This past Monday evening, HALB held a virtual Science Fair, displaying the independent research projects of its 8th grade students. There was a broad range of project topics, from testing for bacteria to engineering innovations. The participants were chosen based on the quality of their research and their prior in-class presentations of their results to their peers. The participants were:
1 - Isabella Lifschutz – Bacteria Growth on Lipstick
2 - Nachum Zerykier – Passive Tactile Fidget Toy
3 - Talia Traube – Effect of Salinity of Water on the Survival of Brine Shrimp
4 - Ariel Rogoff – Vitamin D for Kidney Bean Plants
5 - Aliza Hecht – Grow Bacteria
6 - Barak Weisenberg – Musical Plants
7 - Shira Ellenberg – Bacteria on Borrowed Books
8 - Noah Penstein – Should You Reapply Sunscreen?
9 - Kayla Goldberg – How Varying Water Temperatures Affect the Heart Rate of Daphnia
10 - Nadav Chelst – Photosynthesized
11 - Rachel Hirt – Single Axis Solar Tracker
During this live event, students presented their research findings to a panel of judges, including Mr. Joshua Walas and Mrs. Rina Korman, current HALB science teachers, and Mr. Gerry Bass, HALB’s beloved longtime former science teacher. The middle school student viewing audience also voted on their favorite project with the “People’s Choice Award.”
Hosted by eighth grade science teacher Mr. Peter Wiehl, the Science Fair Event had an innovative format. Between student presentations, a science Trivia Bowl took place in which the entire middle school viewing audience participated. After the end of the event, Mr. Wiehl conducted a “bonus round” of the game for students who wanted to continue to play; prizes were awarded to the winners.
This year’s Science Fair winners were:
First Place: Barak Weisenberg – Musical Plants
Second Place: Talia Traube – Effect of Salinity of Water on the Survival of Brine Shrimp
Third Place: Shira Ellenberg – Bacteria on Borrowed Books
People’s Choice Award: Rachel Hirt – Single Axis Solar Tracker
Mrs. Marjorie Wein, Associate Principal of the Middle School for General Studies, commented after the event: “We did not know what this year’s Science Fair would look like. HALB has hosted the Inter-Yeshiva Science Congress for years, and that unfortunately had to be canceled this spring. We were so happy that our participating students had a forum to showcase their remarkable scientific research projects, and that the Zoom event was a positive experience for all involved.”
HALB looks forward to next year’s Science Fair and Inter-Yeshiva Science Congress, hopefully live and back on its school campus.
