On October 22, the golden sunlight of autumn filled the campus of SCLS. The cool breeze carried laughter and anticipation as students from the International Division Middle School and High School prepared for one of the most exciting events of the year, the SCLS Science Fair 2025. Between colorful posters and curious minds, a celebration of inquiry and imagination began.
10月22日，金秋的阳光洒在上海宋庆龄学校的校园。秋风微凉，却挡不住一股跃动的热情，走廊上、教室间、展板前，国际部中学的孩子们正忙碌地布置着他们的科学展台。在他们的笑声与脚步声里，一场以 “Science of Survival（生存的科学）” 为主题的年度Science Fair 科学活动展，拉开了序幕。
Theme: The Science of Survival
主题：韧性，是生命的科学
In a world full of challenges, from droughts and floods to energy crises and environmental change, how do we adapt, survive, and thrive? This question inspired the theme of the 6th Annual SCLS Science Fair: “Science of Survival.”
在这个充满不确定的时代，我们如何面对干旱、洪水、能源短缺、环境变化？人类如何依靠智慧延续生命的可能？这便是上海宋庆龄学校第六届科学活动展的主题：“生命的科学”。
The goal was to encourage students to step beyond the pages of their textbooks and explore how humans, animals, and ecosystems endure and overcome adversity through the lens of science.
我们希望通过这个主题，让学生走出知识的框架，用科学的眼睛去理解“生存”。
From plants that root in deserts, to animals migrating through harsh winters, to humans who build and rebuild through innovation, all embody the essence of resilience.
无论是植物在沙漠中扎根的奇迹，是动物在极地中迁徙的力量，还是人类在逆境中寻找希望的勇气，背后都蕴藏着同一个词：韧性。
As the vision of this year’s Science Fair states: “Encourage students to investigate the science behind resilience, how humans, animals, and ecosystems adapt and endure challenges.” This year’s event was not only an exploration of scientific principles but also a reflection on what it means to be a human, to persist, to adapt, and to thrive.
正如本次活动的愿景所表达的：“Encourage students to investigate the science behind resilience, how humans, animals, and ecosystems adapt and endure challenges.”鼓励学生去探究韧性背后的科学，去理解生命如何在困境中适应、坚持、并最终繁盛。这是一场关于科学的探索，更是一场关于人类的思考。
Format: A Cross-Grade Scientific Dialogue
活动形式：一次跨年级的科学对话
This year’s Science Fair featured nearly 90 student-designed projects, all created collaboratively by middle school students. Each group acted as a small research team. They selected their own topic, conducted research, designed experiments, analyzed data, and presented their findings in English.
今年的Science Fair共有 近90个项目参与呈现，全部由国际部初中学生以小组为单位完成。每一组学生都是一个小小的研究团队：他们自己选题、查找资料、设计实验、分析数据，绘制展板，并用英语完成展示。他们是设计者、实验者，也是讲述者，用自己的方式回答“生命如何在挑战中延续”的问题。
The classrooms were transformed into creative “science spaces,” filled with innovative models, colorful display boards, and vibrant energy. The projects ranged from renewable energy and clean water solutions to food preservation and structural engineering. The students spoke passionately about their findings, showcasing not only the knowledge but also their imagination and teamwork.
教室摇身一变，成为一个个别具一格的“科学空间”，学生们热情高涨，一个个精巧设计的实验模型和创意十足的项目展板映入眼帘。内容丰富，形式多样，充份展现了同学们对科学的理解与热爱。
The high school students and all teachers from the International Division served as judges for this year’s science fair. They listened attentively, asked thoughtful questions, and offered constructive feedback.
而现场的评委，则由国际部高中的所有学生与国际部中学全体教师组成。他们穿梭在各个展区之间，认真倾听每一组的讲解。一场融合创新、实践、与深度思考的科学盛宴，在好奇与探索的碰撞中热烈上演。
When a presentation ended, the judges gave a “thumbs-up” sticker to the presenters, who in return offered a “smiley-face” sticker. It was a simple but meaningful gesture of mutual encouragement. These small tokens became powerful symbols of praise, respect, and shared enthusiasm.
每当一位初中演讲者完成展示，评委就会送上一个闪亮的 “大拇指贴纸” 表示赞许，而演讲者则微笑着回赠一个“笑脸贴纸”。在这温暖的互动中，知识流动，鼓励流动，尊重也在流动。那一枚枚贴纸，成了最动人的奖章。
Grade 6: The First Spark of Science
六年级：科学的第一束光
For Grade 6 students, this Science Fair was their first adventure as young scientists. Their projects brimmed with curiosity, creativity, and the kind of wonder that makes science magical.
