LIS students displayed their science projects at the school’s science fair on May 4.
By:Lea Kahn Staff Writer
The family that works together on a science project has lots of fun together at least, that was true for 10-year-old Nick Bosted and his older sister and their parents.
Nick and his family put together a poster board that illustrated the habits and habitats of a handful of furry creatures a ferret, a raccoon, a badger and a coyote for the Lawrence Intermediate School’s science fair last week.
The animals or at least their skins also were on display.
About 100 students signed up to bring a science project to the May 4 fair, according to LIS science teacher Jessica Heller. She is the school’s science teacher on special assignment, or TOSA.
Nick, who is a 5th-grader at the grades 4-6 school on Eggerts Crossing Road, said he worked on the project with his older sister, Anna, and his parents. Anna is an 8th-grader at Lawrence Middle School.
Collecting animal skins is a recent hobby for Nick. He said that he and his father, David Bosted, regularly visit flea markets in Lambertville and that’s where they found the skins.
Nick’s animal skin collection was one of many science projects on display at the LIS science fair. The projects ranged from experiments that sought to determine which brand of chewing gum has the longest-lasting flavor to one that demonstrated how to make flowers change colors through the use of food dyes.
While some students brought science displays, others took part in building cars out of Legos. They included gears so the cars would be able to move. A handful of Princeton University students guided the teams of LIS students in constructing the Lego-mobiles.
Sixth-grader Valerie Asimama-Duruako, 11, said she is interested in robots and how they work, and that’s why she was working with a group of classmates to build a car out of Legos.
"Robots can help people with disabilities," Valerie said. "Robots can help people move around. You can make a robotic hand or a robotic leg. I want to be a pediatrician so I can help children."
Laura Walker, a 12-year-old sixth-grader, was one of several students who worked on a team to build a car out of Legos. She said she likes to build things because it’s interesting and she especially likes making things with Legos.
"It’s fun to tinker with stuff," Laura said. "But I want to be an astronomer. That is something that really interests me. It’s about searching for the mysteries of life. I like science."
That phrase "I like science" is music to Ms. Heller’s ears. The objective of the science fair, which also featured a portable planetarium, is to encourage children’s natural curiosity and interest in science, she said. The planetarium was a hit with many of the students.
The astronomy exhibit was covered by a grant of less than $500 from the Lawrence Township Education Foundation, said Diane Senereth, executive director of the LTEF.
The portable planetarium, which brought the sky into LIS’ multipurpose room, is a great opportunity for children Ms. Senereth said.
"To get the children and their parents out to look at science like this is great," Ms. Senereth said. "We want to increase the interest in science education."