’s design. My
hypothesis was that by using electrolysis of water, amounts of hydrogen gas will be produced
and generate a chemical reaction to release energy. To test my hypothesis and see if it would
produce hydrogen, I filled a plastic cup full of water and mixed in some dish soap to provide
bubbles. I had ordered potassium hydroxide to use for my experiment, but it did not arrive. I
attempted to run the experiment without a catalyst, but it provided no electric charge for the
battery. I had researched that lye could also work as a catalyst and I had some of that so I
mixed it in with the distilled water. Then the exit tube that provided hydrogen gas was inserted
into the cup as I turned on the generator. Bubbles of hydrogen gas formed in the top of the cup
and as I lit them on fire, they exploded. This experiment shows that to successfully perform
electrolysis, you must use a catalyst because the distilled water doesn’t provide enough
energy to complete an electric current.
4. Gower, Nicole—Chemistry—Robe—9th Grade
For my science fair project, I did a project to test what type of environment works best on
produce. I did my test with bananas because it is easy to see when they are starting to rot in a
short amount of time. I had previously seen infomercials on this thing called Debbie Meyer
Green Bags that say that these bags keep produce fresh longer. So this gave me the idea to
test it out. I took three different types of bags to store a banana in. I placed a banana in a
gallon size Ziploc bag, brown lunch bag, and a Debbie Meyer Green Bag. I placed one more
banana next to the other three on the counter. I recorded what I saw each day and took
pictures of each type. I recorded my information for ten days. I had found out that the brown
lunch bag was the most rotten banana. After the lunch bag, the one just on the counter was
next. It wasn’t as bad, but it was definitely pretty close. The Debbie Meyer Green Bag was
next. I think the type of plastic isn’t the best. Based on my experiment, the Ziploc bag was the
best. It was pretty close to the Debbie Meyer Green Bag though. My hypothesis was refuted in
this experiment because I thought it would be the Debbie Meyer Green Bag, but it turned out to
be the Ziploc bag.
5. Harshbarger, Andrew—Plant Science—Robe—9th Grade
In my science fair experiment I tested the effects of watering plants with two variations of
water, and I recorded my results. I didn’t get results that I was looking for, but I think that the
weather conditions that I tried to grow my plants in were less than ideal. I didn’t conclude what
type of water worked the best because the plants never even made it through the soil, so I was
unable to record any results. Even though I didn’t get any measurable results in my experiment
I still kept checking my plants for growth. I would try to change the soil or plants if I were to
retry my experiment because I might see growth in the plants. MY materials were: Two fish
tanks same size and shape filled with the same amount of water in them, one goldfish, goldfish
food, six plant seeds, two of the same size and shape clear cups filled with eight inches of soil,
one ruler one fourth of a cup measuring cup, a pitcher to replace the water each day, a source
of light for the plants, and a chart to fill in the growth of the two plants based on how tall the
plants grow when a fish is in one of the water areas.
6. McClure, James—Behavioral/Social Science—Robe—9th Grade
In this experiment, I tested to see whether or not age made a significant difference in
perception of time. My hypothesis was that as people get older they will continue to
underestimate certain intervals of time. To set up, I took a stopwatch, a stack of papers for the
test subjects to fill out, and a pen. I had each test subject look at a picture of a tree from
Yellowstone Park and had them tell me when they thought two minutes had passed. To avoid
errors in the experiment, I made sure that they were not counting, looking at a watch or clock,
talking with other individuals, or anything of that sort. After my data collection was completed, I
had a total of ninety-seven data points (I would have preferred more, but time did not allow). I
plugged all of my data into Microsoft Excel, and I analyzed it several different ways. I noticed
no patterns in the data at all. The average times for the individual age groups had no
correlation to the predicted data curve whatsoever. My hypothesis was not supported by the
data. That basically sums up my entire experiment.
7. Tyo, Taylor—Behavioral/Social Science—Robe—9th Grade
My question was which age group could recognize the most foods, and my hypothesis was
that the 20-29 age group would be able to recognize the most foods. I researched my project
by looking at similar projects, and also by watching some videos on YouTube that were taken
from the show Hell’s Kitchen. I also looked up information about taste buds to help me with my
hypothesis. Some difficulties would be that some people have allergies and may be allergic to
some of the foods I am using. I anticipated that the 20-29 age group would recognize the most
foods because when you are young your taste buds have not fully developed, and, as you get
older; you start to lose some of those taste buds. Overall, I hoped that I would be able to
support my hypothesis.
