By Yunseo Lee, Year 12
Wednesday, March 13 — In one of the labs in the High School science building, the Women in STEAM club’s long-awaited Middle School Science Fair took place. Consisting of 7 different stands at which eager and captivated middle schoolers experimented with Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Robotics, the Fair was most certainly a fascinating experience for all involved.
The Fair was a greatly anticipated project for the Women in STEAM Club, having been envisioned since the beginning of the school year and rigorously planned and prepared for since January. Encouraging young girls’ participation in STEM being one of its main goals, the Club sought to provide an exciting and eye-opening opportunity for Middle School students to experience how fun science can be, especially in time for their transition into Secondary School.
An hour long, the Fair was organised and led by ten Year 12 students in the WinSTEAM club and supervised by Head of Science, Mrs. Newman. The three lab sciences —Biology, Chemistry, and Physics— were each represented by two quick, fun, and interactive experiments led by a student currently studying the subject in the IB. The Club, staying true to their initiative, encouraged female IB science students to participate in leading the experiments.
The Middle School students rotated around the lab, taking part in each experiment and learning the science behind it. The Physics experiments at the Fair involved the concept of densities of different objects as well as gas pressure and vacuum. The Chemistry section added a splash of colour to the Fair through a rainbow universal indicator experiment and the popular Elephant’s Toothpaste experiment. The Biology experiments incorporated forensic science and thrilling crime-solving investigations, along with a Virtual Reality depiction of the human body. The middle schoolers also enjoyed a display of the impressive robot made by LGB’s Robotics Club.
Overall, the Fair was very much appreciated by its Middle School attendees. Despite the complications in its organisation and preparation, the IB students also wholeheartedly agreed that it was a rewarding and fulfilling experience which turned out to be much better than they had anticipated. A true effort to make a change for future scientists in our school community, the project hopefully nurtured their love for science and inspired them to continue exploring their scientific interests.
