Over four hundred young people from the TK-12 classes gathered at the Long Beach Convention Center a few weeks ago for the STEAM and Magnolia Public School Manufacturers’ Fair. The students presented their science, technology, engineering, art, and math projects that they had been hard at work on during the school year.
Presentations on solar desalination, alternative energy, recycled fashion, artificial snow, drip and artificial pancreas were among the many projects that attracted more than 1,000 attendees.
Below is a list showing some of the projects the students have done and the inspiration that led them to create these models.
Fighting drought in the state: desalination with solar power
Cassandra Barron, a ninth grade student at MSA-5, Los Lobos, whose project was inspired by the current drought, has developed a fairly active house model that will help purify water.
With hopes of becoming a surgeon, Barron understands the importance of developing innovative and sustainable new methods to help conserve marine life and fight global warming, thereby alleviating the condition of the state.
“Current models at sea are still using electricity and they are still trying to find a steady income from electricity. It’s killing marine life… that’s a big problem. I really believe it will help protect life and be sustainable,” says Barron.
Barron collected sea water and waited for the heat of the sun to evaporate it, which helped remove the salt, dirt and impurities. Condensed into droplets, they fell into a funnel passing through a tube until they reached the bottle, thus collecting purified water, which turned out to be an alternative and sustainable filtration method.
She was able to test the model in various weather conditions, including the comfort of her own home, using a heater.
The student hopes that her project will generate a broader discussion that will allow changes to be made. He expressed a desire to use more solar power methods instead of electricity as this would allow for a more sustainable lifestyle.
Forensic medicine – Luminol
Lupita Loeza, a ninth grade student at MSA-5 in Los Lobos whose favorite subject is chemistry, decided to work on a project involving the chemical compound luminol.
Luminol, a powdered compound composed of nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon, emits a fluorescent blue glow when it comes into contact with blood. It’s mainly used by detectives when examining a crime scene, because the compound enhances blood stains, allowing better interpretation of blood samples, Loeza explains.
She was able to test the accuracy of Luminol even without a blood factor, using copper sulfates. He also managed to find just the right amount of copper sulfate to oxidize the compound and make it fluoresce.
Loesa is looking forward to pursuing a career in forensic science in the future and shares that he already has some ideas for next year’s STEAM Expo.
Drip Sprinkler – Which Water Supply System Saves More Water?
Anahí Dueñas Padilla, a tenth grade student at MSA-4 in Venice, said her father’s work as a gardener inspired her to learn about irrigation systems that conserve water resources.
In an effort to develop a more efficient way for water to reach plant roots, Padilla developed a drip irrigation system that included three different types of drippers: a pressure-compensating dripper, a sprayer, and an adjustable dripper.
She ran three experiments, testing soil moisture and calculating how much water is thrown out of a drip system compared to an irrigation system. He also conducted an experiment to test the penetration of water into the soil for drippers.
After conducting such tests, Padilla concluded that the pressure compensated dripper was more efficient and saved more water compared to a sprinkler system that produced 92 ounces of water, three times the amount of water used by drippers.
“Sprinklers are for football fields, football fields, large areas of grass. For example, if you are growing a small avocado tree,[un sistema de riego por goteo] it’s what you need so you don’t waste a lot of water,” says Padilla.
Artificial Pancreas Model: What is the best time of day for a person with diabetes to take insulin?
Azmawet Inocente, an eighth grade student at MSA 6-Koreatown, won third place in Animal Physiology at the Los Angeles County Science Fair for her work on the artificial pancreas.
The idea for this model came about after Inocente said he had relatives with diabetes. Their model attempts to help people with diabetes and prediabetes better control their insulin levels and improve overall health.
“I have many family members with diabetes and pre-diabetes, so I wanted to know what time of day is best for people with diabetes to take insulin,” Inocente said. “I created a model of the human pancreas to test this. I drew data from scientific journals and spoke with practitioners and patients to test my model. I learned that the best time is before bed,” he added.
Inocente was able to speak with professionals, which allowed her to come to an informed conclusion about how and when to properly manage insulin levels. He concluded his presentation by emphasizing that his findings, although endorsed by professionals, cannot replace good medical advice.
Alternative Energy Sources: Replacing Fossil Fuels
Sixth grade student Vivian Nunez, who attends MSA 8-Bell, presented projects in three STEAM areas focusing on art, science and engineering. Nunes, who is currently student body president, is interested in a career in science or accounting.
A student designed a dress made entirely from recycled paper donated by students. He stressed the importance of buying used clothes and urged people not to get involved in fast fashion. He explained that the clothes contain large amounts of toxic chemicals that depend on fossil fuels and harm the environment.
“I learned that recycling is friendly,” Nunes said. “We need to save paper because few people plant trees. I think if we use less paper that burns fossil fuels, it’s better than throwing away trees that use oxygen.”
Nunes has also worked on an alternative energy project in which she created a solar cooker using aluminum foil, cardboard and black paint to raise the temperature of a pop tart by five to ten degrees. He was able to heat the cake to 13.4 degrees, proving that there are alternative energy sources that can be used instead of relying on fossil fuels.
Three ways to make artificial snow
Sania Thomas and Annaline Arreola, MSA-3 Carson freshmen, explored three ways to make artificial snow.
The project was born out of an attempt to provide those students who were unable to travel to spend a day in the snow with an alternative way to do so. Of the three options, from soft to thick, visitors could choose which one they liked best so they could feel and imagine what it was like to walk in the snow.
“This project taught us that we don’t always have to depend on people,” Thomas said. “You can mind your own business.”
According to Lena Murad, a computer engineer and professor at the Nunes STEAM Lab, the goal of these projects and the STEAM Expo is to create future engineers and scientists.
“When I started working with students, none of them knew anything about STEAM, now they are all excited about these areas. It’s nice to see the enthusiasm,” added Murad.
As part of the day, speeches, a robotics competition, interactive stations and speeches by future scientists, doctors and engineers took place.
Source: La Opinion
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