Young ‘scientists’ compete in regional science fair at Cameron University

It’s a proven fact: dogs have more germs than humans.

Just ask Asa Roman, a Cache third-grader, who did an experiment on if dogs had more germs than humans. He proved they did.

According to Roman, he asked his family to help him swab a dog’s mouth and a human’s. He then put the two samples in petri dishes and watched the results for three days.

“I learned that sometimes germs don’t grow in a day or two, but on the last day, lots of changes will happen,” Roman said.

This was Roman’s second year competing at the Young Learners Science Exposition, held annually at the McCastland Foundation Ballroom at Cameron University.

The annual event, hosted by Cameron University, helps children from kindergarten through fifth grade learn “to be the next generation of problem-solving leaders for our community.”

Clinton Bryan, coordinator for the fair and a professor of chemistry at CU, said the fair reaches out to schools throughout the state to compete.

“Usually in February we contact the schools,” Bryan said. “We send out announcements as far as Moore, Norman, Rush Springs, Elgin, Cache and Lawton.”

Bryan said students from different schools compete in their school’s science fair to go on to regionals, hosted by Cameron.

“Every one of these kiddos got a first or second place at their local school science fair,” Bryan said. “Their science fair coordinator can then register their first and second place winners to be a part of this science fair.”

Bryan said they had nine trophies to give out.

“There will be first, second and third place at each grade level, in blue, red, and white ribbons,” Bryan said. “If I have enough judges, we will also judge for best in certain categories at each grade level.”

Bryan said since 2012, between 29-83 students compete each year. This year, 45 students entered.

“I envision these kids to find that science can be rather sporting, where you figure out the answer to a question,” Bryan said. “It can be like solving a riddle where you’re trying to solve a problem. We want them to grow up to be problem solving leaders for their community, trying to make their community better. We hope that a program like this is teaching them how to develop their logical thinking processes to be problem solvers.”

Nathan Barber, a third grader at Freedom Elementary, did an experiment on which soda is the most corrosive.

“Before this, we were actually going to do a different one … but the more I looked into it, it kinda seemed a little easier, so I found this one which is similar, but different in a lot of ways,” Barber said.

Barber said Pepsi was the most corrosive, due to the pH levels.

“The lower the pH levels, the higher the acidity,” Barber said.

Barber said this was his third year competing in the fair.

Alejandro Browder, a fifth grader at Hugh Bish, did a project on inflating a balloon with vinegar and baking soda.

“The chemical reaction that happens when you mix the baking soda and vinegar will inflate the balloon,” Browder said. This was Browder’s first time competing in the fair.