Woodlawn Campus Students Excel at Regional and City Science Fairs

In March, the Warrior spirit of eight students from the University of Chicago Charter School Woodlawn Campus was on display as they participated in city and regional science fairs to great success. This marked the first time that Woodlawn Campus high school students participated, as well as the first occasion that a 6^th grader from the campus (Sophia Clason) qualified for the city competition.

At the fairs, students displayed projects covering myriad topics including an exploration of ultraviolet rays, the impact of skin cancer on teenagers, and the effects of music on plant growth.

Laverne Wright, science teacher at the Woodlawn Campus, said, “Science Fair is a showcase of the inquiry that should happen in all science classes. Students get an opportunity to mirror the scientific process by designing a testable question, stating a claim and providing evidence.”

For the students, in many ways, the journey was more fulfilling than the destination. The young scientists beam when they recall choosing their topics, an opportunity that many used to answer questions that puzzled them. Olivia Singleton, for instance, was curious about the way Panera Bread baked their various kinds of bread, and was thus compelled to explore the effect of sugar on yeast. Priscilla Agbeo passionately described her effort to track the effects of medicine on plants, tying it to the larger issue of deforestation and how that process endangers humans and animals.  Priscilla’s passion paid off when, at the Chicago Public Schools Student Science Fair, she was awarded one of 25 letters of commendation, accompanied by a lunch and boat tour of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District.

“At the Woodlawn Campus, we want our students to explore, present and defend good work,” said Wright. “I believe our students did just that.”