By Sister Ann

Thank you to all of those who helped with Senior lunch this month. The ham dinner was a real hit with all the Seniors. Theresa Dennehy, Carmie Armstrong, Kathy Garrett, Van Thaxton, Linda Small, Susie Merrill, and Julie Davidson, you are great cooks and we THANK YOU for spending your time on us. It is indeed appreciated. THANK YOU to the second graders for their egg and jelly bean centerpieces. Some were used at the Altar & Rosary Boutique on Sunday also. Seniors took some baskets to brighten up their homes.
 

I hypothesize that first graders, who are between the ages of 6 and 7 will pick up the Japanese language quicker and retain it longer than other students. I believe this to be true because a first grader is not learning as much as a fourth grader or sixth grader and they do not have as much to remember. Their brains are not filled up and they have more room to remember more things. 

To solve this problem of age and language, I tested students in the following groups: kindergarten students (between the ages of 5 and 6), first grade students, (between the ages of 6 and 7), fourth grade students (between the ages of 9 and 10), and sixth grade students (between the ages of 11 and 12). I gave the students a total of two quizzes; one directly after they were taught and then one after waiting one complete week.

While reading through my project, you will not only learn about Japan and the history of Japan, but about language in general. Kids who are hard of hearing usually have a lot more trouble learning a language than do children with normal hearing. Also, if you read to your child or even just talk to them when they are young, this may affect your childâs language skills. Scientists also believe that the development of language could be passed down in the childâs genes.
After all my testing was completed and after looking over all of my statistics, I concluded that the first grade students, who I hypothesized would do the best, did do the best with an overall average score on the quizzes. Fourth grade did almost as well as first grade. Sixth grade was second to last and kindergarten, as suspected, performed the worst. I suspected this because they were probably too young and werenât very developed in their reading skills.
 

Many of todayâs most competitive sailors overlook the problem of weight distribution. They may spend hours planning for a single race, but in their preparation they forget some of the simplest concepts. The concept of weight distribution is easily overlooked or misunderstood. 

My project questions the most effective way to distribute weight while reducing drag. I believe that carrying weight in the center of the boat will reduce drag compared to carrying weight in the stern and bow of the boat. Carrying weights in the center of the boat will lower the center of gravity and free the bow and stern of any weight, allowing them to ride the waves rather than plow through them.

Not only does my project focus on weight distribution but the sport of sailing. My Review of Literature includes effective methods to increase your boat speed, a set of basic sailing rules, and the history of yachting. My project would help someone to grasp the concept of the sport and the rigging setup of a sabot. It also covers the basics and the world famous regattas. Hopefully, my procedural steps could help someone to rig a boat.

After one hundred, twenty tests, my hypothesis was proved to be correct. Sailing with weights in the center of your boat reduces the amount of drag. Carrying your weights in the bow of the boat increases drag by raising the water line on the boat, creating more surface area to plow through the waves rather than ride them.
 

I have always wondered if I am putting myself in danger when going to the dental X-ray lab. I was always afraid that the radiation might effect me in a negative way. I decided to prove that dental X-rays are indeed safe to humans. I plan on testing this by inoculating agar plated with bacteria and exposing some of them to radiation. I will monitor their growth patterns closely. I will measure each growth every day for five days (all of the testing took place in my dadâs lab in his dental office where he strictly monitored all of my procedures). At the end of my testing, I will get an average growth size for each bacteria spore. If the radiated growths are smaller than non radiated growths, then my hypotheses will be proved correct.

During this experiment I learned many new things, I never knew that radiation was so safe. I always thought of radiation as a monstrous force that destroys everything in its path. I also learned how to inoculate and incubate bacteria. This project really taught me a lot. The last thing I was not happy to learn was that bacterium have the worst odor I have ever smelled. I was always sure to wear a mask when testing because I could hardly stand the smell.
After finishing my project, I learned that my hypothesis was incorrect. The agar plates that were radiated seemed to have little difference that the non-radiated plates. Some of the radiated plates were actually bigger than the non-radiated plates. Next time you go to the X-ray machine, remember this project and youâll be all right because X-rays are safe and not harmful to human health.
 

A major problem around the world is the cracking and fading of exterior house paint. Heat, ultraviolet light, rain, and acid are all things that can destroy paint. Finding the most durable paint among hundreds of brands that vary immensely in price is very difficult and poses a big problem. 

In this project, I solved this problem by buying six different exterior latex paints that varied in price and painted sections of wood with these paints. I then put the painted wood under heat and light and in water and acid for sixteen straight days. I counted the number of cracks in the painted wood and checked for any fading. I hypothesized that the more expensive brand of paint would be more durable than the less expensive brands of paint because I think the higher the price, the better the quality.

In this project, you will find research that covers the way Asian people made paint in 600 BC and the complicated process that is used to make paint today. You will also learn about materials that are put into paint and the proper way to prepare your house for painting.

The results of my project showed that the more expensive brands of paint are not more durable than the lower priced brands. Actually, the medium priced paints were the most durable. So, the next time you need to buy some paint, remember that you do not need to empty your piggybank before you go.