REPULSE BAY - It was quality over quantity at the Tusarvik School Science Fair in Repulse Bay earlier this month.

Grade 4 students Ida Kridluar and Eric Katokra, left, display their Sense of Taste project at the Tusarvik School Science Fair in Repulse Bay earlier this month. - photo courtesy of Jennifer Perry

Teacher Jennifer Perry said the number of senior high science projects took a dip at this year's fair.

She said there were 11 senior projects entered in 2009, down from an average of 16 to 20 in previous years.

"On the upside, this was the first time in about five years we had junior high students enter the fair with individual projects," said Perry.

"They usually do a class project, so it was really good to see them step out on their own.

"We gave prizes for both the top senior and junior project at this year's fair."

Perry said the drop in senior projects resulted from a group of keen science students graduating this past year.

She said a number of the August graduates were past science fair winners.

"Some grads were the type who pumped everybody up and created interest in the science fair throughout the school.

"Now we have to try and get them motivated again.

"Hopefully, the level of motivation will go up during the next few years."

Perry said the quality of this year's projects was excellent. She was particularly pleased with the junior high projects.

"The Grade 7's took what they learned in class about Arctic plants, rocks and minerals in Nunavut and put those on display. We had lots of chemistry projects, and the senior winner was a unique effort on the bilingual brain.

"We found more of our students are right-brained.

"Another tested seal-oil candles against wax candles, so there were some good projects you wouldn't just see come out of a book."

Tusarvik students also took part in a seal dissection earlier this month, which Perry said was a big hit.

She said the elders enjoyed helping the students come up with the Inuktitut words for the seal organs.

"We actually went seal hunting at the floe edge, but we didn't get anything so we ended-up buying one.

"It was a great experience for me because I had never been to the floe edge before, nor cut open a seal.

"I didn't even do a rat while in university, so I enjoyed the experience as much as the students."