After becoming sick while on a trip to China, Sturgis Brown High School junior Alexis Krivosnik decided to conduct a science-fair experiment on historical medical remedies. Science projects help students become more interested in science, she said. "There should be more of a focus on applied science in the classroom," Krivosnik said. "Then, it's more interesting because it's something you can feel, smell and touch."

Krivosnik took first place overall Friday in the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology's 53rd annual High Plains Regional Science and Engineering Fair, which provided area students the opportunity to learn through hands-on experimentation.

More than 300 middle- and high school students competed in the biological sciences, physical sciences, social sciences or team project divisions. Faculty, staff and students from the School of Mines and the community judged the projects based on the presented material and personal interviews.

The students' experiments allowed them to discover the application of science in everyday life.

"The applied portion of science is very important," Brian Hemmelman, director of the science fair, said. "That's the same reason we have labs here at the School of Mines. Going through the research process and going through the problems and steps you need to consider is very important."

In interviews, students said there should be more focus on experimentation and hands-on learning in the classroom.

Matt Post and Nathan Rotert, seventh-graders from Spearfish Middle School, designed an experiment, "Battle of the Bats," to determine if the diameter of a baseball bat affects the distance a ball travels. They enjoyed using sports as their topic to increase their understanding of science.

"It is cool to think that science is involved in sports," Post said. "For example, when you kick a ball in soccer, science not only helps you kick the ball better, but it helps you become more accurate."

"With the science fair, you get to experience science, so it's more likely you'll remember it," Rotert said. "It's better than reading a textbook and just sitting in class."

Daniel Koelfgen, a seventh-grader at Black Hills Christian Academy who was participating in the science fair for his second year, said he would rather do more experiments in the classroom.

"You learn science from experience rather than just reading and memorizing it," Koelfgen said.

Many students based their projects on topics in the career fields they hope to someday pursue.

"Through the science fair, we try to mimic what real scientists and engineers do as best we can," Hemmelman said. He said that industry and government acknowledge the importance of science, and there are many other competitions throughout the year that students should get involved with outside of class to increase their understanding of science.

Dozens of students received awards at the fair:

Special Awards

American Meteorological Society Award - Travis Axlund and Alex Furois, An electric breeze (Spearfish Middle School)

American Meteorological Society Award - Lane Speirs, Which wind will win? (Spearfish Middle School)

American Psychological Association Award - Laura Corbett, Pain and Gender (Edgemont High School)

ASM Materials Education Foundation Award - Monte Meyerink, Tanner Miller and Luke Gainey, That's the way the brick crumbles (Spearfish Middle School)

Herbert Hoover Young Engineer Award - Jared Ahlers and Ian Lessly, Who needs batteries? (Spearfish Middle School)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Award - Tanner Jordan and Lance Karlos, What affects acid rain more: Lab chemicals or household chemicals? (Sturgis Williams Middle School)

Ricoh Sustainable Development Award - Lia Meirose, Gone with the wind (Sturgis Williams Middle School)

Society for in Vitro Biology - Larissa Voyles, Do artificial sweeteners metabolize the same as sugar? (Sturgis Brown High School)

U.S. Metric Association - Shae Porter, R.I.P. Meal Worms (Edgemont High School)

Stockhom Junior Water Prize - Tanner Jordan and Lance Karlos, What affects acid rain more: Lab chemicals or household chemicals? (Sturgis Williams Middle School)

South Dakota Science Teachers Award - Miranda Weyer, Which bridge design supports the most weight? (Sturgis Williams Middle School)

South Dakota Veterinary Medical Alliance - Kaitlin Peterson, Does grooming affect a horse's heart rate? (Sturgis Williams Middle School)

South Dakota Academy of Science Award - Katie Meirose, The "hole" hullabaloo about hovercrafts (Sturgis Williams Middle School)

South Dakota Academy of Science Award - KayDe Roth, The answer is blowin' in the wind (Sturgis Williams Middle School)

South Dakota Academy of Science Award - Jackson Guthmiller, Remember that? (Spearfish Middle School)

South Dakota Academy of Science Award - Taylor Fisher and Aleisha Hale, Gullibility (West Middle School)

South Dakota Academy of Science Award - Carly Malik and Randi Mortimer, Integrity: Is it in you? (West Middle School)

South Dakota Academy of Science Award - Maddison Carr and Brandee Robertson, OMG Stop txting! (Spearfish Middle School)

South Dakota Academy of Science Award - Victoria Snyder, Can weak materials be made strong through structural engineering? (Belle Fourche Middle School)

South Dakota Academy of Science Award - Lia Meirose, Gone with the wind (Stugis Williams Middle School)

