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Garrett Neese/Daily Mining Gazette Isha Mandal, 6, sits in a bowl as group member Lauren Gray collects pins at the Student for Sustainability booth at the annual Western UP STEM Fair and Festival on Saturday. get together. They used the festival to introduce their bottle brick project. The project involves filling used bottles with film plastic and other non-recyclable debris to create a strong, dense building material. The group hopes to use these materials to make benches and display them in Michigan Technological University's library.

HOUGHTON — At the annual Western UP STEM Fair & Festival held at Michigan Technological University on Saturday, students tested hypotheses about everything from what kills bacteria best to the fastest paper airplane model.

This year's fair featured 40 projects by 45 students in grades 4-8. Students could come from all over his five counties in western UP.

“The energy in that room was so inspiring to the students, and they were so happy to share what they had done, which was great.” said organizer Emily Geiger.

Houghton Middle School sixth-graders Niki Abunenasir and Molly Skiles completed a project to find the angle at which total internal reflection occurs in water, the point at which a beam of light bounces back to its original medium (water) without being refracted. I did it. hit the air.

Through laser and aquarium testing, we found that this occurs at any angle up to 48.6 degrees. after that, “It’s no longer reflected internally.” Skiles said.

Garrett Neese/Daily Mining Gazette Amelia Talaga, 5, of Duluth, Minn., tries to build a foil boat that floats on the water during Saturday's Western UP STEM Fair and Festival.

Skiles' father suggested the basic idea and they took it from there. At first, Evnenasir was worried that the project would be too simple, but after working on it his expectations grew.

“Once I figured out how it worked, I thought it was pretty cool how it reflected.” she said. “I thought the patterns it made were really cool.”

They said they would probably hold the fair again next year.

“I didn't really want to come because I knew it wouldn't go well and the judges wouldn't like it. But when I came, I loved it here.” Evnenasir said. “I thought it was fun.”

Students had the choice of doing a traditional science project or participating in an invention competition for the first time. This national program, run by the Henry Ford Museum, challenges students to identify a personal or global problem and invent something to solve it.

Garrett Neese/Daily Mining Gazette This year's Western UP STEM Fair and Festival has added the ability to participate in the National Invention Competition program. Aiden McKee of Baraga built a snowplow that can be mounted on a child's bike to help his younger brother.

“At this level, we don't need a working prototype.” Geiger said. “Their inventions may even be picturesque at this point in their conception. But in reality, the purpose is to involve students in the engineering design process.”

Aiden McKee, a fifth-grader from Baraga, came up with the idea for a snowplow that can be attached to a bicycle. McKee said his brother wanted to help with the shovel, but it was too difficult at that point.

McKee's invention has a V-shaped wedge that narrows outward. After his first try, he added an edge to the base to catch and push snow.

It also serves as a cardboard prototype, McKee said. He also plans to consider a metal version.

What's the biggest thing he got out of it?

“I really love you, brother.” He said.

At the science festival downstairs, children were able to experience exhibits created by local groups.

Amelia Talaga, 5, of Duluth, Minnesota, was building a foil boat to see if it would float. Her mother, Melanie Talaga, a polytechnic graduate and chemist, came to visit her family.

Because girls tend to lose interest in science in middle school, Melanie tries to instill that excitement in her daughter early.

“I volunteer at school.” she said. “Teachers don't have a lot of time to teach hands-on science, at least in Duluth. So I think it's good to treat students in a way that they think is fun. On Saturdays, especially when the weather outside is not that great, It’s a nice way to spend the day.”

The fair, traditionally held on a weekday evening, was moved to a Saturday afternoon this year to encourage more participation from Gogebic and Ontonagon counties. Four entries were received from Gojibic County, and Geiger hopes to have more entries next year.

The plan is to continue holding the event on Saturdays. Geiger said this year's fair will be followed by a wrap-up meeting to look at what went well, what needs to be improved and how to involve more students. .

“We're really going to be talking to some parents and teachers to get feedback on how we can make this a bigger event.” she said.