对于六年级的同学们来说，这是他们第一次以“小科学家”的身份参与中学科学活动展。他们的项目充满了新鲜的想象，也带着生活的观察与童心的灵气。
Nina, Matthew, Angel, and Hope explored how food can be preserved using natural methods, with salt, vinegar, and honey, instead of refrigerators. Through their project, “Which method of natural food preservation works best?” they discovered that science often sparks curiosity about everyday life.
Nina，Matthew，Angel和Hope带来了他们对食物保鲜的研究，他们没有借助冰箱或化学防腐剂，而是回到自然中寻找答案：盐渍、醋浸、蜂蜜封存……保存食物的智慧，从古老的生活经验中生长出来，也在科学的方法中被重新理解。
In their project, “Do man-made or natural materials better withstand landslides?” Lucy, Noe, Miranda, and Quintas simulated miniature landslides to compare man-made and natural materials. As soil and sand tumbled down their models, they gained a new respect for the strength and balance found in nature itself.
Lucy，Noe，Miranda和Quintas的项目模拟了一场场微型“山体滑坡”，他们在探索人造材料与自然材料哪个在恶劣环境下更坚强。当泥沙一次次倾泻而下，他们发现了大自然的强大与智慧。
Ethan, Arthur, Evan, and Charles built their self-sustaining ecosystem with a working water cycle, learning that balance and patience are the foundations of life itself, and as long as there is balance, life finds a way to endure.
Ethan，Arthur，Evan和Charles建造了他们小小的“地球循环”。通过探索自给自足的生态系统，他们惊喜地发现：生命只要有一点平衡与耐心，就能自己找到生存的方式。
Grade 7: When Science Meets Reality
七年级：让科学扎根现实
For Grade 7 students, curiosity began to shift into deeper questions about the future. From joyful experience to meaningful inquiry, their experiments were creative, yet also carried a great sense of purpose.
七年级孩子们的思考正慢慢走向现实与未来。他们的实验，不只是有趣，而是带着责任感的探索。他们开始思考：如果自然灾害来临，我们能做什么？如果资源枯竭，我们如何生存？
Joan and Feiyu studied shapes and structures to discover which designs make the best shelters and best withstand natural disasters. They discovered that stability is not just about materials, but also smart design and thoughtful planning.
Joan和Feiyu带来了她们的思考，什么样的形状，最能抵御自然的挑战？她们发现，稳定不仅来自坚固的材料，更来自聪明的结构与周到的设计。一场关于几何的探索，成了对“庇护”意义的温柔解读。
Ninni, Emily, and Iris investigated bread fermentation, exploring how yeast responds to different temperatures and sugar levels. From this everyday process, they learned that science and life are deeply intertwined, and even the simplest loaf of bread tells a story of energy, time, and cooperation.
Ninni，Emily和Iris则是从面包的呼吸中获得灵感，研究不同温度与糖分对发酵的影响，寻找酵母的“生命力”。原来，面包的柔软来自微生物的劳动，科学与生活，其实是一场有温度的合作。
Rachel and Florence studied human endurance in cold temperatures, observing how our bodies react and adapt. Their findings revealed the quiet wisdom and resilience of our body, the rhythm of survival written in every heartbeat.
Rachel和Florence从现实出发，她们好奇人类对于寒冷的耐力如何。她们的实验让科学变得可见，记录下人类在面对寒冷时的各种反应，那是我们与自然对话的方式。
Grade 8: Science in Depth, Insight, and Discovery
八年级：科学的深度与思辨
Grade 8 students brought some sophistication and scientific rigor to their projects. Their presentations combined scientific precision with confident communication, proving how far they’ve come as thinkers and learners.
八年级的孩子们充满成熟与自信，他们的项目更具复杂度，语言更自信，他们的展示也更具学术性。他们的作品让我们看到科学教育的意义：从兴趣到理解，从理解到探索，从探索到创新。
Paris, Nicole, and Sarah explored yeast metabolism under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, uncovering how oxygen influences the pace of life and the efficiency of energy release. The experiment was more than data and results, it was a dialogue between curiosity and understanding.