Air Force Award of Excellence - Victoria Snyder, Can weak materials be made strong through structural engineering? (Belle Fourche Middle School)

Air Force Award of Excellence - Monte Meyerink, Tanner Miller and Luke Gainey, That's the way the brick crumbles (Spearfish Middle School)

Air Force Award of Excellence - Cody Donaldson and Taylor Schmidt, How does viscosity of motor oil change with temperature? (Sturgis Williams Middle School)

Air Force Award of Excellence - Shae Porter, R.I.P Meal Worms (Edgemont High School)

Awards by Grade and Category

6th Grade Biology 5th Place ($5) - Jacob Servaty, It's for the birds (Spearfish Middle School)

6th Grade Biology 4th Place ($10) - Hailley Heckenlaible, Who has the cleanest mouth: Dogs, cats, or humans? (Whitewood Elementary)

6th Grade Biology 3rd Place ($20) - Raylene Summers, Is a guinea pig smart enough to go through a maze? (Whitewood Elementary)

6th Grade Biology 2nd Place ($40) - Megan Anderson, What will effect concentration the most? (Whitewood Elementary)

6th Grade Biology 1st Place ($60) - Jaelyn Habeck, Milky Way (Black Hills Christian Academy)

6th Grade Physical Science 5th Place ($5) - Hunter Dean, Ice melt or not (Spearfish Middle School)

6th Grade Physical Science 4th Place ($10) - Jacob Capp, Watch out for flying objects (Spearfish Middle School)

6th Grade Physical Science 3rd Place ($20) - Brianna Grout, How chlorine affects the brittleness of human hair (Spearfish Middle School)

6th Grade Physical Science 2nd Place ($40) - Lane Speirs, Which wind will win? (Spearfish Middle School)

6th Grade Physical Science 1st Place ($60) - Sam Evridge, Solar furnace (Spearfish Middle School)

6th Grade Social Science 3rd Place ($20) - Cole Johnson, Perception of optical illusions (Spearfish Middle School)

6th Grade Social Science 2nd Place ($40) - Anders Flagstad, The impact of different types of music on comprehension (Spearfish Middle School)

6th Grade Social Science 1st Place ($60) - Kiefer Goldberg, Audio vs. Visual (Spearfish Middle School)

6th Grade Team Biology 3rd Place ($20) - Madison Jilek, Plants dig music (Spearfish Middle School)

6th Grade Team Biology 2nd Place ($40) - Audrey Heberlig and Sydney Sleep (Spearfish Middle School)

6th Grade Team Biology 1st Place ($60) - Kassidy Lantis and Callie Sleep, Canines and color (Spearfish Middle School)

6th Grade Team Physical Science 5th Place ($5) - Kanlie Peterson and Errin Short, Leyden Jar (Sturgis Williams Middle School)

6th Grade Team Physical Science 4th Place ($10) - Taylor Derosier and Justice Hansen, Kickin' it (Spearfish Middle School)

6th Grade Team Physical Science 3rd Place ($20) - Mollie Hunt and Lynsey Prosser, Mountain Highs and Dewey Lows (Sturgis Williams Middle School)

6th Grade Team Physical Science 2nd Place ($40) - Sam Hintgen and Kelby Torgerson, Are you using the right bullets? (Spearfish Middle School)

6th Grade Team Physical Science 1st Place ($60) - Hunter Matthew and Teal Schmidt, What arrow and tip combination will penetrate the target the deepest? (Sturgis Williams Middle School)

6th Grade Team Social Science 4th Place ($10) - Alyssa Bergey and Sierra Jewett, Can you handle it? (Spearfish Middle School)

6th Grade Team Social Science 3rd Place ($20) - Ty Steinhausen and Austin Walker, Need for sleep (Spearfish Middle School)

6th Grade Team Social Science 2nd Place ($40) - Mikayla Lemaster and Taylor Merkley, Ruler reaction (Spearfish Middle School)

6th Grade Team Social Science 1st Place ($60) - Emily Fero and Jessica Peterson, Do you have enough "scents" to taste? (Spearfish Middle School)

7th Grade Biology 5th Place ($5) - Molly Mermann, My-my-my, what's your BMI? (Sturgis Williams Middle School)

7th Grade Biology 4th Place ($10) - Samantha Sleep, To grow or not to grow (Spearfish Middle School)

7th Grade Biology 3rd Place ($20) - Sam Haivala, Are we polluting our creek? (Spearfish Middle School)

7th Grade Biology 2nd Place ($40) - Cash Munro, Eating Habits of wild birds (Spearfish Middle School)

7th Grade Biology 1st Place ($60) - David Strain, What pleases water fleas? (Sturgis Williams Middle School)

