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Lower School Science Fair Displays Creativity

Beginning with class visits to Panther Hall on the morning of April 12 and culminating in an evening exhibition open to family, faculty and friends, the Lower School’s fifth grade Science Fair once again proved a huge hit within the Ranney community.

After creating a list of problems with their classmates several months prior to the Fair, students were then asked to choose one problem, determine various solutions to that problem, and creatively explain some of the best ways to solve it. They were also required to keep a log discussing their findings. “I’m most proud of the kids for their creativity throughout this self-directed process,” said Lower School science teacher Judy Salisbury.

While some conducted environmental experiments on mammals and reptiles, others developed technological inventions spanning from a more comfortable set of headphones to a thermo-bottle that measures the temperature of warm milk in a baby’s bottle. In addition, many of the projects on display held some direct correlation to each student’s personal life.

For example, after many years of not knowing how to effectively store his family’s baseball cards, one student — Benjamin Kraushaar ’19 — designed and created a Velcro wall on which to stick his entire collection of memorabilia. Closely resembling a picture frame, Ben’s project was both innovative and aesthetically pleasing. Meanwhile, another student and avid tennis player, Alexandra Greenberg ’19, devised a way in which to pick up tennis balls lying on the court without actually having to bend and strain her back. By creating the EZ Stick N’ Pick — a replaceable adhesive patch with Velcro on the back that enables the ball to stick to the side of one’s tennis shoe — Alex can now transfer the ball from the court to her hand in one swift motion.

Outside in Panther Hall Gallery, students grades four through Pre-K also presented projects on such topics as electricity, motion and design, and Pedology, or the study of soil. “What was most important about last night’s turnout,” commented Head of the Lower School and Associate Head for Academic Administration Patricia Marshall, “was a noticeable increase in the number of families from the Early Childhood grades whose children now experience lab.”

New this school year, Ranney’s Early Childhood Education Center added lab science to its Pre-K curriculum, allowing students to study higher-order thinking, invention, scientific language and the inquiry process with Lower School science teacher Jennifer Spiro.

For those who missed the Science Fair’s debut, projects will remain on display in Panther Hall and Panther Hall Gallery until Monday, April 16, 2012. “The Science Fair really gives our students a moment to shine, to think creatively, and to demonstrate to us what they know in ways they know how to show it,” said Mrs. Marshall.
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Ranney School

235 Hope Road
Tinton Falls, NJ 07724
Tel. 732.542.4777
Our mission is to know and value every child, nurturing intellectual curiosity and confidence, and inspiring students to lead honorably, think creatively, and contribute meaningfully to society.