The school-wide Science Fair prepares students at Grambling Middle Magnet School for a state standardized test. The sixth and seventh graders at GMMS will take the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program test and the eighth graders will take the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program test March 18 and April 7-10.
“(Eighth graders) must pass the LEAP test to go to high school,” Roosevelt Strong, the science teacher of 21 years, said.
The iLEAP and LEAP examinations tests students’ comprehensive knowledge over common core state standards covered throughout the academic year, and Jo’Hlik Madison, 13, an eighth grader from Ruston, believes him and his classmates is better equipped to pass the test.
To alleviate some of the pressure, the teachers and administration at the middle school decided to bring back the science fair to reemphasize some of the tests key points.
“Many of the questions on the tests have to do with scientific inquiry and scientific investigations, and they have to (understand) that in a science fair,” said Strong.
He was very impressed with his students’ work, and wish he would have planned to submit their work for the state competition.
“Since we had done it in several years, I figure we need to do a couple times” before they took it to state said Strong, but GMMS plans to compete next year.
According to the teacher of 21 years, the greatest thing about science fairs is students get hand-on experience to incorporate what their learning to real situations. One music-loving eighth grader decided to take her passion and incorporate it into her project.
“I wanted to see if it was possible to make a speaker from a Styrofoam plate,” said Kaidaryia Jackson, 14, from Grambling.
Jackson learned it was possible, if you had the right materials. She explained at first she had the wrong glue, wires and plate and had to go back to the store and repurchase the materials. However, she believes that the time she spent with her father was worth it.
“A good moment,” said Jackson. “I never did a project with my father, it was very exciting.”
Ki Deloney had a similar experience with her mother as she tested the laws of physics with her roller coaster experiment.
“It was great,” said Deloney, a sixth grader from Grambling, “I don’t many projects with my mother.”
She was able to prove the law of conservation of energy “with a greater rise and long run the marble will complete the track better.”
Deloney said it was also trilling to be one of two sixth graders to place first place in the fair. The other was Kristen Jackson in electricity. Undrio Cheffin in Biology, Johnlik Madison in Physical Science were the other first place winners.