SciFest Ezine Promoting
www.scifest.ie
in STEM Excellence
Volume 4, Number 1
September 2012
Science fairs promote better student performance in science Inside this issue: SciFest 2012 Intel Best Project Award winners
2
SciFest@Intel 2012
3
SciFest@School
3
SciFest contact details
4
Events diary
4
‘The passion for SciFest in Ireland is evident. The goals were to create a science fair experience that was inclusive and accessible but that would also still inspire excellence. SciFest achieved these goals.’
Catalyzing Student Research Peter Rillero, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Science Education Arizona State University March 2012
Many researchers believe that an essential component of learning through inquiry is for the student to present the results of their research and investigations to others (Jennings and Mills 2009). In an attempt to find out if students were actually more engaged and performed better in science if their school encouraged them to work on science projects, participate in science fairs, belong to a science-related club or go on
SciFest 2012@IT Blanchardstown
Pisa 2006
science-related field trips PISA 2006 asked school principals about what kinds of extracurricular science activities they offered their students. They then linked their responses with students’ performance on the PISA science test. The following conclusions were drawn: ‘In most countries, sciencerelated extracurricular activities at school are related to better student performance, a stronger belief by students in their abilities to handle science-related tasks, and greater enjoyment of learning science. And, in many countries, this is true even after accounting for the socioeconomic background of both students and schools.’
Record number of students participate in SciFest 2012 Exhibitors 4290
Projects 1864
Schools 227
Teachers 367
More than 13 500 students have exhibited at SciFest since 2008
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SciFest Ezine
SciFest 2012 Intel Best Project Award Winners IT/Venue Students’ Names AIT
School
Project Title
Mentoring Teacher Sarah Kennedy
Alan Harney St. Joseph’s College, Garbally Ruairi McKenna- Park, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway Carroll Shauna O'Neill Convent of Mercy, Roscommon Town, Roscommon
Portable testing kit for peanuts in food
Euan Gorrell Rebecca Faulkner Linda Dolan Clare Donlan
Abbey Vocational School, Donegal Town, Co. Donegal
Does listening to music change one’s spatial IQ?
Mary McLoughlin
St. Clare’s Comprehensive School, Manorhamilton, Co. Leitrim
To Investigate the Energy value of quettes from cow manure
Edel McPhelim
DkIT
Aisling Molloy
Our Lady’s College, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co. Louth
To investigate the effects of exercise on mental performance
Judy Conroy
ITB
Alice Brennan
Under pressure to generate electricity!
Dr Lisa Darley
ITT
Ruta Puodziunaite
St Michael's Loreto, Kentstown Road, Navan, Co. Meath St. Louis High School, Rathmines, Dublin 6
NorthWest
Oisin O’Connell Foyle College, Matthew Austin Duncreggan Road, Derry Sophie Mc Faul BT48OAW
Investigating Bridge Design
Linda Hand
CIT
Claire Keaveney- Scoil Mhuire, Sidney Place, Jimenez Wellington Road, Cork
The Energy of a Youth Orchestra
Rachel Currivan Shirley Breen
DIT
Lorna Mooney Julie O'Connor Shannon Scott
Loreto Secondary School. Balbriggan, Co. Dublin
Is there a genetic supertaster component controlling the Irish choice of tea?
Niamh McNally
IT Car
Simon Bluett
CBS Secondary School Kilkenny, James’s Street, Kilkenny
Easyflick, Innovative, easy to use and safe Patrick McCormack circuit and lighting control for every house
LIT
Meabh Mulcahy St Mary’s Charleville, Mairead O'Don- Charleville, Co. Cork nell
Is a domestic cream a safer remedy to cur- Breeda Mulcahy ing mastitis than antibiotics in dairy cows?
LIT Tipp
Elaine Butler Loreto Secondary School, Leanne Murphy Clonmel, Co. Tipperary Gemma O'Dwyer
Teen gamble, win or lose?
Nuala Smith
ITTral
Noelle Galvin
Coláiste na Sceilge, Caherciveen, Co. Kerry
Natural cure for midge bites
Marie O'Sullivan
WIT
Maria Bridges
CBS New Ross, Co. Wexford
Formula 1 cars on the ceiling - can they do Claire Hurley it?
GMIT LYIT
IT Sligo
An investigation into the effect of magnet- Padraig Harlow ism on the rotation of water molecules
bri-
The effect of washing-up liquid on the ger- Mairéad O'Brien mination of plants
Volume 4, Number 1
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SciFest 2012 Intel Best Project Award Winners compete for Grand Award SciFest@Intel 2012 On 26 October 2012 the overall winners from each of the regional SciFest@College 2012 fairs will travel to Intel in Leixlip to compete in SciFest@Intel. The students will present their projects to a team of judges and one project will be selected to represent Ireland at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Phoenix, Arizona in May 2013. Ruairi O’Neill and Eoghan Flynn, Blackwater Community School, Lismore, Co. Waterford, were overall winners of SciFest@Intel 2011. Their project, entitled ‘Polyfuel: A Novel Solution to Fuel Shortages and Disposal of ELPs’ was awarded second place in the Environmental Management Category ($1500) of the Intel ISEF in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, May 2012
‘SciFest is a premier science fair in Ireland,
and being involved with it over the last 5 years has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. SciFest has given my students the opportunity to practise good science at a local, national and international level and to meet and engage with the best young scientists from around the world! SciFest really embraces the belief that Science is for all and all students are encouraged to think big because with the right idea, the right mentorship, and the right support from people like those at their local IT/SciFest/Intel, their drive to think big can change the world. Thank you to all at SciFest, it's been amazing.’ David King Blackwater Community School Lismore, Co. Waterford SciFest@WIT 2011 SciFest@Intel 2011 Intel ISEF 2012
SciFest@School In December 2011 a SciFest@School toolkit was posted on the SciFest website, www.scifest.ie. Relevant resources from the Intel Teachers Engage Science Fair Toolkit were also made available as part of the toolkit. Four of the five schools that participated in SciFest @School 2011 and six new ones registered for Scifest@School 2012. On registration each school received a ScFest@School resource pack. A visit was made to the six new schools and support offered to the teachers. All of the participating teachers were put in contact with one another thus setting up a teachers’ support group. All of the schools reported SciFest@School to be a positive learning experience.
