Science Team Has Fun at LEST

One of the many events you will find at LEST besides basketball, music and drama, is the science event. Six Hope Lutheran students represented the Science team at LEST (Lutheran Elementary Schools Tournament) where they were given an experiment to create and prove a hypothesis regarding the motion of a pendulum.

Mike Gulizia, Hope parent and last minute substitute science coach, had this to say about the team’s experience: “The team was given raw materials of string, weights, balls, tape, and rulers. The structure of the contest was fairly open ended, the teams chose their own hypothesis. Our team and a couple of others chose to measure the effect of varying weights on total swinging time. Other teams chose to vary string length. One chose to measure swing speed rather than time, and one chose to use a yardstick as the pendulum rather than string, measuring the distance a ball traveled (like a golf swing).”

Mike explained that scoring is based on not only a provable hypothesis, and the use of scientific methods, but also on the amount of engagement of all team members and oral presentation skills at the end.

“The Hope team did really well! I am proud of them! They proved their hypothesis and presented well. But win or lose, all teams were winners in my book and should be congratulated!”

Science Team Members:

5th Grade:

Alex D.

Ellen L. (alt)

6th Grade:

Natalie G.

Spencer H.

Michael L.

8th Grade:

Alexander S.

 

 

LEST Science 6 LEST Science 5  LEST Science 3 LEST Science 2