All Science Challenge makes science elementary

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/fires1.jpg” caption=”Randy Dumont, associate professor in the Department of Chemistry, burns chemicals to produce flames of different colours. Photo by Susan Bubak.”]The fourth annual All Science Challenge that took place on Friday, May 30 introduced elementary school students to the fun side of science. Organized for students in Grades 6 to 8 by McMaster Let's Talk Science Partnership Program (LTSPP) volunteers, this day-long event quizzed students on their knowledge of science and tested their application skills by engaging them in fun, hands-on activities.

“The LTSPP All-Science Challenge event presents science in a less traditional light, and creates a fun learning environment, while still driving home the basics,” said Alison Sills, associate dean of studies for the Faculty of Science. “If we can establish a firm interest in science in the 11- to 13-year-olds, this will establish and maintain life-long interest in learning science.

Seventeen schools participated with a total of 264 contestants and about 80 spectators.

The day started with the Cool Chem Cabaret, a chemistry magic show by Randy Dumont, who demonstrated how to make different coloured fires. The competition component of the challenge began with a bang when he exploded a balloon by putting a lit candle under it.

Diana Dregoesc is a graduate student in Biology and one of the McMaster LTSPP coordinators. Her enthusiasm in helping youth discover the joy in science is evident.

“To keep the excitement up throughout the day, we had a room open at lunch time that we called the Fun House in which we displayed about 12 to 15 different demos for the kids to participate in or observe. The kids loved it, but they didn't want to leave.”

She continued, “We showcased zebra and betta fish experiments, plants and bug displays, and a Van der Graaf that showed the strength of electricity. They did CSI fingerprinting, and to illustrate the use of mathematics in art, they made their own origami figures and forms. They also did some psychology tests, and observed chemical reaction demonstrations.”

The quiz component took up most of the day, and was designed to emphasize the students' general science knowledge. It was so successful that by the elimination round, the room was packed to over capacity with bystanders cheering on their favourite teams.

For the third year in a row, the first prize winning team was from Westview Public School. The team called 87 Questions included Bogdan Chetraru, Simone Valade, Billy Truong and Jocelyn Cross.

The second prize winner was from Spencer Valley. The team, called Spencer Valley 2, included Marissa Wyckoff, Catrina Coppolino, April Coyne and Julia Mitchell.

The third prize winners were also from Westview, and they were called the Cult of Rapture Team. The members included Josh Maurin, Jesse Li, Michael Wang and Brendan Chancellor-Maddison.

For more information about the All Science Challenge and other McMaster LTSPP programs, visit www.science.mcmaster.ca/lts/.