MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Matthew C. Perry Elementary School opened its doors to parents and students for a Super Science Saturday fair held at the elementary school gym here Saturday.
The fair provided interactive hands-on learning for parents and students who attended the event.
“We want the kids to get an appreciation for science that doesn‘t have to be this huge, complicated five-week thing,” said Michael Erhart, an M.C. Perry Elementary English as a Second Language teacher. “It’s hands-on activity. A lot of times when you do science, there’s a lot of reading behind it, a lot of set up and prep. The kids can come in here, and they see the actual activity right here right now without having to do a vocabulary lesson; without having to be quizzed on it. It’s just the hands-on activity they can do.”
The fair had up to 15 different stations, concentrating on different simple science experiments.
The experiments covered a variety of subjects, ranging from the properties of water and bubbles to the workings of sight and sound.
“It’s simple science experiments, but I wanted it to be something where the kids go ‘Wow’ when they see something,” said Erhart. “There’s no big deal big deal about it but its ‘wow’.”
As the students conducted their experiments they applied the scientific method, which forced them to ask questions about what they were doing.
“The kids learn to ask questions and explore their answers,” said Ivette Silvas, an M.C. Perry sixth grade teacher. “It‘s more the inquiry method that we‘re focused on. That‘s why there are different stations. It‘s just how do you learn by exploring the world around you.”
Silvas said she believed the most important thing about the science fair is that it helped spark the student’s curiosity, which would encourage them to explore the world around them and delve deeper into what they are learning.
Many of the participating students were excited about what they experienced during the fair.
Jacob Silvas, a fifth grade M.C. Perry Elementary School student said he really liked the fair because it showed him things he didn’t learn every day during school.
“It kind of helps us act interact with more stuff and have fun,” said Jacob. “I learned about sound and how it travels, I learned about erosions. I think we should do this again next year.”
Jacob said if the school has a science fair again next year, he would tell students they should come and learn the things he learned that day.
Erhart, who originally planned the science fair, had his own ideas for next year.
“We are going to do it again next year,” said Erhart. “Bigger and better.”