South Dakota School of Mines hosts 69th Annual High Plains Regional Science, Engineering Fair

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - Hydrology, heated flutes, and the scientific method were on full display at the King Center. South Dakota Mines hosted the 69th annual High Plains Regional Science and Engineering Fair Friday.

The High Plains Regional Science and Engineering Fair was full of middle school students from throughout the Black Hills area ready to showcase their projects, all in the name of science.

There were more than 300 projects on display at the Fraser and Goodell gymnasiums belonging to over 390 students. The fair included a variety of different projects such as “Sodium Citrate with Boba,” “Double Dipping: Debunked” and “Crime Scene Chemistry.”

The afternoon featured student interviews conducted by judges and judging sessions for each project. The projects fall under a variety of categories such as physical and biological science and engineering.

Sturgis Middle School student Taylor Burry says she was excited for the event and to present her project to judges.

“It’s just nice to be here so I can like research something that I like to do and like.... just explain to the judges and talk about something that I researched and especially with a partner we can do it together and it’s just a lot of fun.”

The fair was open to the public in the afternoon, allowing families to provide support for their kids participating and take a look at their creations.

South Dakota Mines chief of staff Jade Herman explains the criteria that judges use to judge each experiment.

“If they’re using the scientific process like appropriately, right? So are they testing a hypothesis; have they used controls properly, what kind of variables are they using. Did they repeat their tests and are they getting accurate data. You know, how are they logging their results? Are they tracking everything appropriately?”

Other experiments included “Under Pressure,” “Think Before You Kiss,” and “Miraculous Motor.” The Science fair concluded with an awards presentation that honored first through fifth place for different categories.

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