Creativity of teenagers reaches level of science March 28, 2001 BY ANA MENDIETA STAFF REPORTER Nathanael Ortega loves science so much that he would like to become an astronaut. For now, however, Ortega hopes to be a winner of the 51st Chicago Public Schools Science Fair with an experiment that found that leaves are the best natural insulator. "I wanted to know how to conserve energy in a reliable way without using something with a hazardous effect on the environment," said Ortega, a 16-year-old sophomore at Farragut Career Academy, 2345 S. Christiana. He was setting up his experiment Tuesday at the Museum of Science and Industry as part of the "2001 Science/Math Odyssey: Milestones for the New Millennium." Ortega tested five different materials--leaves, soil, mud, rocks and sand--to find out which one would be the best insulator. He placed a metal container inside the center of a clear plastic box, and insulated the container with each one of the five materials. Then he poured boiling water inside the metal container and tested the water temperature every 10 minutes for 40 minutes, repeating the procedure with each of the five materials. The leaves kept the water warmer than the other materials. Ortega thought sand would be the best natural insulator. "Science always proves that there is not always a definite answer. You may be surprised of what happens at the end," Ortega said. A total of 584 Chicago public school students from seventh to 12th grades are participating in the science fair, which will be open to the public Friday through Sunday. Other student projects looked at automobile aerodynamics, the effects of acid rain on plant life, the effect of time on oil dispersion and methods to reduce leaching. "We've found through the years that our students have become more scientifically literate. As a result, we produce doctors, lawyers and even astronauts from the Chicago Public Schools," said Daucenia Hunter, the science fair's executive chair. The top 50 student projects, which will receive awards Sunday, will qualify to compete in the Illinois State Science Fair May 4-5 in Champaign. The top four students selected there will compete in the International Science and Engineering Fair from May 6-12 in San Jose, Calif. -- This is the CPS Science Teacher List. To unsubscribe, send a message to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For more information: <http://home.sprintmail.com/~mikelach/subscribe.html>. To search the archives: <http://www.mail-archive.com/science%40lists.csi.cps.k12.il.us/>