8. Grilliot, Hannah; Heitkamp, Lauren; and Kramer, Emily—Chemistry—Robe—9th Grade
Our experiment was designed to test which food would spoil faster between organic and nonorganic foods. We predicted the organic foods would spoil faster due to it not having any
pesticides or preservatives. Our results supported our hypothesis, but some organic and nonorganic foods spoiled at a similar rate. The bread was one of these foods. The bread did not
mold, but both of them got really hard at the same time. The milk was a food that was easy to
tell which was spoiling faster. The organic milk became very thick after just one day of sitting
out and by the end of the experiment; it was as thick as pudding. We could have improved our
experiment by having more samples to help support our previous hypothesis. But the data we
collected shows that our hypothesis was supported.
9. Lawrence, Kaci and McEldowney, Kinsey—Behavioral/Social Science—Robe—12th Grade
The purpose of this experiment is to understand how the color of food effects how people
perceive its taste. Sixty-one percent of those tested believed the cupcakes were the same
flavor as their color. Forty-five percent of adults thought the cupcakes were the flavor of their
color. We concluded that the majority of the test subjects were fooled when tasting the
cupcakes.
10. Gehret, Lauren; Reed, Baleigh; and Schlater, Olivia—Behavioral/Social Science—Robe—
12th Grade—The Effects of Age on Brain Activity
This project shows our results of the effect of brain activity due to aging. We hypothesized that
individuals in high school and college have the best brain activity.
To test subjects brain activity, we timed individuals of all ages on how long it took them to find
Waldo in a “Where is Waldo?” book. By testing two males and two females in each age group,
we gathered a consensus of that age’s brain activity.
When performing the experiment, we came to the following results: young children and people
of the middle age held the average time for finding Waldo. Those with the quickest times were
between the ages of high school and college. We found that the elderly were the slowest to
complete the task, or they simply gave up.
In conclusion, we found that brain activity is at its peak while in high school and college.
Slowly, the brain activity begins to decrease, where subjects may even give up when too much
brain activity is required.
11. Buschur, Jennifer; Wehrkamp, Brooke; White, Elizabeth--Chemistry—Robe—12th Grade-The purpose of this experiment was to test the effects of temperature on bubbles in order to
determine the optimal condition for bubble formation. By testing the independent variable of
our experiment, we found the optimal water temperature for bubbles to be 93 degrees Celsius.
This is because the height of the bubbles, the dependent variable, was 5.06 centimeters,
which proved to be the highest average. After manipulating the temperature through various
trials, it has been concluded that, on average, the warmer the temperature, and the greater the
production of bubbles.
12. Vogel, Courtney; Wilson, Wesley; and Yount, Haley—Animal Science—Robe/Stammen—
12th Grade
The purpose of this experiment is to determine which of the five senses has the greatest affect
on how hamsters learn. Key results we have found in this experiment are that hamsters react
fastest when there is a food reward that they smell. The second place sense was touch, which
resulted in almost double the time of the smell test. From comparison of the results with the
research, it can be concluded that the sense of smell affects hamsters better than any other
sense.
Greenville:
13. Baughman, Zachary—Chemistry—Reichard—10th Grade—Comparison of Experiments
With Amateur and Professional Materials
The purpose of my science fair project was to test the results and the quality of results in the
chemical chameleon experiment when done with lab-grade materials versus homemade
materials. My hypothesis is that the homemade experiment will give results that are not as
high of quality as the lab-grade procedure. The lab-grade materials will give much better
results as far as the colors produced, the strength of the colors, and how long the colors will
last. The constants that I used were sodium hydroxide, sugar, and water. My variable was
switching lab-grade potassium permanganate with homemade potassium permanganate. My
control was the lab-grade procedure which consisted of mixing potassium permanganate
crystals and water to make solution A, and by mixing sugar with sodium hydroxide and water
to make solution B. I measured the results of the amateur experiment by conducting the
control at the same time, side by side, and timing how long it took for each color to appear and
how vibrant each color was. The professional experiment was done twice to verify what the
reaction should do. The conclusion did match my hypothesis. Even though the amateur
experiment did yield results that were similar to what was expected, it was not high enough in
quality to compare to the professionally done experiment. This would be fine for the home
chemist or someone who wants to be able to do this experiment in a home environment, but it
is not suitable for lab use.
