EDEN NEWS - A robotic car controlled with a cellphone and a device to condense water from the air are among the innovations displayed by high school learners at Eskom's 10th Regional Science Fair for the Eden/Karoo district.
Fifteen high schools were represented at the fair, including Outeniqua High, Kretzenshoop Primary and Thembalethu Secondary.
The public could browse through the displays on Saturday 27 July at Outeniqua High and discuss the projects and experiments with the participants. "The creativity of some of these works is impressive," said a teacher from Oudtshoorn who attended the event.
Walking through the aisles one was met by many different projects. Mieke Conradie (Grade 8) of Outeniqua High designed a computer programme for foundation phase learners to bring back the fun element in learning. Every time a child finishes one level, an apple grows on a tree. If they get it wrong, they have to repeat the level. "My little sister loves it," she said.
Mikash Maritz (Grade 6) of Kretzenshoop Primary filled the legs of a school chair with sand to absorb the noise when learners move around during a lesson. Kelvin Piedt (Grade 10) of Aurial College in Oudtshoorn explored the effect of vaping, while Sarai Roos and Izelke Conradie (Grade 9) of Point High in Mossel Bay investigated the social science of improved grades through changes in the school environment.
Heinrich Conradie (Grade 10) of Outeniqua High impressed with his project - a robotic car with a camera, small enough to fit into oil pipes for leak detection, remote-controlled with a cellphone using Bluetooth.
Top accolades
Both Heinrich and Mieke Conradie, as well as Brink van Zyl (Grade 9) of Outeniqua High received gold for their scientific entries.
Five projects from Point High received gold. The learners involved in these projects are Nina Strydom, Anny van Dyk, Jonathan van Wyk, Joël Oosthuizen, Zehani Lodewyk, Catherine Pretorius, Bianca Fitzgerald, Sarai Roos and Izelke Conradie.
The four special Eskom prizes went to Aedan Rischmuller (Grade 8) of Still by the Sea (homeschool) for the category Best Energy; Heinrich Conradie (HO) received a prize for Best Innovation; Zehani Lodewyk and Catherine Pretorius (Point High) were awarded Best Female for their bioplaster project and Sesethu Resha and Abukwe Xasha of Indwe Secondary School received the prize for Best Development.
The following schools participated in this year's Regional Science Fair:
Aurial College, Chris Nissen Primary School, Concordia High School, Dysselsdorp Secondary School, Oakdale Agricultural High School, Indwe Secondary School, John Crawford Primary School, Kretzenshoop Primary School, Mandlenkosi Secondary School, Murray High School, Outeniqua High School, Panorama Primary School, Punt High School, Still by the Sea School (homeschool) and Thembalethu Secondary School.
‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’
