May 18, 2015 at 5:27 p.m.
Little scientists show off experiments during CHAMPS science fair
Little scientists show off experiments during CHAMPS science fair
By Kayla Thomason-
Approximately 48 students were in attendance, many with a parent in tow, as they explained their projects.
"These are all different experiments that the kids helped pick out and the ones that they loved they chose to finish and complete," said Kris Michlig, CHAMPS coordinator. "We really worked hard on the scientific method and that was kind of where it all started because they are going to be hit with that for the rest of their lives."
There were approximately 25 projects on display ranging from electricity, dancing raisins and lava lamps, to the reaction of proteins in milk.
Maria Grabiec, parent, said she found all the exhibits to be interesting. Most were new to her, she said.
"This milk one is interesting to see," she said. "Gross, but neat."
Hailey Zubricky, a third-grader at Crescent Elementary, told her mother, Grabiec, about the Red Bull energy drink and milk experiment, which involved three different containers containing Red Bull and either whole milk, chocolate milk or skim milk. The top layer of each container looked as if it was topped with whipped yogurt or a sponge saturated with curdled milk.
"We are trying to figure out how to have the milk and the fat separate with the Red Bull," Hailey said. "In the chocolate one, all the Red Bull came in the middle because all the fat went up and all the milk came down. In the whole milk, all the milk stayed in the middle and all the Red Bull fell all the way on the bottom and all the fat stayed up."
Because skim milk has less protein than the other varieties of milk used in the experiment, the amount of curdling on the top was less. The whole milk had the greatest layer of curdling.
Hailey thought the experiment looked gross.
"I think (CHAMPS is) a great thing, (it) gets kids more interactive and other kids come over from different schools and it's just a little family activity that we can do that's in school," Grabiec said. "It's just a good program for the kids to get involved in. It's a nice thing that the school does."
Hailey was quick to share what she likes about CHAMPS.
"We can have our homework get done here and we get to play with most of our friends and we get extra recess and all that and then we can have fun with all our friends and we can learn," she said.
Enthusiastically manning three experiments - dancing raisins, colorful convections currents and a ketchup station - Kameron Christian, a first-grader, was eager to pass his knowledge on to passersby.
"The dancing raisins, I know why the raisins are popping up because the club soda is reacting with the raisins," Kameron said.
People would throw a few raisins into a container filled with club soda. The raisins would then shift and lift up.
The next experiment, colorful convections currents, involved two bottles, one filled with cold water and one filled with hot. One was colored yellow and the other blue. Each bottle was then covered with what looked like a flat coaster and the blue bottle was flipped over so the mouths lined up and the coaster was removed. As the waters met and mixed, the concoction turned green.
"The colorful convections, the hot water is less dense than the cold water," Kameron said.
"The ketchup experiment, on the ketchup packet there are little holes and salt water has not so much density so if you put it in the water it will start floating to the top," he said.
Colorful convections currents was his favorite, he said, followed by the ketchup and raisins.
"(The people who visited) were pretty amazed," Kameron said, adding that he wants to be a scientist when he grows up.
"I can learn more than I already know," he explained.
He thinks the CHAMPS program is pretty cool.
"I think it's a lot of fun, they learn interesting things and they get to explore different science theories and they have a lot of fun," said Michele Jones, parent.
Her daughter, a first-grader named Mackenzie, had a gummy bear experiment where the bears were soaked in different liquids for 24 hours.
The liquids were lemon juice, salt water, water and vinegar.
"The (bears in) plain water grew bigger and the (bears in) salt water stayed the same," Mackenzie said.
The lemon juice caused the bears to grow while the vinegar dissolved the candy.
"CHAMPS is wonderful, they've had a couple other different events too and it's wonderful, (Mackenzie) learns lots of stuff and she has fun and the teachers are wonderful, it's wonderful," Jones said.
CHAMPS (Community Helping Afterschool to Mold Positive Students) is a free afterschool academic enrichment program that also incorporates recreational activities that tie back into math and science. All elementary and middle school students in the School District of Rhinelander can participate in the program.
"This is a great way to do reading and get them all interested in reading and writing and math," Michlig said.
There will be a summer CHAMPS program. The program runs Monday through Friday from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. For more information on registering children for the program, visit www.rhinelander.k12.wi.us/community/CHAMPS.cfm.
CHAMPS is always looking for partners to enrich the program and share their knowledge with the children.
To become a partner call Tim Howell at (715) 365-9600 or email him at [email protected].
Kayla Breese may be reached at [email protected].
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