Our Year 6 Science Fair has been a huge success as pupils have explored a range of exciting hypotheses. Tasked to choose a scientific topic, based on personal interest, pupils conducted their own research and presented their findings to their teachers and peers.
Children investigated everything from how the mass of an object influences its falling speed, to the reactions between different acids and bicarbonate of soda, the effect of music on concentration and the mysterious science behind invisible ink. Other fascinating topics included:
- How does your sense of smell affect taste?
- How does density affect buoyancy?
- What is static electricity?
- How do different drinks affect the teeth?
- How do animals adapt to their environment?
With just two weeks to put their presentations together, pupils worked in small groups during both lesson time and outside of School, as their homework task, to find out as much as possible about their subject. Each team created an eye-catching display poster, designed a hands-on practical activity, and explored the life and work of a scientist linked to their area of study.
Talking about the research stage, one pupil said: “I enjoyed researching the facts and finding out lots of new things – one thing I found really interesting was that static electricity can be up to thousands of volts!”
In the last week before the half-term, pupils took part in the Science Fair to present their projects to our Year 5 classes, who all engaged enthusiastically with the practical elements of the Fair. Experiments available to try included mixing baking soda with drinks such as fruit juice and Coca-Cola to observe a fizzing reaction and taste tests both with and without the sense of smell to see how this affects the experience of eating food.
Specialist science staff members from both Loughborough Grammar School and Loughborough High School also visited the Science Fair, interested in talking to our pupils about their work and asking them thought-provoking questions to encourage their further thinking. Through presenting their work to a range of new faces, which included Heads of Physics, Chemistry and Biology at each of the respective schools, pupils effectively developed their confidence and scientific articulation. The fair proved to be not only an academic highlight, but also a brilliant opportunity for Year 6 to connect with the senior schools as part of their transition journey.
Head of Science at Fairfield, Mrs Rachael Newham, who ran the Science Fair for the first time this year, said: “I introduced the Science Fair at Fairfield with the aim of giving our Year 6 children the freedom to follow their own lines of scientific enquiry, an opportunity to take ownership of their learning and to develop as independent thinkers. At the heart of the project were the 6Cs that underpin teaching and learning at Fairfield: Curiosity, Critical Thinking, Communication, Creativity, Collaboration and Challenge. My hope was to spark a lasting excitement about science, so that children leave Fairfield inspired and eager for the next stage of their scientific journey.
“The children rose to the challenge beyond anything I had imagined. Their passion for their chosen topics, the depth of their knowledge, and the confidence with which they presented their work has been outstanding. More than anything, they had fun, and I hope they’ll remember the Science Fair for years to come. Perhaps, for some, it will even be the beginning of a lifelong journey into science.”
