Young ‘scientists’ compete in regional science fair at Cameron University | News
It’s a proven fact: dogs have more germs than humans.
Just ask Asa Roman, a third grader at Cache who did an experiment to find out if dogs had more germs than humans. He proved yes.
According to Roman, he asked his family to help him clean the mouths of a dog and a human. He then placed the two samples in Petri dishes and observed the results for three days.
“I learned that sometimes germs don’t grow in a day or two, but on the last day a lot of changes happen,” Roman said.
This was Roman’s second year competing in the Young Learners Science Exposition, held annually in Cameron University’s McCastland Foundation Ballroom.
The annual event, hosted by Cameron University, helps children in kindergarten through fifth grade learn “to be the next generation of problem-solving leaders for our community.”
Clinton Bryan, fair coordinator and chemistry professor at CU, said the fair reaches out to schools across the state to compete.
“Typically in February we contact schools,” Bryan said. “We sent ads to Moore, Norman, Rush Springs, Elgin, Cache and Lawton.”
Bryan said students from different schools compete in their school’s science fair to participate in regionals, hosted by Cameron.
“Each of these kids got first or second place in the local school science fair,” Bryan said. “The science fair coordinator can then register the first and second winners to be part of this science fair.”
Bryan said they had nine trophies to give away.
“There will be first, second and third place in each grade, with blue, red and white ribbons,” Bryan said. “If I have enough judges, we will also judge the best in certain categories in each series.”
Bryan said that since 2012, between 29 and 83 students have competed each year. This year, 45 students signed up.
“I imagine these kids will discover that science can be quite a sport, where you find out the answer to a question,” Bryan said. “It can be like solving a riddle where you are trying to solve a problem. We want them to grow and become leaders in solving problems in their community, trying to make it better. We hope a program like this teaches them to develop their logical thinking processes to be problem solvers.”
Nathan Barber, a third grader at Freedom Elementary, did an experiment where soda is the most corrosive.
“Before this, we were going to do a different one… but the more I looked into it, it seemed a little easier, so I found this one that is similar but different in a lot of ways,” Barber said.
Barber said Pepsi was the most corrosive, due to the pH levels.
“The lower the pH levels, the higher the acidity,” Barber said.
Barber said this was her third year competing at the fair.
Hugh Bish fifth-grader Alejandro Browder did a project on how to blow up a balloon with vinegar and baking soda.
“The chemical reaction that occurs when you mix baking soda and vinegar will inflate the balloon,” said Browder. This was Browder’s first time competing at the fair.
