From left, Ava Pepe, Avery Whitney, Lauren Whitney and Cooper Favro asked Science Slam attendees to guess which of several liquids would work best to clean a penny and then described the process, using the various liquids with a picture model to show the steps they took. (Provided photo — Martha Allen)

KEENE VALLEY — On Thursday, March 5, Keene Central School presented its ninth Super Scientific Science Slam. This science fair has been going strong ever since it was introduced by Jen Kazmierczak and KCS science teacher Mary Werner in 2012.

Since then, every March students in kindergarten through 12th grade have enthusiastically participated in the slam, and student enthusiasm, imagination, research and assiduously applied scientific method have culminated in a lively and informative exhibition of diverse and informative projects.

Students have the option to choose whether their projects will be judged.

“The focus is on the excitement of science,” Jen Kazmierczak emphasized.

As is usual for KCS student events, the parking lot was full, and cars were parked up and down Market Street. Inside, the school hummed with energetic activity. Elementary students displayed and demonstrated their projects on the main floor, while older students occupied the second floor.

From left, Finley Donahue and Hunter Klotzko, working with Jarrod Colby and Gemma Cantwell (not shown), warned their audience about the dangers of the chemical dihydrogen monoxide (DHMO), urging a ban on the liquid, which turned out to be water. How could a person distrust these earnest young faces? That was the point of their psychological demonstration: Don’t take what people tell you at face value. (Provided photo — Martha Allen)

Community organizations were there with informative displays, including Adirondack Action, Adirondack Experience, The Museum on Blue Mountain Lake, Adirondack Wildlife Refuge, Adirondack Chapter of The Nature Conservancy and the Essex County Health Department. David Craig ran the Keene Valley library’s 3D printer and also brought his Van De Graaff generator.

There was so much to see, and so many original and unusual projects presented at the Slam, it must have been difficult for the community volunteers to judge.

Vivian Smith, working with Maddy Smith, both 7th graders, brought in a chicken as a visual aid for their project “to show how selective breeding has made it so that chickens can’t fly,” and a discussion of how different kinds of chickens may fly farther than others.

Isaac Hernandez, Carter Smith and Jonny Caito, also 7th graders, discussed how height affects a person’s chances of getting into the NBA.

Trinity Ashe, Ceilidh Cheeseman, Julian Smith and Edward O’Neil, 11th graders, demonstrated crime scene technology, including blood typing, fingerprinting and flame testing, in order to determine the identity of the thief who attempted to steal Colonel Sanders’ secret Kentucky Fried Chicken recipe. Julian Smith, modeling white beard and wig, made a convincing appearance as the Colonel.

Julian Smith, shown here disguised as Colonel Sanders, worked with teammates Trinity Ashe, Ceilidh Cheeseman, Camille Ward and Edward O’Neill, to solve a mystery: Who stole the Kentucky Fried Chicken recipe? Aided by clues found at the crime scene, they used blood typing, fingerprinting and flame testing in this unjudged demonstration. (Provided photo — Martha Allen)

Using a movie projector and screen, Jarrod Colby, Gemma Cantwell, Hunter Klotzko and Finley Donahue made a convincing argument to ban use of the ubiquitous chemical DHMO, used in everyday products from baby food to cleaners, which can cause corrosion and suffocation. At the end of their spiel, they revealed that the common name for DHMO is water.

“You don’t want to take things at face value, especially in today’s political climate,” Jarrod Colby warned.

The 5th grade egg drop at the end of the Slam was held in the gym, accompanied by much enthusiastic bleacher stomping, clapping, gasping and oohs and aahs from the audience as students dropped their carefully wrapped eggs from a balcony near the ceiling.

Winners of the judged displays and demonstrations follow.

For individual kindergarten through grade 5, first place was tied between Ian Valent (How Electricity is Generated) and Olivia Miller-Valovic (How Does Electricity Work?) Second place was awarded to Ryleigh Bassarab (Bubble Bouncing).

Wildlife scientist Hanna Cromie, a four-year employee of the Wilmington Wildlife Refuge, showed a Eurasian eagle owl at the Keene Central School Science Slam on Thursday, March 5. This owl is accustomed to being still, Cromie explained, because it is by nature an ambush predator that uses camouflage in order to stalk prey. The handler must also be a calming influence when crowds are present. (Provided photo — Martha Allen)

For kindergarten through grade 5 Teams, first place went to Lauren Whitney, Cooper Favro, Ava Pepe and Avery Whitney (Cleaning Pennies).

Second place winners were Marie Bullock, Mia Deyo and Zoe Lackey (Blobfish Facts).

For the grade 6 through 8 individual category, first place went to Hunter Kelley (How Clean Are Everyday Items?), and second place went to Peyton Baillargeon (The Hovercraft).

Grade 6 through 8 team winners were, for first place, Ella Whitney, Henry Becker and David Wubs (How Food Coloring Diffuses in Different Liquids), and for second place Maya Silverstein, Emily Jucket and Pia Morrelli (Name Brand vs. Off Brand).

For the grade 9 through 12 Individual category, first place was awarded to Charlotte Ward (E. Coli Tester for Lettuce), and second place went to Brenna DeWalt (Correlation between gender, age, musical background and relative pitch).

Ian Valent answers Lena Gabrielsen’s questions about his demonstration, “How Electricity is generated,” at the KCS Science Slam. (Provided photo — Martha Allen)

Grade 9 through 12 Team winners were, for first place, a tie between Jarrod Colby, Gemma Cantwell, Hunter Klotzko and Finley Donahue (Presentation and Question about Psychology) and Tara Fine and Cal Page-Bryant (Bacterial Fermentation in Yogurt). Second place was also a tie, between Lazarus Blacksmith and Aidan Lopez (Tooth Decay) and Amelia Ellis and Nevin Dockery (Blood Pressures).

The People’s Choice award went to Hunter Kelley (How Clean Are Everyday Items?).

The winner of the 5th Grade Egg Drop was Sylvan Linton.

Mia Deyo, Marie Bullock, and Zoe Lackey, assisted by Marie’s little sister, Annabelle, took turns reading aloud facts about blobfish (“the most ugly fish in the world”), accompanied by a blobfish slideshow. (Provided photo — Martha Allen)

Hannah Grail represented AdkAction, demonstrating how water can be be tested for salt pollution. Water taken from the AuSable River in Keene and Keene drinking water both tested negative for salinity, while water taken from a puddle on state Route 73 was high in salt. AdkAction is involved with the Strategic Road Salting Group created by New York state in 2018 to address the negative consequences of road salt overuse. (Provided photo — Martha Allen)

Olivia Miller-Valovic explains her KCS Science Slam project, "How Science Works," to Keene Town Supervisor Joe-Pete Wilson. (Provided photo — Martha Allen)