Science & Engineering Fair 2025-26

What is the Science Fair? The Elementary Science & Engineering Fair is a wonderful way for elementary-aged students to participate in and experience the scientific method. What question do you have unanswered? What problem do you want to solve? Don’t wait for your teachers to tell you - figure it out yourself! (And then tell us!) You can see completed projects in the posts below this one; topics have ranged from Cooking and Gardening, to Sports and Ziplines, to Nail polish and Paint brushes, to Fishing and Physics, and more!!!

Who participates? All students in grades K - 5th may participate individually or in same grade-level groups of up to three.

When is the fair? Projects for the Tritt Elementary Science & Engineering Fair are due by March 16th, 2026. The top five projects in our school will advance to the Cobb County Science Fair on Saturday, April X. (eligibilty: 1st-5th grades)

How do you display the results? All projects will be submitted on tri-fold board or foam board poster, a paper journal documenting the student’s process is also required, but may not factor into the score. View regulations HERE.

Best Practices: Projects should be research-based, and results data-driven. All projects must be approved by Mr. Giunta. The following projects are NOT allowed:

• “Research only” on general interest topics

• Models, including volcanoes and robots

• Slime / goo, Mentos & Coke (or most things candy related), crystal making or paper airplanes will not be approved.

• Projects may NOT involve mold or bacteria experiments.

Parents are encouraged to assist their students, but the Science Fair projects should be student-led.

How are projects judged? Judges will use a rubric to evaluate your question, hypothesis, background research, variables and controls, procedures, data (tables / graphs), conclusion. Consideration will also be given to creativity and presentation. Students will have a 5 minute interview with judges. Use these links to view the Science Rubric and Engineering Rubric.

What’s next? Mr. Giunta offers Open Lab for students working on the Science & Engineering Fair in the mornings from 7:15-7:45AM. Homeroom teachers must excuse students from morning work. All experiments will be done at home. Your student’s topic will be limited by what they can accomplish at home!

Register for the Science & Engineering Fair by completing this form.

The deadline to submit your work is Monday, March 16th by end of day. Interviews will take place in the afternoons later that week.

Contact Mr. Giunta in CTLS or at joseph.giunta@cobbk12.org with any questions.

A River Runs Through It

Third Grade has been studying conservation and pollution this week. We learning about point source and non-point source pollution, and demonstrated how it affects our water ways. The Chattahoochee River was recently named the "Most Endangered River" by the American Rivers Association(http://www.americanrivers.org/). Next up we'll be learning what we can do to help!

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Three Sisters Garden

The Green Club kids planted a Three Sisters Garden this week after-school. [embed]https://youtu.be/Fx9CDVkN9xU?list=PLc-Z9AAiD1N9U4W5t8Ohc2u5xumHMRR69[/embed]

Several different Native American tribes refer to corn, beans, and squash as the “three sisters,” because they grow well together in the same mound of soil. The corn stalk provides a ladder or trellis for the bean vines to climb. The beans help make the soil better for the corn and squash. Their vines also keep the corn stalk steady when there is a lot wind. The squash grows on the ground below the corn and beans. Its leaves shade the roots of the corn and bean and help keep the soil from drying out when it is hot. The shade of the squash leaves also discourages weeds from growing near the three sisters plants (good, since weeds compete with other plants for the nutrients in the soil). In addition, the prickly hairs on the stems of the squash plant discourage bugs, raccoon, and other pests that would damage the corn and beans.

Classroom volunteers needed for 1st Grade.

First grade has been studying plants all semester in Science Lab. We have also looked at form (something's shape) and function (what something does). Lastly, we read Jerry Pallotta's Who Will Plant A Tree? and saw how different animals help disperse, or spread, seeds in nature. From a camel spitting out a date and a squirrel burying an acorn, to a moose snagging pear branches in his antlers and other animals unwittingly carrying burrs in their fur, all sorts of animals help spread seeds. Beginning April 19th, parent volunteers are needed in the Science Lab to help assemble student craft projects. We are making devices from craft supplies, inspired from nature, to spread sunflower seeds around the school. Please contact your student's room mom to sign up!

The taxonomy of spoons. Sort of.

Mrs. Pizzuto's class is studying the characteristics of vertebrate animals by playing a card pass game that is a variation of "spoons". [embed]https://youtu.be/BDGdXeczAuY[/embed]

Mrs. Cervi's class is feeling the heat!

Our 2nd graders have been studying the patterns of the sky and are looking forward to building a model structure to keep the sun off our playground during the hottest parts of the day.

Compound Machine Build Out: DeMeester

Compound Machine Build Out: Eichler

Compound Machine Build Out: Kappel

Oh RATS!!!

This week the Science Detectives dissected owl pellets! Learn more about Owls here: [embed]https://youtu.be/oWQ6KSBwRoM[/embed]

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Pushes & Pulls: Garrett

Mrs. Garrett's class wrapped up their study on forces, or pushes and pulls, today. We saw some of our most creative designs including bottom/side/top loading machines, bumpers in case of collision, and wheels that no one else had tried before!

Compound Machine Build Out: Waters

Wheel & Axle, Inclined Plane, Pulley and Lever: They were all represented in the STEM challenge culminating our study of compound machines in Mrs. Waters' class.

Here Comes the Sun(flower)!

Our first graders are planting sunflowers all week long as a part of our study on plants. After spring break they'll be able to take them home! Mrs. Light's class is demonstrating below:

Pushes & Pulls: Wall

Compound Machine Build Out: Wender

Mrs. Wender's class presented their final compound machines:

Pushes & Pulls: Arasi

Mrs. Arasi's class keeps pace by creating some awesome rock-moving machines:

Compound Machine Build Out: Blick

We are wrapping up our compound machine unit in 4th grade, and Mrs. Blick's class is the first to tackle the problem: Can we make a model of a machine that will lift our tigers 4" and set them down in a new place? Take a look below!

Pushes & Pulls: Bower

Mrs. Bower's class wraps our 2-month pushes & pulls challenge with some awesome wheelbarrows, sleds and wagons:

Pushes and Pulls: Coyne

Ms. Coyne's class' picks up our rock moving challenge. How will the students overcome friction to transport rocks (blocks and whiffle balls) from one side of the rooms to the other? Find out below:

Let's talk about snakes.

Snakes are misunderstood. They are an important part of the food web, and many of them eat rodents - vectors for zoonotic diseases. There are over 42 species in Georgia, and only six of them are venomous (there is no such thing as a poisonous snake)! While there are over a thousand reported snake bites every year, there are only an average of 5 deaths per year across the entire United States. Most folks who get bit are trying to remove or harass a snake, and they are typically bitten in the arm. The most important thing you can do is learn to identify different snakes in your area (for example: there are no Water Moccasins in Cobb County, but there are five other large, non-venomous water snakes) and pay attention when you are hiking in the woods or playing around leaf litter or fallen trees. Here are four common snakes that do have some similar coloration. The only dangerous one is the Copperhead, the ONLY venomous snake in Cobb County. Learn more about snakes of Georgia at the Chattahoochee Nature Center or here: http://srelherp.uga.edu/snakes/. 

Worm Snake, non-venomous, pencil-sized

Brown Snake, non-venomous, pencil-sized

Corn Snake, aka Red Rat Snake, non-venomous

Copperhead, VENOMOUS