7th Grade Physical Science 5th Place ($5) - Cole Hemmah, Oxbow Lakes (Sturgis Williams Middle School)

7th Grade Physical Science 4th Place ($10) - Stephanie Johnson, Should I drive lazily or hastily? (Black Hills Christian Academy)

7th Grade Physical Science 3rd Place ($20) - KayDe Roth, The answer is blowin' in the wind (Sturgis Williams Middle School)

7th Grade Physical Science 2nd Place ($40) - Lia Meirose, Gone with the wind (Sturgis Williams Middle School)

7th Grade Physical Science 1st Place ($60) - Ryan McNally, Does soil prefer organic or processed fertilizers? (Belle Fourche Middle School)

7th Grade Social Science 5th Place ($5) - Chelsea Scott, Sweet dreams (West Middle School)

7th Grade Social Science 4th Place ($10) - Justin Richardson, Color of text effect (Spearfish Middle School)

7th Grade Social Science 3rd Place ($20) - Taylor Fox, Two's company but three's a crowd (Spearfish Middle School)

7th Grade Social Science 2nd Place ($40) - Jackson Guthmiller, Remember that? (Spearfish Middle School)

7th Grade Social Science 1st Place ($60) - Jayme Rossow, Stereotyping Sex Offenders (don't judge a book by its cover) (West Middle School)

7th Grade Team Biology 5th Place ($5) - Ryan Driscoll and Brendon Eymer, Video games good or bad? (Spearfish Middle School)

7th Grade Team Biology 4th Place ($10) - Jayce Winsell, What disinfectant works better? (Sturgis Williams Middle School)

7th Grade Team Biology 3rd Place ($20) - Nicole Amundson, Does mouthwash really kill oral bacteria? (Sturgis Williams Middle School)

7th Grade Team Biology 2nd Place ($40) - Jaime Berger, Natalie Pope and Vanessa Spaans, Drinking dangerously (Spearfish Middle School)

7th Grade Team Biology 1st Place ($60) - Brady Borowski and Jackson Roberts, When life gives you lemons, make electricity 2 (Spearfish Middle School)

7th Grade Team Physical Science 5th Place ($5) - Ashley Olson, Whitney Senden and Kaitlin Spargur, Pumped Up (Spearfish Middle School)

7th Grade Team Physical Science 4th Place ($10) - Michael Deichert and Dillon Orth, Can crusher (Spearfish Middle School)

7th Grade Team Physical Science 3rd Place ($20) - Coutrney Cassen and Katie Jaques, Burn! (Sturgis Williams Middle School)

7th Grade Team Physical Science 2nd Place ($40) - Taylor Engesser and Sarah Goetz, Loop the loop (Spearfish Middle School)

7th Grade Team Physical Science 1st Place ($60) - Paige Haggerty and Miranda Meeker, Straight Across (Spearfish Middle School)

7th Grade Team Social Science 3rd Place ($20) - Katie Kolb and Naomi Lee, Stroop Effect (Spearfish Middle School)

7th Grade Team Social Science 2nd Place ($40) - Brittany Thompson and Logan Zebroski, Now what was I suppose to remember? (Spearfish Middle School)

7th Grade Team Social Science 1st Place ($60) - Maddison Carr and Brandee Robertson, OMG Stop txting! (Spearfish Middle School)

8th Grade Biology 5th Place ($5) - Aimee Owen, Does diet soda really help your stomach? (Spearfish Middle School)

8th Grade Biology 4th Place ($10) - Kayla Nemec, Which drink causes the highest demineralization on your teeth? (Belle Fourche Middle School)

8th Grade Biology 3rd Place ($20) - Andrea Wilen, How does a lung condition affect lung capacity? (Belle Fourche Middle School)

8th Grade Biology 2nd Place ($40) - Chelsea Olson, Who has a better taste threshold and does gender matter? (Belle Fourche Middle School)

8th Grade Biology 1st Place ($60) - Ben Deverman, Colorblindness - To see or not to see? (Spearfish Middle School)

8th Grade Physical Science 5th Place ($5) - Zachary Sowards, Arrow Broadheads (West Middle School)

8th Grade Physical Science 4th Place ($10) - George Vandine, Science of baseball (Spearfish Middle School)

8th Grade Physical Science 3rd Place ($20) - Shelbi Bruse, Which product is the most effective in reducing friction? (Sturgis Williams Middle School)

8th Grade Physical Science 2nd Place ($40) - Hannah Alaer, Prepare to launch (Sturgis Williams Middle School)

8th Grade Physical Science 1st Place ($60) - Jeffrey Nelson, What paper is the best for the environment (Sturgis Williams Middle School)

