The presentation of quantitative natural science projects on December 15 by international and national students from grades 5 to 10, covering the topics of nature, ecology, biology, chemistry, physics, or healthy living, revealed the most interesting and important subjects for the students. These included healthy living, sustainability, and ecology.

Using collected quantitative data, students endeavored to answer the posed research questions in natural sciences, ecology, biology, chemistry, physics, or healthy living. They formulated hypotheses and sought to validate or refute them. The questions were diverse, ranging from “Can a person dissolve in acid?” and “Do plants need to listen to music?” to “How many vitamins and minerals are in the school’s food menu vegetables?” and “Why does mold grow faster on bread than on grainy bread?” The most interesting research projects and experiments were evaluated and awarded in categories such as the most sustainable, civic-minded, the most original idea for research, the most scientific, and the best project for healthy living and eco-friendliness.

Healthy habits at the Erudito Licėjus
At the Erudito Licėjus, significant attention is paid to a healthy lifestyle and the formation and nurturing of healthy, balanced living habits. Therefore, it’s no surprise that the topic of healthy living was highly popular among the quantitative natural science projects. Students from the main classes explored the dietary habits of adolescents and their attitudes towards various diets. They researched how teachers move to and from school, their healthy living habits, and more.

Eighth-grade students took on an experiment themselves, exploring whether it’s difficult to change established habits and begin living healthier. The girls attempted to adhere to the principles of a healthy lifestyle for a week (eating healthier food, sleeping no less than 8 hours, being more active, limiting screen time, etc.) and observed how they felt, changes in their energy levels, and even the condition of their skin. The results were both uplifting and surprising: it turns out that a healthy lifestyle requires more effort, not all assumptions could be implemented, yet the “Healthy Habits” experiment greatly enriched and taught new things. The participants realized that sleeping for at least eight hours and healthy eating improve mood, concentration, and “more energy when sleeping more.” The subtleties of sleep were further explored by the fifth-grade student team “Sleepers,” who arrived at the presentation… in pajamas.

Another eighth-grade group, “The Team,” investigated teachers’ attitudes towards a healthy lifestyle and surveyed over 60 teachers at the Erudito Licėjus in Vilnius: they sought to understand how many members of the Erudito Licėjus community follow a healthy lifestyle and what influence it has. The conclusion – 58% of teachers and staff practice a healthy lifestyle. According to the team, collecting data was very interesting; they enjoyed delving into the concept of a healthy lifestyle.

The eighth-grade group “Azerai” delved into the attitudes of men and women (mostly adolescents) towards diets. The results from 78 respondents revealed that 48% of participants did not follow any diet, 12% of respondents aged 13-15 followed a vegetarian diet, and so on. The conclusion drawn was that women (girls) were more concerned about diets because statistically, they tend to worry more about appearance.

Meanwhile, students from the Erudito Licėjus in Kaunas took on an ambitious plan to measure and present the quantity of vitamins and micronutrients in all the school’s offered dishes. Those from Vilnius delved into the breakfast menu and discussed the healthiest breakfast options.

Experiences in entrepreneurship and critical thinking
Demonstrating that students care not only about physical but also emotional health, an eighth-grade project focused on the influence of social networks on self-esteem. According to the team, through their research and surveys of peers, although their social media habits did not change, they learned a lot about others and became more critical of the content presented on social media platforms.

Sixth graders from the “KAMbučia” group learned not only how to make kombucha, which could become an excellent alternative to carbonated drinks, but also its business and production secrets, shared with the team by kombucha producers “kaipkam.” The team conducted a production study, surveying about 60 respondents about kombucha consumption, so the project was oriented towards business. The team’s conclusion: “It takes a lot of money and time.” This team earned the award for the most eco-friendly project.

Recognized as the best healthy lifestyle project among 5-6 grades was the “S.O.S.” project, observing healthy lifestyle habits. It’s a different formulation than usual, not a call for help but “Safe Air Sanctuary.” “It means that we choose not to vape and encourage others to choose a ‘safe air sanctuary,'” explains Vėjas, a sixth-grader, presenting their project’s essence.

Several projects were related to weather and weather observation, yet weather observation can reveal much more. For instance, the tenth-grade team “Weathermen” responds to the issue of climate change: they decided to measure the average air temperature this year and at the same time twenty years ago to confirm the hypothesis that temperature influences climate change.

Sixth graders “No Play No Work” were interested in the greenhouse effect. Fifth-grade students from “Science for Four” observed the weather, their applications, and investigated whether they accurately forecasted the weather. There were proposals to install a solar power plant on the roof of the Erudito Lyceum – according to the seventh-graders, the school has excellent conditions for it!