DAVENPORT _ "This is what you want to see," said Charlotte Valley Central School Principal Edgar Whaley as students and their families gathered for the school's third annual science fair Thursday night.
About 40 students participated in the PTA-sponsored event for elementary-school students, held in the school's all-purpose room.
Last year, about 33 students entered projects, said fifth- and sixth-grade science teacher Scott Hudak, who organized the event with Whaley.
"Elementary students are naturally curious about the world, so it's an easy leap to get them interested in science," Hudak said.
With activities like the science fair, the school was hoping to "hook them" at an early age so more students will stay involved, he said.
The entries covered many different fields.
Fifth-grader Hunter Geywits was eager to demonstrate his potato battery project.
The 10-year-old used copper and zinc wires and a voltage meter to demonstrate that even one potato can generate an electrical current.
When hooked up in parallel or in a series, the voltage increases, he said.
The acid inside the potatoes works with the two metals to produce the current, Hunter said.
He found the project on his science fair sign-up sheet.
This was his second year in the fair, having explored another aspect of electricity last year.
"I hope to wow the judges," he said. He would go on to share first place for his grade with Kacie Hymers, whose project was on electro-magnetism.
Prizes ranged from science books for group projects in pre-K through first grade to several types of science kits for older kids.
Hunter said he found his subject interesting and hoped to enter another project in the field next year.
He said he enjoyed getting help from his stepfather, David Slater, in building the project.
Slater said he helped cut the wires. The two stayed up late Wednesday getting the project ready. "It was fun," Slater said.
Nearby, sixth-grader Samantha Truax, 11, examined hair strands with a microscope.
Her project displayed findings about the different layers of a strand on a poster board.
She used school equipment to provide a television display of slides she prepared.
This is her first year at Charlotte Valley school, and she said she enjoyed being involved.
Her aunt helped her with the project that helped her learn to prepare slides, and Samantha said she was interested in forensic sciences.
All of the school's science teachers worked with Hudak in helping students with their projects, Whaley said.
He said he hopes to get middle and high school students involved in future years.
Other winners included:
ä Second grade _ Jordan Wamsley.
ä Third grade _ Jessica Roe, Gregory Zuill.
ä Fourth grade _ Dorothy Zeisler, Scott Lynn.
ä Sixth grade _ Abby Wood, Cody Wamsley.
