On Wednesday, May 16, fifth graders at North Cross School showcased their knowledge in scientific research for the Fifth Grade’s 5th Annual Science Fair. North Cross School is one of the few schools in the Roanoke Valley area that holds a science fair on the elementary level.

Students have been working diligently for many months with a requirement to turn in some aspect of the project every two weeks. Students are presented with packets as early as the beginning of October and are required to give weekly progress reports on their projects thereafter with the final research being presented in May at the science fair held at the school.

“I felt prepared thanks to my teacher, Mrs. Wright. She gave us great support,” said Isabel Baynum, a fifth grader whose project was on the effect of water on plant root growth. The fair is used to help students develop advanced research skills and establish the ability to articulate their findings through presentation.

“I’m very excited about my project; I chose something that truly interests me. Hopefully everyone enjoys my project as much as I enjoyed researching and preparing it,” Ann Ashley Daniel stated about her creative hypothesis on different brands of feed on a horse’s preference, which she tested on her own horses. Ann’s project will be showcased at Southern States.

Other projects included how different colors affect the speed of mice traveling through a maze, the effect of earthworms on the growth of plants, the effect of age on a person’s ability to remember, different cleaning agents to remove stains, and many more unique topics.

Students who participated include Emily Allara, William Barton, Olivia Bloch, Maddy Bradley, Charlie Card, Ann Ashley Daniel, Tanner Davis, Ross Funderburke, Marc Judge, Lilly Kemper, Ben Kessel, Isa Kevorkian, Rennee Leger, Audrey Lemon, Andrew Lorens, Claudia Morgan, Harry Pearson, Ethan Philpott, John Miles Quinn, Davis Alcorn, Isabel Baynum, Andy Benson, Mitchell Boone, Chadd Brenner, Dominique Chapman, Ruth Emily Daily, Emmy Graham, Maverick Helmer, Nalin Jha, Sophia Kelley, Elliott Kennard, Meredith McGimsey, Cabell Moskal, Arisha Suhel, Jackson Walker, Grace Wenk, Grace Whitesell, and Victoria Riego de Dios.

Submitted by Tammy Shank.