Curiosity and critical thinking
LOREN BENOIT/Press Misty Dawson, of Blanchard, far left, and Kap Dawson, far right, listen to Lakeside High School sophomore students Emma Daniels, left, and Glory Olson explain how music affects sleep Friday evening at the North Idaho Science and Engineering Fair.
Kevin Zirker, of Post Falls, asks Post Falls High School students Lily Emerson, far left, and Julia Moore questions about their project detailing phosphoric acid in soda pop. Friday evening at the North Idaho Science and Engineering Fair. (LOREN BENOIT/Press)
By DEVIN WEEKS
Staff Writer
COEUR d’ALENE — Curiosity and an enjoyment of exercise led one Post Falls High School student to wonder, "Can physical activity impact someone's memory?"
"I’ve always been interested in the human brain and how it works," freshman Baylie Haller said Friday. "Also, I like exercise and sports, and I read a couple documents on it, so I wanted to test it out."
The young scientist prepared a test group and a control group, asking her subjects to review some numbers before exercising or remaining still for a period of time. When the time was up, she asked them to recall the numbers.
"I found that there was a slight difference, but nothing too drastic because I did it for 30-minute spans," Baylie said. "I accepted my null hypothesis."
PFHS freshman Jacqueline Booth also applied inspired thinking to the project she submitted to the second North Idaho Science and Engineering Fair, presented by the Idaho STEM Action Center.
As a 4-H participant, she focused on improving pig presentation.
"I was struggling with showing one of my hogs, so I decided to try to invent something new that would get the efficiency, the height, of the hog’s head higher,” Jacqueline said. "When you’re showing them you want their head high. It makes them look prettier and when they walk, you can see how they walk better to see if the muscle’s tender, and that’s what we eat. It was for that purpose."
Jacqueline hooked zip ties to her show whip and then modified it, putting her own spin on a traditional show tool.
"I struggle with spinning, so I decided to make something that would attach to a drill that would spin it, so it tickles their face,” she said. "You would think it would hurt, but it doesn’t at all, it just tickles."
More than 120 North Idaho students applied their critical thinking and scientific method skills to 84 projects that were presented during the science and engineering fair, held in North Idaho College's Edminster Student Union Building.
Categories included: biology and environmental sciences; behavioral and social sciences; engineering, mathematics and computer science; and physical sciences.
Students tackled questions like, "Why don't humans use echolocation like bats do?," "How does soda pop really affect the human body?" and "Do fluctuations in fuel prices impact the amount consumers spend in the convenience stores/gas stations?"
"Overall, the quality of the projects has gone up at least as much as the number of projects," said Crispin Gravatt, liaison for the Idaho STEM Action Center. "This is all really student led. We have a couple people returning from last year, expanding on their original projects or creating entirely new ones. They brought not only their own inspiration and their own 'chutzpah' to the projects, but they brought experience they got from competing last year both at the Idaho Science and Engineering Fair and at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair."
Winners from each regional event will earn all-expense-paid trips to Pittsburgh to compete in the Intel ISEF May 13 through 18.