Pupils get their teeth into fizzy drink studies

Fizzy drinks-makers beware! A key part of their target market — the children of Ireland — are on the warpath.

Critical evidence was outlined yesterday by two schools, one from Cork and another from Kerry, whose students presented research at the RDS Science Fair at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick.

Sixty primary schools, mostly from Munster, have stands at the three-day event which concludes today.

Two projects homed in on fizzy drinks as a target for investigation: Fourth-class pupils at Gaelscoil Lios Tuathail in Listowel sought to find how much sugar they might consume in fizzy drinks. And an Educate Together fifth class from Midleton worked to discover how fizzy drinks affect teeth.

Caroline Nic Eoin, who teaches at the Listowel school, said: “For the research, they measured the sugar levels and checked if Coke Zero did, in fact, have no sugar, and compared it to regular Coke.

They put quantities into a pot and boiled it. They found that Coke Zero had no sugar. But after boiling regular Coke they found it left a horrible brown sugar residue in the bottom of the pot.”

Leah Murphy, 10, said: “When I saw what was left in the pot after the Coke I thought how disgusting to have this in my body and how unhealthy it must be. I haven’t drunk Coke regular since.”

Lea Murphy, Gaelscoil Lios Tuathail, weighs sugar in drinks

The 26 boys and girls from Midleton brought pathology into their investigation by acquiring six teeth from a “dental source”. Teacher Caroline McCarthy said: “The investigation the class carried out wanted to find out the effects six different fizzy drink brands had on teeth. To do this they immersed six teeth into the different brands of fizzy drink for two weeks.”

Students of Summercove NS, Kinsale, with their project ‘Sleep: Are we getting enough? If not why not?’

Aoibhe Geraghty, 11, from Ballinacurra said: “We found that Coke had the worst effect as it turned the tooth immersed in it black over the two weeks. Orangina, we found, wore the enamel and you could bend the tooth.

We found that Fanta made the tooth lighter in weight and 7Up made it somewhat yellow in colour. We found Lucozade had the most sugar and Lilt came out best with the least sugar.

“What we found will make me more careful about what I drink. I will only have one Coke from now on, for special occasions.”

Our Lady Queen of Peace School in Janesboro, Limerick, used its new link with the nearby Mid-West School for Hearing Impaired Children to find out if sign language improves spelling. Fifth-class students at Our Lady Queen of Peace now spend one hour a week learning sign language.

Eugene Keenan of Blarney Street School Cork City with their robot Meccano at the 2017 RDS Primary Science Fair Limerick.

Teacher Vera Knowles said that over a six-day period five words were selected each day as part of the spelling lesson. Some learned to spell the usual way and others learned the words in sign language form.

Vera said: “The children who learned their spellings using the mixed method sign language did better because with the movement of their fingers they were learning the spelling of the words in a physical way.”

Shane Looney of Shanballymore NS, Mallow, at the 2017 RDS Primary Science Fair in Limerick with his project, ‘How do your eyes function and what main factors determine good eyesight ?’.

Jamie-Lee Cosgrave, 10, found a new friend since she began to learn sign language: “A man comes into my Nana’s shop, Cosgraves in Weston, and he uses sign language. Nobody could understand him and he would pick up his messages and there was no contact.

“But as I learned sign language I asked him his name and he asked me mine. He’s now very happy when he comes into the shop and knows that if I’m around, there is somebody to communicate with and we have become friends.”

Midleton Educate Together’s Szymon Nosek at the fair.

James Malone, who teaches in the school, said they did their Christmas play in sign language and presented it at the school for children with hearing impairment.

“Some of the children with hearing impairment live in this area and now since we started basic sign language it has opened doors and the children can develop new friendships, being able to communicate.”

Pupils from Gaelscoil Ui DRisceoil in Glanmire generated electricity using rainwater collected from the roof of the school. Ciaran O Conghaile, who teaches fourth class, said the electricity harvested based on 2016's total rainfall amounted to 7.4 watts, which would be sufficient to light a dim energy saving light bulb for an entire year.

He found the whole process of collecting, analysing and graphing the data to be of enormous educational benefit to the children. The school building, formerly the Ibis Hotel in Glanmire, was ideally suited to the science investigation given it's considerable overall roof area.

Scoil Mhuire Lourdes, Carrigaline, Co. Cork, What are the causes and effects of a Volcanic Eruption? Students making a volcanic eruption at the 2017 RDS Primary Science Fair Limerick.