8th Grade Social Science 5th Place ($5) - Sarah Cotner, Practice makes perfect (West Middle School)

8th Grade Social Science 4th Place ($10) - Kelsie Dubon, Driving under the influence (of music) (West Middle School)

8th Grade Social Science 3rd Place ($20) - Matt Hodson, Does reaction time need a rest? (Spearfish Middle School)

8th Grade Social Science 2nd Place ($40) - Tyler Yule, What's the best stress reliever? (Newell Middle School)

8th Grade Social Science 1st Place ($60) - Kate Kullerd, Would you like fries with that? (Spearfish Middle School)

8th Grade Team Biology 5th Place ($5) - Bradan Anderson and Austin Neuerberg, Starch your diet (Spearfish Middle School)

8th Grade Team Biology 4th Place ($10) - Kelsey Lamb and Nicole Lamb, Doggy DNA (Spearfish Middle School)

8th Grade Team Biology 3rd Place ($20) - Cody Drole and Brady Harr, What's lurking in your school? (Spearfish Middle School)

8th Grade Team Biology 2nd Place ($40) - Kaylee Vostad and Nicole Wilder, What's your color? (Spearfish Middle School)

8th Grade Team Biology 1st Place ($60) - Nicole Merchen and Alyssa Wendt, Safe is more than swimming with a buddy (Spearfish Middle School)

8th Grade Team Physical Science 5th Place ($5) - Justin Engesser and Brandon Schaff, Sleepy driving (Spearfish Middle School)

8th Grade Team Physical Science 4th Place ($10) - Cody Donaldson and Taylor Schmidt, How does the viscosity of motor oil change with temperature? (Sturgis Williams Middle School)

8th Grade Team Physical Science 3rd Place ($20) - Indigo Curington and Shannon Swett, The monster inside: a study of hydrochloric acid (West Middle School)

8th Grade Team Physical Science 2nd Place ($40) - Monte Meyerink, Tanner Miller and Luke Gainey, That's the way the brick crumbles (Spearfish Middle School)

8th Grade Team Physical Science 1st Place ($60) - Samuel Ellison and William Hendricks, Topspin or flat (West Middle School)

8th Grade Team Social Science 5th Place ($5) - Karlie Bakke and Lindsay Jones, Grade "A" athletes (Spearfish Middle School)

8th Grade Team Social Science 4th Place ($10) - Brianna Barkley, Brianna Naumann and Britain Burditt, How do you react? (Spearfish Middle School)

8th Grade Team Social Science 3rd Place ($20) - Taylor Fisher and Aleisha Hale, Gullibility (West Middle School)

8th Grade Team Social Science 2nd Place ($40) - Carly Malik and Randi Mortimer, Integrity: Is it in you? (West Middle School)

8th Grade Team Social Science 1st Place ($60) - Nikki Sigle and Sydney Sullivan, Are you too big for your britches? (Spearfish Middle School)

Senior Division Biology 3rd Place ($30) - Larissa Voyles, Do artificial sweeteners metabolize the same as sugar? (Sturgis Brown High School)

Senior Division Biology 2nd Place ($50) - Shae Porter, R.I.P. Meal Worms (Edgemont High School)

Senior Division Biology 1st Place ($100) - Alexis Krivosnik, Isolating antimicrobial compounds in GSE (Sturgis Brown High School)

Senior Division Physical Sciences 2nd Place ($50) - Aimee Pond, Comparison of types of insulation (Pine Ridge High School)

Senior Division Physical Science 1st Place ($100) - Cody Gravel, Electroplating Metals (Edgemont High School)

Senior Divison Behavioral and Social Sciences 1st Place ($100) - Rebecca Michelson, Visual of Auditory Memory? (Sturgis Brown High School)

Senior Division Team 3rd Place ($30) - Dusti Michaud and Robert Watters, Reservation Mammalian Characteristics (Pine Ridge High School)

Senior Division Team 2nd Place ($50) - Jesse Peters and Nick Swift Bird, The Questionable Autograph (Pine Ridge High School)

Senior Division Team 1st Place ($100) - Shontel Mousseau and Saadia Tasso, Density Solves a Mystery (Pine Ridge High School)

2nd Place Overall (Alternate ISEF Representative) - Shae Porter, R.I.P. Meal Worms (Edgemont High School)

1st Place Overall and traveling to Atlanta, GA to participate in the Intel ISEF Fair - Alexis Krivosnik, Isolating antimicrobial compounds in GSE (Sturgis Brown High School)

The Northern Plains Eye Foundation added awards of $100 for the 1st place senior division winners in biology, physical science, and behavioral science as well as $200 for the 1st place senior divison team winner.