HINKLEY • When Tash Holliday talks about his science fair project, the Hinkley School seventh-grader speaks with authority. He tosses out phrases like reaction volume, litmus test and pH like a veteran scientist.

For his project, Holliday experimented with items like baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice, and other substance to see which ones, when combined, fizz the most. His presentation board at Thursday’s fair, replete with hypotheses, graphs, and detailed findings, hinted that Holliday has become something of an expert.

Holliday was one of over 340 students, from kindergarten to eighth grade, who participated in the Hinkley’s annual science fair, which showcased the school’s science program. Students and their families packed the multipurpose room Thursday evening, snaking past the rows of presentation boards that displayed months of hard work. Projects topics ranged from earth sciences to biology to physics.

Hinkley science teacher Holly Bowser said the science fair invigorates the student body each year.

“The group as a whole develops a mob energy,” said Bowser. “They want  a fair competition and they want everyone to bring their best.”

Bowser, who heads up Hinkley’s science fair, said she enjoys watching students work through a scientific process, where they pose their own question and then answer it — since usually students are trained to answer someone else’s question.

“It’s a backwards approach,” she said.

Bowser said she often sees students learn the most when their projects veer off in unplanned directions.

Eighth-grader Genevieve Valenti said she didn’t expect to find that younger students fared better than older students when she compared different age levels and their drawing skills for her project.

Valenti learned to account for variables, such as one of her test groups coincidentally practicing drawing for a class activity, which skewed her results.

“That’s the struggle I love to see,” said Bowser.

Hinkley holds its own against the other elementary, intermediate and junior high schools in the district during science fair season. Hinkley has sent students to the state level competition for the past six years.

While Bowser, who wore six gold pins from the state competition on her lapel, said she prides sending students to state, her favorite competition is the four-county-wide science fair in San Bernardino, which gathers students from all over the Inland Empire.

“It’s our kids’ first step out into the world,” she said.

The district science fair will be held on March 5, with live judging from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the awards ceremony at 6 p.m., at Barstow Community College at 2700 Barstow Rd.

Contact the writer:
(760) 256-4122 or elee@desertdispatch.com

Upcoming science fairs
Feb. 17: Barstow Junior High School
Feb. 19: Barstow Intermediate School
Feb. 19: Cameron Elementary School
Feb. 19: Skyline Elementary School
Feb. 25: Lenwood Elementary School
March 5: District science fair at Barstow Community College