Science is exacting and, sometimes, unforgiving. Areliana Martinez should know. Her electromagnetic experiment was equal parts fun and nerve-racking. "I thought the battery was going to die before I did all of the connections," said Areliana, a fourth-grader at Stockton's Port City Academy. "But it didn't, and I had to use iron to make it magnetic."
Areliana, who's 9 and already knows she wants to be a physical therapist, joined hundreds of students from across San Joaquin County at Thursday's culmination of the 55th annual county Science Fair. Areliana, wearing a pink ribbon in her hair, said she will be back next year - "I want to do it again with different batteries" - and she admitted the competition had her hooked. "It was fun," she said, then skipped off to join her Port City classmates in the front row to watch the "Mad Science" show that served as an entertainment reward for Science Fair participants.
"My goal is to use real-life experiments to bridge the gap between books and the classroom - what happens with different experiments," said Sean Kennedy, who also is known as "Dr. Ion." He is part of "Mad Science" of Sacramento, a program dedicated to transforming laboratory science into fun, interactive learning experiences. "I have the best job in the world," he said. "I help kids get a better understanding of science. It's amazing how fast they learn." Kennedy, 29, opened Thursday's show by using heat to force an egg through a too-narrow neck to a glass beaker. It didn't crack. Students, parents and grandparents sat fascinated by his antics and experiments.
There were more than 400 entries this year, representing 1,500 students from 31 schools. Their work ranged from kindergarten through high school. It was spread around the Wentworth Education Center. Helping eager students and their families before and after the "Mad Science" program was J. Kirk Brown, director of science and special projects for the county Office of Education. "There is value in kids being able to learn what science is and is not," said Brown, who taught for 25 years at Tracy High School. "It's just memorizing and measuring. It is exploring questions and studying independently and objectively."
Ten-year-old Megan Ashabranner took that approach with her experiment, "Does Temperature Affect a Soccer Ball's Bounce?" Her conclusion, after two weeks' study: A cold ball is flatter; a warm ball has more pressure and more bounce. She is a fourth-grader at Wicklund Elementary in the Lammersville Unified School District. "I like soccer," Megan said, shyly standing alongside her father. Her experiment allowed her to combine that interest with the Science Fair project. "I'll do it again next year. I enjoyed it."