The annual Science Fair was held at West Potomac HS this past January.  Students began preparing for the Science Fair in October, and continued to work on their projects until the end of January, but some students got to go on to Science Fairs held at national and international levels, if they place at the local Fair. The fair is open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors.  Freshman have their own Science Fair.

Juliette Burcham, a sophomore, says “I expected there to be a lot more seniors and juniors, but it was mostly sophomores.” Annamarie Arleth, a sophomore, went to Science Fair for the second time, and liked it.  “I really enjoyed Science Fair because I liked how you could see other people’s projects and I learned a lot from them,” said Arleth.

Although Science Fair is a requirement for all Honors science students, most students, like Arleth, enjoy the Science Fair. Megan Fuqua, a sophomore, elaborated upon why she went to Science Fair. “Science is my favorite subject and I think it’s really interesting.”  Having a science fair at the school allows students like Fuqua, who likes science, to research something that interests them.  “Science Fair motivated me to explore new things,” says Burcham.  “It taught me not to judge the result of something without conducting a solid test.” Arleth agrees, and says that Science fair enhanced learning for all the participants involved.   “I think it [Science Fair] helps enhance learning because you have to understand your project enough to present it and teach it to others. It requires a higher level of understanding.”

In addition to enhancing students’ knowledge and understanding of science, Science Fair is quite rewarding.  There are several categories in the Science Fair, and winners of every category.  The categories included physics, chemistry, and biology. Some of the winners included Chris Jones, Juliette Burcham, and Megan Fuqua.  “I was fortunate enough to win a second place ribbon,” said Burcham. “It was really exciting.” Even though some people didn’t win, there was still pizza and refreshments for everyone at the end.   “Although there were some who didn’t place, everyone seemed to have a good time,” said Fuqua.  Arleth said that science fair is important, because it allows students to be recognized for something they worked hard on.