14. Herrmann, Tanner—Medicine/Health—Jackson/Reichard—10th Grade
No Abstract Submitted
15. Herzog, Sarah—Chemistry—Defrain/Reichard—12th Grade
Ferrofluids contain nanoparticles of the chemical magnetite or similar iron compounds. When
manipulated by strong magnetic fields, these fluids spike sharply. Ferrofluids are used to seal
parts of computers and are also utilized in the medical field. Therefore, the way the fluid
changes form in relation to the placement of magnetic fields is important for safety measures
and proper use in electronics. This project addresses the magnitude of the spikes in proportion
to the distance of the magnet from the fluid, and also if the magnitude of spikes are
proportional to the amount of ferrofluid present. My hypothesis was that the closer the magnet
the larger the magnitude of the spikes and the more ferrofluid present the greater the
magnitude of the spikes. My project used synthesis of a ferrofluid without the chemical
tetramethylammonium hydroxide due to its dangerous nature to test these questions. After four
trials combining Iron (II) Chloride (2M) and Iron (III) Chloride (1M) solutions with sodium
hydroxide (3M) magnetite was formed. However, after cleaning and decanting the excess
liquid from the magnetite, the substitute of glycerin for tetramethylammonium hydroxide was
unsuccessful in keeping the magnetite from clumping together and no spikes formed. With no
spikes formed, it was impossible to test the proportionality of the distance of the magnet to the
magnitude of spikes as well as the magnitude of spikes proportional to the amount of ferrofluid
present. It would appear successful synthesis of a ferrofluid is required to test the proposed
questions.
16. Masso-Rivetti, Francesca—Behavioral/Social Science—Reichard—10th Grade-- The
Ranschburg Effect: Recall and Relative Intelligence
The repetition inhibition phenomenon explaining that the accurate recall of elements is
obstructed when an element is duplicated is referred to as the Ranschburg effect. The
objective of this experiment was to prove that relative intelligence in adolescents correlates
with susceptibility to the Ranschburg effect. Participants were required to identify their letter
grades as A, B, or C and lower, observe a sequence of letters, and write down the elements
they could remember. The ten-letter sequence (SLHWBTXGWR) included a doubled
component. The results were measured in terms of memory and correct placement of the
duplicated element. The results substantiate that intelligence in adolescents’ correlates with
susceptibility to the Ranschburg effect solely in terms of recall. The higher the subject’s
grades, the more likely they were to consciously remember the doubled element. The results
concerning placement of the repeated item proved inconclusive.
17. Muhlenkamp, Quintin—Engineering/Materials—Reichard—10th Grade
There are over 300 different sizes, shanks, heads, and points of nails made in the United
States today. The point of this research is to find out which of seven shanks of nails that I
chose holds best in average yellow pine construction wood. The project was conducted by
adding weight to a bucket that was attached to the nail by a chain until the nail could hold no
more weight and was pulled from the board (each nail was hammered in .75 inches). In order
for the chain to attach to a nail, a device had to be created at Horner Industries in Springfield,
Ohio; this piece was necessary for the completion of the project. After the nail was pulled out
the bucket, chain, and nail holding device were weighed, and the weight recorded. The same
process was repeated for each of the seven nails. The common smooth shank held the least
amount of weight and the common galvanized the most. I gathered that the rougher the shank
of the nail as well as the random unevenness of its surface, the more weight it will hold.
Arcanum-Butler:
18. Alderman, Auris –Medicine/Health—Bowser—8th Grade—A Study of the West Nile Virus
My project is a brief study of the West Nile Virus and its path of destruction. I developed an
interest in the West Nile Virus after we studied viruses in class. The purpose of my project is to
show where the West Nile Virus originated, how it has spread around the world, and what
species can be affected by it. I used the internet to find my information. My first step was to
find out what this Virus was and where it had come from. Then I had to conduct my research
on this Virus, my next step was to type out my rough draft and turn it in to the teacher, after
that I had to make up a sample backdrop so I had an idea of what to do when I had to make
my full one. Then I had to type put this abstract to turn in and finally I had to put together my
final backdrop to present. Now I don’t have any sort of an example of the west Nile virus
because it is much too dangerous to handle. Although I can do research on the internet to find
the answers to my questions. Most of the data that I collected will be about where the west Nile
virus stared, when it was most affective, and when it was least affective. I don’t have any sort
of observations whatsoever because I will probably never get my hands on the West Nile
Virus. I anticipate that I will find a lot of things that will impress and intrigue me I think that the
most important thing for me was that I had fun and I got to learn a lot of new thing that just
might help me along to becoming the scientist that I wish to be. I hope that you will enjoy my
project when and or if you see it have fun.
