It was a mix of shock and pride when four Hauraki Plains College students found out their project results from the recent NIWA Waikato Science Fair.
Teammates and year 10 students Olivia Taaffe and Shirley Henry entered their lava lamp project in the material world category at the Fair on August 11 and snapped up second place.
The science-gurus did not expect the accolade but felt it was a rewarding return for “all our hard work”, they told The Profile.
It took the award winners a little more than two months of work in class and at home to complete the project.
A monetary prize of $70 was included, which the students split between themselves and planned to “save it to go towards bigger things”, they said.
The project explored the variables that affected home made lava lamps, 14-year-old Olivia said. “We made multiple different lamps with different ingredients to see what would happen.”
But the overall result was that vegetable oil lasted the longest, 15-year-old Shirley said.
The thing that helped them to stay motivated and focussed was each other, they said.
They entered the science fair to “learn and experience new things”, Shirley said.
“It really helps with building confidence when you have to speak to the judges.”
Fellow year 10 students Ujwal Parajuli and Katelyn Brunt also competed at the Fair and received highly commended awards for individual projects, as well as a monetary prize of $30 each.
Ujwal, 14, said his project was a video which could “inspire kids to protect the planet”.
“I researched a few things that kids can do in their daily life which will impact our planet positively.”
Ujwal’s project was inspired by how “small things can impact change”, he said.
“I wanted people to know how it impacts the planet when we do small things, e.g. recycle.”
Meanwhile, for 14-year-old Katelyn’s project, she investigated how weather patterns and conditions impacted the toxic levels of nitrate in grass.
“I recorded temperatures, rain fall and weather conditions and took tests of grass samples from a paddock over a 15-day period,” she said.
Katelyn, who lives on a dairy farm, said her dad had bouts of nitrate poisoning over the past few years and decided she would investigate the factors that caused it.
Ujwal and Katelyn said they were proud that their work was recognised.
Hauraki Plains College science teacher Cliff Wilcocks said it was the second time the college had competed at the annual Waikato and Bay of Plenty event.
“Hauraki Plains College students completed against those of major private and state secondary students from schools with student populations larger than ours,” he said.
“Congratulations to our students who received awards and to the 15 other students who also presented excellent projects and presented at the Niwa Waikato Science Fair.”
By DAVIDDA HIKATANGATA
