Fritsch Elementary students learn the science of discovery

From hypothesis to conclusion, students at Fritsch Elementary School proved their mastery of the scientific method on rows of neatly arranged cardboard displays set up in the cafeteria Thursday for the annual science fair.

Fellow students browsed the projects, looking over papier-mache volcanoes and pictures of decaying fruit.

“I love it,” said Greta Pugh, 7. “I love science. I just love to do science and how good it makes you feel.”

Projects varied in topics and difficulty, some providing practical — albeit confusing — consumer reports.

One student determined Bounty to be the most absorbent paper towel, while another found Viva did the job the best. While one student concluded Bubble Yum produced the largest bubbles, another project gave the title to Bubblicious.

First-grader Mylez Peterson, 6, was not distracted by the inconsistencies.

“It’s awesome,” he said. “There’s so many facts.”

One fifth-grader tested who had better vision, a human or a dog.

To put the question to the test, the student had a sister and dog complete the same obstacle course in the dark.

The student theorized: “I think that my sister will do better in this test. I think this because she sees in color, so she could see the obstacles in the dark better.”

In the end, the student’s hypothesis proved correct.

David Stoffer, 8, enjoyed the variety.

“They’re very creative, the projects,” he said. “Like there’s this one to see how long the bubble gum can blow and to see how much electricity some food has.”

Winners from science fairs throughout the district will be on display at the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Night at Eagle Valley Middle School.