Paris，Nicole和Sarah决定探究酵母的“呼吸运动”。她们灵活运用课堂上的知识，观察酵母在有氧与无氧环境下的代谢差异。她们发现，氧气决定了生命活动的效率，也决定了能量的释放，而科学的美就藏在生命的呼吸声里。
Anna, Sally, and Jeremy extracted DNA from fruits, watching the delicate yet awe-inspiring process that made the invisible architecture of life visible before their eyes. In that moment, the blueprint of life became something tangible.
Anna，Sally和Jeremy从草莓和香蕉中“看见生命”，他们从水果中提取出DNA，惊叹于这份可见的奇迹，生命的蓝图就这样奇妙地呈现在他们眼前。
High School: Companions in Discovery
高中：并肩探索的研究者
Beyond the presenters, the science fair was also animated by the energy of high school students, serving as mentors, judges, and curious learners themselves. They didn’t just compliment; they asked thought-provoking questions: “Did you have a control group?” “How might your results change if you expanded your sample size?” “What are some sustainable alternatives you could try next time?”
在Science Fair的现场，除了展示的初中小科学家们，还有另一群同样闪亮的身影，来自高中的哥哥姐姐们。他们穿梭在展台之间，仔细倾听、认真交流。不仅限于赞美，他们提出的问题常常带着更深的思考：“你们的数据有进行对照实验吗？”“如果扩大实验规模，结果会有什么不同？”
Their probing questions pushed the middle school presenters to think deeper and communicate clearer, turning each presentation into a meaningful scientific dialogue.
这些问题让初中同学们思考得更深入，也让他们感受到科学讨论的严谨与乐趣。
At some booths, conversations sparked laughter and insight; at others, high school students crouched down to listen to younger peers explain their models, and learning flowed both ways. In those moments exchanged, students became more than “judges” and “participants”. What remained were learners sharing the same scientific identity and spirit.
有的展台围满人群，讨论热烈；有的角落里，高中学长蹲下身倾听初中同学的解释；也有人边点头边在评审表上写下鼓励的话语。他们都说着一种属于科学的共同语言，在交流中建立自信、学习倾听、尊重差异。孩子们之间的角色不再只是“展示者”与“评委”，更像是并肩探索的研究者。
The Meaning of Learning: Science as a Way of Thinking
学习的意义：科学，让思考发芽
The process of preparing for the Science Fair was, in many ways, a more important journey of discovery than the event itself. From topic selection to trial and error, from frustration to breakthroughs, students learned that science isn’t about finding perfect answers, it’s about persistence, critical thinking, and collaboration.
Science Fair的准备过程，远比展览本身更有意义。从最初的选题，到实验设计、数据记录、展示制作，同学们在一次次尝试与失败中学会了思考与合作。
They experienced firsthand that every “failed” experiment is not a setback, but a step toward understanding. In the process, they didn’t just learn science, they learned how to think like scientists and to acquire the courage to keep asking questions.
在许多“错误”与“修正” 之间，他们学会了科学的本质：不是追求完美的答案，而是保持不断探索的勇气，培养思考与解决问题的能力。
Lighting the Future with Science
让科学的光，照亮每一个未来
As the fair came to an end, the excitement didn’t fade away. The laughter, the smiles, and the passionate explanations all spoke of something deeper: the seeds of science have been planted, and the spark of curiosity will continue to grow.
活动的最后，展区里依旧热闹非凡，Science Fair的结束，并不是探究的终点。那些稚嫩却坚定的声音、那些努力解释的笑脸，都在告诉我们：科学的种子，已经在这里发芽。
As Madame Soong Ching Ling once said, “The future belongs to the next generation.”
And on this golden autumn day, we saw that future, shining in the eyes of every student who dared to ask, imagine, and explore.
正如宋庆龄先生曾说：“未来是属于新一代的。”
而在这个秋日里，这些孩子正用科学、好奇与爱，去理解世界、守护生命、创造未来。
We are incredibly proud of all our students for their creativity, courage, and achievements. We also extend our heartfelt gratitude to all teachers and parents for their guidance, encouragement, and unwavering support along the way.
我们为每一位勇敢探索、敢于提问、敢于创造的学生感到无比骄傲。同时，我们也要向所有在背后默默支持这场科学盛宴的老师与家长致以最真挚的感谢。
Together, we are building not just projects, but possibilities. Let us continue to stay curious, to keep learning, and to make science not just a subject, but a way of thinking, a way of living, and a way of believing in the future. We will see you at the next SCLS Science Fair!
让我们继续怀抱好奇、保持热爱，让科学成为一种思考的方式，一种生活的态度，一种面向未来的信念。我们明年的SCLS科学展再见！