Bradford:
19. Cotrell, Tatyana—Medicine/Health—Besecker—9th Grade—The Effect of Music in
Children with Autism
Music has been shown to lessen symptoms of neurological disorders in children. I
hypothesized that classical music would have the greatest calming effect on children with
autism. To test this, I compared the times in which children could sit without repetitive
movements while listening to various types of music. Listening to rock music produced the
longest time without repetitive movement; whereas classical music resulted in the shortest
time. My conclusion is that rock music best alleviates repetitive movement in autism.
Tri-Village:
20. Berghoff, Gage and Puckett, Casey—Behavioral/Social Science—Puckett—10th—Mind
Games
Can you really control objects with your mind? Is it simply mind over matter? This experiment
investigates the feasibility of a low cost EEG toy headset to be used to control
objects. Specifically investigating whether the headset user could control their attention level.
Mattel’s MindFlex headset measures brain waves. To control an object the user must be able
to manipulate their brain waves. To measure the degree to which a user can control their brain
waves this experiment made use of an RC car as the dependent variable. Brain waves were
converted to digital information and sent to the RC car. When the participants exceeded a
predetermined level of attention the car motor turned on and the wheels moved. When
attention dropped below the predetermined value the motor stopped. This experiment shows
that when participants were given a positive stimulus they were able to increase their attention
level. Controlling their attention level allowed them to control the RC car motor. All participants
were motivated to keep the motor running. Given the ability to control and measure brain
waves supports our desire to use the low cost MindFlex to control virtual and physical objects
with brain activity. The experiment was intended to check the reliability for use in video games
but many other applications were identified during experimentation. Future uses could include
tasks like manipulating buttons, prosthetic devices, wheelchairs and anything that can be
controlled through the transfer of digital information. It really is mind over matter.
21. Fraylick, Keenan—Environmental Science—Flatter—9th Grade—Filtration Straw
Even at a young age, I have always been presented the issue of the lack of “safe” drinking
water in the world, especially in third world countries. This brought me to the idea of a filtration
straw, for my project. The problem prominent in this situation is that due to the growing
concern of safe drinking water, I wish to produce a filtration straw to remove dangerous toxins
and pathogens from the content. To conduct my experiment, I first tested the effectiveness of
different filtering materials, such as activated carbon, fine sand, ceramic filter, and coffee
filters. The key results I received were through my ceramic filter and aquatic-based activated
carbon. With my ceramic filter, it filtered in 6 seconds, removed 88% of the large particle
count, and lowered the pH level to a life sustaining 7.12. The activated carbon filtered in 75
seconds, removed 98.5% of the large particle count, and lowered the pH level to a perfect 7.
All experiments were tested through a funnel of the material, with “unsafe” water with a pH of
9, and large particle count of 110,000 of <0.5 pm. Both materials were also able to correct the
discoloration of the “unsafe” water, from a brown color (very similar to common African drinking
water), to a clear, transparent liquid. The results listed above, provided a based foundation on
how I would start constructing my straw. I designed the straw with coffee filters on both sides,
with a layering of activated carbon, then the ceramic tile. Mostly, the purpose of the coffee
filters is to hold the items in place, and provide a final filtering to the water. The results I got
with my straw was a filtering time of 2 seconds, and lowering the 9 pH level to a substantial 7.2
pH. This experiment was conducted several times, using the “unsafe” water again to help this
experiment. In conclusion, the activated carbon and ceramic rings were able to provide the
best results for my filtering process, and straw. With this straw, it is portable and fits more into
the daily lives of different people. Instead of the traditional filtering system, through large scale
filtering, this item shrinks that process to a straw and is easy to use. Costing less than two
dollars to make, this could easily be processed, and shipped to countries in need. Providing
the people with better drinking water.
