Scientific exploration creates buzz at West End

For their experiment at the West End School science fair in Lynbrook, fourth-graders Marianne Lombardo (left) and Gabrielle Grillo compared the properties of salt and sugar crystals.

Courtesy Rosemary Leonetti/Syntax

Fifth-grader Peter Pagan (right) attracted a crowd as he demonstrated the properties of a tornado at the West End School science fair in Lynbrook.

Courtesy Rosemary Leonetti/Syntax

At Lynbrook’s West End School science fair, fourth-graders Matt Kotkin (center) and Ethan Romano (right) demonstrated how they used fruit to create voltaic batteries.

Courtesy Rosemary Leonetti/Syntax

For their science fair experiment, West End fourth-graders Cameron Heuer and Emma Kotkin of Lynbrook experimented with purely organic materials to create a new line of lip balms that proved to be very effective in soothing chapped lips.

Courtesy Rosemary Leonetti/Syntax

Through his experiment, West End fifth-grader Jimmy Palco of Lynbrook learned that classical music has a more positive effect on plant growth than rock music.

Courtesy Rosemary Leonetti/Syntax

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Did you ever wonder why the seasons change, how invisible ink works, what ingredients make the best natural lip balm, how crystals form or if music affects plant growth? The answers to these and many other questions could be found on the bustling floor of the science fair at Lynbrook’s West End School.

This year, as part of a PTA initiative, students in grades 4 and 5 were invited to complete a scientific research project, which they presented to fellow students, parents and administrators at the science fair. Students worked individually or in groups to research their topics and to develop and test their hypotheses using the scientific method. After determining a question, hypothesis, materials, procedure and conclusion, they submitted their proposals to the science committee, chaired by science teacher Annemarie Roth and Principal Alison Puliatte. Then students went to work at home to conduct their research, test their hypotheses and create their presentation boards.

Among the special guests at the fair were senior members of the Lynbrook High School science research program, who interacted with the junior scientists. Science research teacher David Shanker also extended an offer to have high school science research students act as mentors to the younger students when they prepare for next year’s science fair.