Curiosity focus of science entries

Polenta Elementary students showcased their Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math skills at the school’s recent science fair.

The first place winner was Jenna Myer a fifth grader in Heather Gibson’s class. Jenna titled her project, “The beautiful Golf Course is killing our creeks.” She focused on how pollution caused by golf course fertilizers affects the aquatic insect population. Jenna went into the creek and investigated the insects and studied the pollution. She discovered that the upstream creek of the golf course is cleaner than the downstream creek of the golf course.

Second place winner, Logan Eure, a fourth grader in Dana Eaton Bottomley’s class titled his project, “White-tailed deer eating habits.” His project focused on eating habits of white-tailed deer in Clayton. He wanted to know if the deer prefer to eat at dawn and dusk. And his research showed that these deer eat twice a day, between 7-9 a.m. and again between 5-7 p.m.

Sydney Kelley a fifth grader in Lindsey Hardison’s class won third place for her project titled, “Do things we throw away at school decompose?” Sydney buried several items eight inches deep in the ground and left the items buried over a two month period. She wanted to she how well the items decomposed. Jenna found that a napkin she buried decomposed first and a paper plate that she buried decomposed second.