22. Campbell, Emma—Chemistry—Flatter—9th Grade—Ibuprofen in a Flash
This project is the study of difference in speed of solubility in different brands of ibuprofen,
including Advil, Motrin, Rexall, and the generic Kroger brand. The starting thought of my
experiment was to find which brand dissolved the quickest. However, the results lead to
deciding what characteristics of each tablet should be taken and put together to make the best
pill. The characteristics chosen to be extracted to make the best medication are the solubility,
shape, and mass. The solubility was found by placing each tablet into hydrochloric acid (HCL)
and setting a timer for 20 minutes. After each minute, the beakers were shaken to simulate
the movement of your body after ingesting the ibuprofen. If a medication was found to be
dissolved enough that its original shape could not be defined, its mass after the 20 minutes
was recorded as zero. This was done four times and then the final masses for each trial were
averaged. What shape seemed easiest to swallow determined the ideal shape. The ideal
mass was determined by deciding that the highest mass would be the best because it would
have the most force when traveling down the esophagus. In each trial, Advil dissolved to the
point of a mass of zero before the 20 minutes had been completed; this made its solubility the
most ideal and the one chosen. This meant that the new pill that was created would most
resemble the Advil tablet. However, the Rexall tablet has the shape that seems easiest to
swallow, but the pill with the highest mass was also Advil. So, it was decided that the new pill
would contain all characteristics of Advil, but in the shape of the Rexall tablet. This experiment
provides consumers of the medications information on which drug will work best. It also
provides consumers who have trouble swallowing pills the knowledge of what pill will suit their
needs best. It also provides the producers of the medications with ideas of what innovations
they could add to their products to benefit their customers.
23. Holsapple, Andrew—Behavioral/Social Science—Flatter—8th Grade—Locker
Organization
To create a device that will allow students the ability exchange class materials between
classes at a faster rate. Having only four minutes between classes with all the students trying
to get to their lockers is an extremely difficult task especially for those of us that are
organizationally impaired. This has been a personal battle of mine ever since I have entered
middle school. This battle inspired me to research and create a device that would aid students
in exchanging class materials between classes. A shelf that can hold books and other school
supplies to keep lockers more organized and even hold more supplies. The key points of how
my investigation was conducted are that I invented a shelf that can hold books and other
supplies. The materials that I used for my invention are a shoebox and weights in grams, to
test how much it can hold. I plan to research by taking a few of the people in my grade and
putting my product in their locker for 2 weeks and seeing if it helps to keep their supplies clean,
organized, and easy to locate. The data I collected was how effective this was in school
lockers, to keep books and other school materials organized. The results I found were that it
would help to keep supplies organized and help students be more productive in school by
saving them time between classes.
24. Hanes, Katelyn—Engineering/Materials—Flatter—5th Grade
The Helpful Handy Saxophone case was designed because of all the supplies and books we
have to carry to and from school. The case was made to ease the book load and improve my
saxophone case so that it is easier to transport on and off the bus. My research, by putting
castors on the bottom of the suitcase, straps on the side, handle on top of the case, tote bags
on side of the case will improve it because it will make it easier to transport on and off the bus
and around school. My plan was on talking to Gary Dafler, an instrument repair technician who
works at Hauer’s Music in Dayton, Ohio and Joe Hesseman who works at McCutchins Music in
Centerivlle, Ohio who plays in symphonies and is retired from the Airforce and played in the
Wright Patt’s Airforce Band of Flight because they would know a lot about saxophones and
they could help think of ideas of how I needed to make my design. The parts that needed was
2 castors, handle, strap, shoulder strap with padding, two strap hooks, rivets, washer and 2
tote bags. Tools that I used were screwdriver, hot glue gun, drill with drill bits #30 and #3 and a
pop rivet gun. The data that I collected was from students to see if the modified saxophone
case was easier rolling it carrying all the materials without the case verses carrying materials
with the handy side pockets of the saxophone case. Most people felt it was much easier
transporting the case all around the school from place to place verses a standard saxophone
case.
Ansonia:
25. Gard, Megan R.—Computer Science—Aultman—11th Grade--Gaming in Math and
Science
The purpose of my project is to compare different types of handheld gaming systems along
with tablets, gathering results from a survey I composed and gave to my junior class, and
design a 2-d blue print of the best tablet and gamming system all in one.
I completed three separate investigations. In the first investigation, I compared multiple gaming
systems along with several different tablets. In the second investigation, I gave a survey to the
junior class at my high school, which had six questions on it. In the third investigation, I created
my own 2-d design of a gaming system and tablet all in one by comparing the results from the
survey and my own comparisons of my own gaming systems and tablets.In the first
investigation, I found that the ipad air and the Nintendo 3 ds xl received the best results in
speed and in display. In the second investigation, I found that most of the students preferred
the psp and ipad. In the third investigation, I found that the gaming system I created should
have good speed and a larger display. This gaming system and tablet is a 12.9-inch screen,
and attachable controllers and a cd-rom in the back. In conclusion, I found most people prefer
gaming systems with interfaces that are easy to operate and are quick in down load time and
have large display.
