180 primary schools’ pupils show off their findings at RDS Primary Science Fair

Pupils from 180 primary schools will show off their findings as an expanded event for younger budding scientists takes place in the coming weeks.

While older students vie for honours at the Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition from January 7 to 9, 120 schools will be represented at the parallel RDS Primary Science Fair.

However, this year for the first time, a second event for primary schools will be held in Limerick to cater for the huge demand. Among them will be Orla Uí Mhurchú’s class from Gaelscoil de hÍde in Fermoy, one of 19 schools from Co Cork to attend at Mary Immaculate College on January 15 and 16.

The class decided on a project about harnessing energy from the natural acids in what we eat, titled: “Can I charge my mobile device with a fruit or vegetable?”

“December is always a busy and exciting time in primary schools with Christmas on the horizon, but this year that excitement and anticipation was greater than usual with our class selected for the RDS Primary Science Fair Limerick,” said Ms Uí Mhurchú.

“Our project has been great for getting the entire class engaged in a very hands-on way with science, and they’ve really enjoyed getting absorbed in the work,” she said.

While it is the school’s first time at an RDS Primary Science Fair, she has heard from other teachers how good taking part has been for their classes.

There will also be 19 Co Limerick primary schools, nine from Co Clare, six from Co Galway, four from Co Tipperary, and one each from counties Kerry, Waterford and Mayo at the Limerick event.

The primary pupils’ event at the RDS itself on January 7 to 9 will see projects on display from 38 Co Dublin schools, 11 from Co Wicklow, seven from Co Kildare, six each from Co Mayo and Co Westmeath, five each from counties Laois, Meath and Wexford, with schools also representing most other counties in the Republic and Northern Ireland.

The events are open to fourth, fifth and sixth-class pupils, and classes at more than 300 schools applied. Those projects submitted on behalf of 7,500 children were whittled down to the 180 selected to take part, meaning 4,500 pupils will be at one of the Dublin or Limerick fairs.

The RDS Primary Science Fair encourages primary school teachers to focus on developing students’ core scientific skills by investigating a question or problem by ‘working scientifically’ and ‘designing and making’, in line with the primary science curriculum.

RDS chief executive Michael Duffy said the growing appetite for the science fair shows primary teachers’ desire for innovative methods of teaching science in the classroom, but also the fun that children get out of taking part.