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By Douglas McCulloch
Hometown Weekly Staff
13 teams from Dover-Sherborn Middle School’s eighth grade classes competed in a science fair on April 23 at Regis College in Weston.
With teams of students from middle schools across Massachusetts competing for the top spots and an invitation to the state science fair, one Dover-Sherborn Middle School team picked up first place, and several teams placed in second and third place.
In total, five teams will be going on to compete in a state science fair, which will be held in June.
John Zavras and Carter Eaton received an honorable mention for their experiment with photovoltaic solar panels. Photos courtesy of Kathy Horigan Dye
Mary Memmott, an eighth grade science teacher, noted that the students learn a lot of new skills when putting together and presenting their science fair projects.
“I think students learn how difficult but rewarding it is to pursue a question of their own design, and organize data and observations to support a conclusion,” Memmott said prior to the science fair in Weston. “The best part is watching students take ownership of their projects and become "experts" on their topic.”
Memmott noted that throughout her seven years of teaching science at Dover-Sherborn Middle and participating in the school’s science fairs, she has seen many interesting ideas and science fair topics students have created.
“I've seen lots of great projects,” Memmott said. “One of the most memorable was a student from here who built a trebuchet (a medieval weapon for throwing objects) that he tested at home. It didn't win anything but he put so much effort into it; it was exciting to see a student get invested in a project and see it through.”
