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West Junior High ALM Students Wow Visitors at Tuesday’s Palooza

The event was a chance for the gifted-and-talented students to present their research projects.

By James Warden
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May 23, 2012

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Ninth grader Katie Craemer demonstrates a Nordic ski wax to younger students.

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Ninth grader Katie Craemer demonstrates a Nordic ski wax to younger students.

Credit James Warden

Eighth Grader Gaby Seliber is a big tea drinker. “I like to drink tea every single day, so I decided to learn about it,” she said. Seliber was curious about the health effects of tea, so she sought to find a blend of teas that was both tasty and healthy. She mixed numerous types of tea until settling on two blends: Ginger/chamomile and green tea/hibiscus, with the former being her favorite. The down side? Seliber learned that tea drinkers have to imbibe about six cups of tea a day to see any benefits. And she doesn’t plan to abandon her favorite tea, black currant Russian tea, anytime soon.

Credit James Warden

Picking out a pet bird was a big decision for seventh grader Ashley Akin. Before she got her pet caique a year ago, she researched the different species to find out which one was best for her. For her project, Akin decided to reexamine her decision, comparing a caique to an umbrella cockatoo. She found in her research that cockatoos may be smarter. But the research also showed that caiques like her pet “Petree” are easier to care for and clowns among pet bird species. In the end, Akin is convinced she made the right decision.

Credit James Warden

Ninth grader Estelle Bayer was intrigued by the wide influence Egyptian culture and beliefs continue to have on our culture—whether on children’s TV shows or museum exhibits. She was particularly fascinated by their beliefs in death and the afterlife. Bayer didn’t just research these beliefs; she decided to make her own mummy. Using four boxes of canning salt over about 70 days, she mummified a chicken.

Credit James Warden

At the end of the night, Bayer unwrapped the chicken to see how well it was mummified.

Credit Robert Bayer

Eighth grader Emma Roth is a golfer, so it was natural for her to wonder how she could make her swing better. For her project, she researched common problems golfers had with their swings. One of the most common problems is when the ball curves too much to the right. Roth discovered she could fix the problem by rotating her wrist. She then had her grandfather and sister videotape her and put together a video she displayed on an iPad.

Credit James Warden

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Autonomous Learner Model students at West Junior High got a chance to show off their expertise at Tuesday’s ALM Project Palooza.

The students picked topics of their choice then put months of hard work into researching the topic and putting together projects. They then presented what they learned to attendees at Tuesday’s event.

Patch spoke with about a dozen students at the event. Click through the photos to find out how they chose their topics and what they learned.

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