Bright futures ahead
Younger students excel at MUI Science Fair in Rankin Inlet
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
RANKIN INLET
The future of projects entered into the Maani Ulujuk Ilinniarvik Science Fair may be quite bright, based on the work done by junior students this past month, said the fair's organizing teacher.
The fair had about 80 projects entered by 90 students from Grades 7 to 12.
Teacher Mark Pearson said overall, the projects were on par with what the science fair has produced the past few years.
He said if anything, the projects may have slipped a bit from 2015's fair.
"Where we did succeed greatly was with the Grade 7 and Grade 8 categories," said Pearson.
"The juniors were very strong this year, with our overall winning project coming from a junior student.
"With the Grade 7/8 students pumping out these good projects this year, by the time they get to senior high it could really be something here."
Tati Connelly-Clark took top spot with her project, Golden Ratio, while Amy Brown and River Harvey took second with How to Save Trees.
Students from the top two projects will represent MUI at the Kivalliq Regional Science Fair at Victor Sammurtok School in Chesterfield Inlet this coming March to compete for a spot at the Canada-wide Science Fair.
Pearson said this year's projects included some with a number of experiments, and another saw students try to innovate and make something new from old material used in previous efforts.
He said he'd like to see more projects with the students trying to test or compare previous results, or improve upon an original thought or example.
"I'd like to see more of those and less of the research projects.
"Even though research projects can be done well, getting more hands-on would be better for the kids and may even pique their interest a bit more."
In December's fair, Pearson said a number of the younger students "really seemed into it" and he was excited by their potential.
He said he liked the approach taken by the younger students.
"Some of them took something that had been proven, but set out to prove it again in their own way.
"I was really impressed with some of their ideas, and
"I hope to see them build upon that as they prepare to enter senior high."