SciFest 2012 @ITB Maccullin Skelly, Fingal Community College
If you are interested in learning more about SciFest@School please contact: E: sheila.porter@scifest.ie M: 086 379 6413
Following the success of SciFest@School at Fingal Community College on 26 April five projects went on to represent the school at SciFest@IT Blanchardstown on 9 May. Every one of our qualified students impressed the judges with their commitment, hard work and love of their chosen topic. Maccullin Skelly 2nd Year succeeded in achieving the second most coveted prize of the day, the Abbott Overall Runner-Up Best Project award. He also won the Individual Junior Technology Category. Fifth Year students Zeni Berisha, Jason Bajarias and Eddie McLoughlin were also successful. They were awarded 2nd Place in the Senior Group Life Sciences Category Well done to all the students and teachers involved in SciFest@School and SciFest@IT Blanchardstown. Claire Scanlon Fingal Community College
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SciFest Ezine
Check out the following resources on the SciFest website:
SciFest
SciFest 2012 Video
Start small — 10 steps to a successful SciFest@School
Contact details:
Choosing an idea and getting started
Sheila Porter
Student module ‘Science by Inquiry’
SciFest Project Manager
The Scientific Method — PowerPoint Presentation
T: 01 298 8312
Let’s Investigate — PowerPoint Presentation
M: 086 379 6143
M & M Activity
E: sheila.porter@scifest.ie
Report book and presentation
Resource list
W: www.scifest.ie
sheilaporter@iol.ie
SciFest@CIT 2012
SciFest 2012 is funded by Intel and Discover Science & Engineering as project partners. The project is also supported by Abbott, BT, PharmaChemical Ireland, SEAI, NCE-MSTL, Seagate, ESERO Ireland and Roche.
Events diary School Bookings: Call National Atlantaquaria, Galway 091 585100
16 Sept.– 2 Nov. 2012
Galway Science brings you CERN's "Accelerating Science" Exhibition sponsored by Boston Scientific. For those curious about the origins of our universe, the nature of the particles we are all made from, and the power of fundamental science. Experience the ‘Big Bang’, investigate the building blocks of life, grapple with the mysteries of the universe, explore the world’s largest scientific experiment, and discover how fundamental science has changed the world as we know it. This exhibition is most suitable for secondary school and university level students but there will be something interesting for all ages.
22 Sept. 2012
Frontiers in Physics Teachers’ Conference 2012 A day of lectures, demonstrations, and workshops for teachers of physics including Junior Certificate Science.
www.iopireland.org
1 Oct. 2012
Last day to submit entry forms to the BTYS&TE
www.btyoungscientist.com
13-20 Oct. 2012
Maths Week
www.mathsweek.ie
16 Oct. 2012
Intel, Leixlip
12 Nov. 2012
Waterford
13 Nov. 2012
Kilkenny
26 Oct. 2012
SciFest@Intel Intel Best Project award winners from each of the 15 SciFest@College venues compete for the opportunity to represent Ireland at Intel ISEF in Phoenix, Arizona in May 2013.
www.scifest.ie www.societyforscience.or g/intelisef2013
Science Week Ireland
www.scienceweek.ie
Don’t forget to encourage your students to enter the SciFest Science Week 2012 STEM Crossword Competition and be in with a chance to win an iPod.
www.scifest.ie
15 Nov. 2012
ISTA Senior Science Quiz Regional Finals at 7.30pm nationwide. Full details will be posted on ISTA website shortly.
www.ista.ie
24 Nov. 2012
ISTA Senior Science Quiz Finals at 7.30pm Trinity College (sponsored by PharmaChemical Ireland). Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin will act as quizmaster. Full details will be posted on the ISTA website shortly.
www.iata.ie
9-12 Jan. 2013
BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition 2013
www.btyoungscientist.com
25 Feb.—3 March 2013
Engineers Week Exciting career and maths resources Register for a Smart Futures visit now and arrange for an engineer to visit your school. www.steps.ie/post-primary-school-visit or call 01 665 1340
www.engineersweek.ie www.steps.ie
8 March 2013
Last day to submit entry forms to SciFest@College 2013
www.scifest.ie
11-18 Nov. 2012
EirGrid Schools Science Programme Understanding Electricity - From Power Station to PlayStation® Bringing the curriculum to life for junior cycle science students
Public bookings: https://www.eventelephant.c om/galwayscience/pages/tobo ok.htm
www.eirgrid.com Email: schools@eirgrid.com or call 01 2370000