Windhoek
The Sport Klub Windhoek (SKW) was occupied by primary school learners on Friday presenting scientific questions and variety of topics ranging from practical solutions, providing scientific answers to everyday encounters as part of the Khomas Science Fair.
The Science Fair which featured more than 50 presentations, saw many learners come away from their projects with a better understanding of how science works and leaving some more curious than they were before. Lize-Mari Harmse, a Grade Five learner at the Windhoek Gymnasium Private School, demonstrated in her project that a moisturizer containing petroleum jelly will keep the skin moist for the longest amount of time, after investigating to see which ingredient in the moisturiser keep one’s skin moist for the longest by using a skin model of jelly. “Namibia is a harsh, dry country and you can feel the effect on your skin and with a lot of products promising to be the best for dry skin available in the market, problem comes on choosing the right one,” she says.
In another project, ten-year-old, Berhane Wheeler, attempts to answer the question; does digital storytelling encourage children to read? His aim was to create digital storytelling game titled, The Reading Adventure, using computer software: Game maker for children in Grade 2 so that they can develop interest in reading. He says the fact that some kids don’t like reading has made him think of a way to encourage them and develop a culture of reading while they are still young. In terms of his findings, children who played the game loved it and requested him to create more storytelling games.
The study of two Grade 5 classmates from the Suiderhof Primary School, who worked on a project together, Kaylin Basson and Lujean de Vries, was whether one can inherit fingerprints from one’s parent and after investigation come to the conclusion that, “Our fingerprints will not be the same as our parents because we [are] all unique.” Other topics focused on various subjects including “Heart rate recovery times”, “From communal farmer to small scale commercial farmer” and “What can be done to provide informal settlements with fuel.” The fair was attended by learners and teachers appreciating the work on display and the teachers judged the projects.