Students tour science fairs

A cooking failure in Analee Anderson's kitchen turned into a scientific success in her third-grade classroom.

"We had a ball," she said. "We ate a lot of cookies that day."

Anderson led her students in an experiment to determine the effect on cookies when one ingredient is left out as part of Fritsch Elementary School's annual science fair Wednesday.

Groups of students were each assigned to bake a batch of cookies without certain ingredients. One group followed the correct recipe.

"It was fun but the cookies tasted nasty," said Angelena Traquina, 9. "The real ones were good but the rest were nasty."

Schools throughout Carson City have been holding science fairs over the last two weeks.

Before the projects were judged, students were allowed to walk through and see their peers' exhibits.

"It's fun to see all the different projects," said Monserrat Vazquez, 9. "You learn about science."

Brock Pradere, 9, especially liked an experiment on volcanoes.

"We've been studying volcanoes in our class," he said. "We're learning that when there's too much pressure at the bottom of the volcano, it will erupt."

Winners from each school will advance to the regional competition March 13 to 15 at the University of Nevada, Reno.

The projects will be showcased during Science Recognition Night at Western Nevada Community College on March 5.

The recognition night is open to all students and their parents and will feature an array of science experiments and demonstrations. Refreshments will also be provided.

Diana Easby, coordinator of Fritsch Elementary School's fair, said it is an effective learning tool for students.

"The kids get very much immersed in science and the scientific process," she said. "The learn to come up with a question and find an experiment to answer it. The kids learn so much about follow through."