A method to their scientific madness in Seaford

Whether they were creating a soda volcano or finding out the best way to clean up oil, students at Seaford Middle School enjoyed learning about their world for the annual science fair. They presented their results afterschool on Nov. 29, with science teachers Kevin Mullany and Roseann Zeblisky serving as judges.

The science fair, open to students in grades 6-8, allows students to explore any concept through an experiment that follows the scientific method. They could work individually or in teams for their at-home projects. Students could showcase their observations and results on a posterboard or with a digital presentation.

“Every year, they surprise me,” Zeblisky said about the wide variety of topics that students explored. “Every year, they come up with different ideas, or different twists on an idea. There are no two projects that are the same.”

Zeblisky said that the goal is to turn students into citizen-scientists and use their curiosity to learn more about the world around them. She also hopes it sparks interest to delve further into the sciences, such as joining the Science Olympiad team or enrolling in high school research classes.

Zeblisky and Mullany devoted a day of class earlier this year to the scientific method as a way of promoting the fair, and it led to an increase in participation this year.

Eighth grader Christo Perlegis, a two-time participant in the science fair, likes conducting an experiment, but he also enjoys presentation day where he can walk around the room, see the other projects and talk to his peers about their findings.

“You learn something new every time,” Christo said. “All brains come together at this event.”