Parent Teacher Magazine Union County Public Schools May/June 2018 | Page 10

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in Union County...
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Monroe Middle sixth graders share their love of
science at inaugural HSA science fair
On March 13, more than a dozen Health Sciences Academy at
Monroe Middle students proudly wore lab coats as they patiently
stood next to brightly colored trifold poster boards in the school’s
gymnasium. It was the middle school’s science fair, and for an hour,
the students expertly fielded questions about their projects from a
panel of judges that included City of Monroe Mayor Bobby Kilgore,
Union County Board of Commissioners Vice Chairman Richard
Helms, Atrium Health Union President Mike Lutes and more.
“This is the first science fair that we’ve had as the Health
Sciences Academy,” said Monroe Middle neuroscience teacher
Johanna Markiewitz. “For months, students have worked on
everything from environmental science projects to glucose-based
projects to solar panel projects.”
Sixth grader Asmira Lugonic, whose winning project that
examined the effect of gummy bears in various solutions earned
her a first place medal, spent most of her time showing off her
research notebook and discussing osmosis, plasma membranes
and more.
“I enjoyed getting more background knowledge about cool
things like osmosis, and seeing how it can make a difference in
the future,” she said, adding that science is one of her favorite
subjects. “When I heard that we were doing a science fair, I
thought, ‘I have to be a part of this.’ I did a lot of research and I
learned a lot while doing this project.”
Sixth grader David Olivan, whose environmental sciences
project examined the effect of oil on chayote plants, said he also
worked on his project at school for several months.
“Other students should participate in science fairs like this
one so they can learn how we can help our community and
environment, and learn new things,” he said.
During the science fair, Johanna said she didn’t give the
students any parameters for their projects. “At the end of the day,
I want them to know they can problem solve on their own and I
want them to understand the process of the scientific method,”
she said. “I think they’ve all learned a lot about science but also
about how to problem solve in life as well.”
Sixth grader
Asmira Lugonic,
whose winning
project that
examined the
effect of gummy
bears in various
solutions earned
her a first place
medal, spent
most of her
time showing
off her research
notebook and
discussing
osmosis, plasma
membranes and
more.
8 • May/June 2018 • Parent Teacher Magazine