26. Thornhill, Rebecca—Medicine/Health—Homan—8th Grade--The Bridge Between Cow
Stomachs and Human Stomachs
My project was to explain the differences between cow stomachs and human stomachs. I
wanted to see how stomach energy could make electricity. I also wanted to learn more about
the ordinary cow. To find my research I went to the library, I looked on the Internet, and I talked
to my local vet and asked him numerous questions. I found data that says we are kind of
similar to the ordinary cow, but that we are also very different. For example, a cow eats 16
hours a day. My conclusion is that we have many, many differences but some similarities that
tie us together.
27. Martin, Trevor—Medicine/Health—Brandewie—6th Grade
My project using Tetris has improved the subject’s vision. The first trial the subject could only
read two lines and now she can read every line from several feet away. Now every time the
subject has had blurry vision she covers the dominant eye until she regains full vision. Also
she has had less severe blurry eyesight .She is also getting better without covering her
dominant eye. I think it is because her weaker eye is forced to compensate for both eyes,
which makes it stronger because it is a muscle.
28. Murphy, Ashley—Behavioral/Social Science--Brandewie—6th grade
My Project was about whether how you read a selection affects your comprehension of a
selection or not. I decided to test it, because I have always had an interest in the five senses.
In my project I asked five students to take five tests, one while reading a selection normally,
one reading with their left eye shut, one reading with their right eye shut, one reading with their
page far away from their face, and one reading with their paper close to their face. My
hypothesis was that how you read a selection would affect your comprehension of that
selection, and my conclusion was too!
29. Wright, Olivia—Behavioral/Social Science—Brandewie—6th Grade—Music, Your New
Study Guide
You have probably heard it said that music helps people learn better. So, for my project I set
out to see if certain types of music helps students perform better on math tests. The first thing I
did was randomly select 10 people from my class to participate in my experiment. Next, I went
to the Ohio Department of Education website to find math test questions that I would use on
my tests. I took questions from the website to make them into two different math tests that
were the same difficulty. To conduct my experiment, I scheduled dates for all of the students to
come down to a classroom for them to take the math tests. Then, the students took their first
test with no music played. This was my control. Each of the following times a different type of
music was played, such as; classical, rock and country. In the end, all of the tests were graded
and I recorded the time it took for each person to take their test. Overall, 90% of the students
showed no change or a dramatic drop in their score while listening to rock music while taking
their test. On average, 70% of students showed no change or an increase in their score while
listening to classical music while taking their test. Finally, 70% of students showed no change
or a decrease in score, while listening to country music while taking their test. According to my
data, listening to classical music while taking a test will most likely increase your score.
However, I also noticed in my data that different individuals performed better with certain types
of music. I think a possible reason for this is, because some students are used to country
music, not rock music, so therefore the student could perform better.
30. Billenstein, Levi; Buckingham, Hunter; and Swenson, J.D.—Energy/Transportation—
Brandewie—6th Grade
We wanted to do this project because Levi’s dad is a race car driver at Eldora and we know a
lot about cars. Our hypothesis was the average speed of the car will be 3.65 seconds. The
speed for 3 feet will be 2.45 seconds. The speed for 8 feet will be 4.12 seconds. The speed for
the speed for 10 feet will be 6.29. And we hope the car will make it to the end without getting
powered down. First we built the car out of metal sheets, bolts, screws, and a 6 volt battery.
Then we build a track for the car to drive on. We had to test it a couple time so our answer was
accurate. Then we made a chart tell how fast the car was going at 2 feet, 3 feet, 4 feet, 8 feet,
and at 10. After testing the track three times we got our results. Our average speed for 3 feet
was 2.38; the average speed for 8 feet was 3.78; and the average speed for 10 feet was 4.79.
As you can see we were close on our hypothesis. Doing this project, we proved that a 6 volt
battery can power a medium sized car without powering down at all. We also proved that a 6
volt battery can’t produce nearly as much acceleration as we thought.
31. Stover, Makayla and Wickham, Torrance-- --Brandewie—6th Grade
No Abstract Submitted
32. Doss, Madison; Kies, Daphne and O’Connor, Reganne—Chemistry—Brandewie—6th
Grade
No Abstract Submitted