The second edition of the firSTep science fair or how children can change the worls through their ideas
On Thursday, February 17, the second edition of the science fair, firSTep, took place in our school. Ana (Y4), Max (Y4), Alex (Y3), Luca (Y3) and Tudor (Y5) participated, each presenting a project on which they worked together with Ms Saadet and their parents.
Their project ideas were about:
- How can you make a rocket climb on a string using frictional force;
- How to measure the oxygen in the air we breathe;
- How you can build a car that moves on the basis of air;
- How to create a volcano from materials you find at home;
- How can you water plants using solar energy.
All five projects were, in fact, a miniature research project because the students followed a structure based on: abstract, hypothesis, procedure, results and conclusions. They learned how to formulate a hypothesis, gather data, determine the need for materials and define the steps necessary to reach the desired results.
The projects of the five pupils were evaluated by:
Mrs. Felicia Ianța, school Inspector for primary education, Romanian language within the Bihor County School Inspectorate;
Mrs. Karla Melinda Barth, associate professor, PhD., Dean of the Faculty of Socio-Human Sciences, University of Oradea;
Mrs. Ramona Maria Vesa, director of the Cristal Inclusive Education School Center.
At the awards gala, Ms Saadet stressed that attending such events is not about who wins and who loses. Meanwhile, the pupils added that participating in this science fair helped them learn new things, to realize that with their ideas they can change the world and that they had fun while working on projects. So, our pupils did not receive a classical assessment: I, II, III place.
We are very glad that the project evaluators noticed how good the children felt when presenting their ideas! Our school strongly believes that children’s well-being is extremely important for their development and is an important factor that facilitates the teaching-learning process.
Inspector Felicia Ianța noted that such an event encourages the expression of students ‘ individuality, promotes values and work that stands behind obtaining a result. To achieve such experiences with tangible results is a “learning by doing” learning method, with an impact on the formation of the students’ character. In today’s society, the role of the school becomes all the more important as we are overwhelmed with information and it is increasingly difficult to distinguish right from wrong, truth from fake news. Also, inspector Ianța stressed that such events help students develop critical thinking, creativity and research skills, being impressed by the public speaking skills of students, especially since they expressed themselves freely in a foreign language.
Dear parents, we are very glad that you have been passionately involved in the projects carried out by your children. In this way you help them discover their own interests, trust their own strengths and want to have an impact in the world we live in. And as inspector Ianța said, the students who participated become a model for the other children because it challenges their imagination and stimulates their curiosity, and next year we hope that our space will not be large enough to host our students ‘ projects!
