MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Volcanoes spewing concoctions of baking soda and vinegar, hamsters navigating mazes and swirling, bottled tornadoes were just a few of the interesting science projects grade school students had on display March 26 and 27 during Matthew C. Perry Elementary School's Science Expo.
The expo was held inside the IronWorks Gym, where kindergarten through sixth grade students set up displays. The displays were used to explain various hypotheses using the scientific method and creative experiments.
Matthew C. Perry Elementary School third grade teachers Dana Rivera and Tiffany Sullivan, who organized the event, explained the details.
"We brought the idea for the expo up at a board meeting and told all the kindergarten through sixth grade teachers that their students were invited to participate," said Rivera. "We ended up with a great turnout and almost 100-percent participation from the students."
Sullivan explained how each teacher's class had a different way of doing things.
"We left it up to the teachers on what the kids were to focus their project on. Because each grade level's curriculum differs, we ended up with a variety of projects," said Sullivan. "In some of the younger grades the students worked as a class to complete a project, while the older children spent a lot of time working on their projects at home."
The expo was divided up over two days - the first being for kindergarten through third grade and the second for fourth, fifth and sixth graders. The classes made their way to the gymnasium where each student stood in front of fellow classmates to explain his or her project and what they learned.
From there the children were set free to check out the rest of the expo and see what other grade levels had discovered.
The event was open to the community and many parents attended, anxious to see the final product of their child's research and experimentation.
Master Sgt. James Jackson, Marine Corps Community Services operations chief, had two children who participated in the expo.
"I know my kids put quite a bit of time into their projects and had a lot of fun with them," said Jackson. "I was happy to see the younger kids participating as well. My first grader did a study of butterflies and was teaching me things - I didn't even know what a chrysalis was until now."
Parents weren't the only ones learning and gaining from the science projects, explains Gunnery Sgt. Dionisios Nicholas, legal services chief at the Station Judge Advocate's Office and parent of an expo participant.
"Nothing builds more confidence in a child then when you give them a chance to display their creativity and ability to create things," said Nicholas. "The project itself isn't as important as the hard work, ingenuity and determination it instills in a child."
Students might not have realized the overall benefits of such an interactive assignment, but they were very enthusiastic about explaining their projects to other students and parents, according to Sullivan.
"My project dealt with the density of different materials," said Cathleen Oliverio, Matthew C. Perry fifth grader. "It was a challenge getting all my supplies and data together, but I learned a lot, and it was fun."
The benefits of the expo were obvious, and those who coordinated the event couldn't have been more pleased.
"I have never seen the kids this excited about learning," said Sullivan. "It's great to see how the students have learned and grown through their projects and other students as well."
Rivera was equally satisfied with the results and credited the events success to the efforts of many.
"When we asked for volunteers for this event teachers and parents started coming out of the woodwork to help us," noted Rivera.
"We also had a bunch of Marines from Combat Service Support Detachment 36 come to help set up tables. We are proud that when Iwakuni comes together we can make something like this possible. The bottom line was to benefit the kids, and I think we succeeded," she added.