A great success for our very young researchers from 6th grade: By winning the regional competition in Gießen, they qualified for the state competition and were able to travel to Kassel for two days with their advisor, Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf, to present their research project there. And they won there, too.
, Anna-Lena Griesler (11), Maya Fischer (11), and Marlene Wagner (12) focused on making adhesives from natural sources (as we reported), and this involved a lot of chemistry. But since the three didn’t stop at just making the adhesives—they also built a device to test their tensile strength—engineering played a major role in this project as well. Their force measurements using digital force sensors ultimately fell within the realm of physics as well.
This multifaceted approach—that is, its interdisciplinary nature—impressed the jury. The continuous refinement of the experimental apparatus and the depth of understanding with which they analyzed the underlying processes impressed the judges. In addition, they were praised for their confidence during the presentation and, in particular, for their strong team spirit.

The depth of content is something that is also close to the heart of “Jugend forscht” advisor Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf. “The three of them had to explain the different adhesive properties of the various materials on the paper. Since paper is made of cellulose, that’s more of a topic from 12th-grade chemistry class. Natural adhesives are also rather complex molecules. But you can ‘break it down’ into simpler terms.” During the jury deliberations, the team was able to impress with their expertise and technical terms such as hydrophilic and hydrophobic, hydrogen bonding, and cohesion and adhesion failures.

It was also great to see the students interacting with students from other schools. One team, for example, had been working on an adhesive made from mistletoe berries. A sample was quickly provided and measured by the girls. However, this adhesive turned out not to be suitable for everyday use just yet.
The team’s best adhesive consists of starch, sugar, and a little vinegar, which breaks down the starch molecules into shorter chains.
Last but not least, the Steinmühlen team also took home the special “Materials and Substances” prize from the Institute of Materials Science at the University of Kassel. In total, this meant prize money of 300 € for the three young researchers, though Anna-Lena noted: “The money isn’t really important at all. Spending those two days with like-minded people was the best part.”

We are very proud of you. Congratulations!
Click here for the University of Kassel’s press release

This year, our “Jugend Forscht” teams had to compete at two different locations.

What is the condition of the soil in our area?
Sisters Anna Dinges (12th grade) and Teresa Dinges (9th grade) traveled to Kassel on Saturday, February 11, with their project “Humus: Savior of the Soil and Climate?” on Saturday, February 11, along with their advisors Antje Seel and Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf. The North Hesse regional competition was held at SMA in Kassel-Niestetal.

Soils play a major role in the climate system because humus is capable_{of storing} large amounts of_CO2 . Anna and Teresa wondered about the condition of the soils in the areas where they live and go to school. In addition to measuring humus content, pH, and KAK values (a measure of soil fertility), they also investigated how soils react to acid rain. They compared the measurements from the soil samples they collected with those from commercially available potting soils and found that the latter actually had higher humus and KAK values. However, a coniferous forest soil also performed impressively overall. The jury particularly praised the outstanding laboratory work, which was conducted at a high level and with great precision, the rigorous scientific approach, and the in-depth examination of sustainability issues at the local level.

With their project, they won second place in the “Geosciences and Spatial Sciences” category and a special prize consisting of a one-year subscription to the science magazine “natur.”

Rainwater and Natural Adhesives
OnFriday, February 24, a large group set out for the University of Giessen to present their projects at the competition in Central Hesse. Anna-Lena Griesler, Maya Fischer, Marlene Wagner, Nico Farwig, Justus Pöschl, and Robin Richter—all from the 6th-grade GuFi lab groups—took on the challenge in the “Students Experiment” category.
The Steinmühlen bus was fully occupied with the six children, their supervisor Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf, STEM teacher Dr. Patrick Szabo, and participation assistant Steven Müller.
They set off at 7:45 a.m., and the morning was well filled with jury interviews and interesting lab tours. In the afternoon, the presentation booths were open to the general public. Many parents, grandparents, and friends took the opportunity to have the young researchers explain their projects to them. By around 5:00 p.m., everyone was tired but full of new impressions as they returned to the Steinmühle.
This year’s awards ceremony took place online on Saturday afternoon. To mark the occasion, all the students gathered at the Steinmühle for pizza. And finally, there was something to celebrate.

The group of three boys who asked themselves, “Is rainwater valuable?” won over the jury, taking second place in the “Geosciences and Spatial Sciences” category and a special prize of a one-year subscription to the magazine Geolino.
Justus, Nico, and Robin analyzed rainwater for various components, developed a water hardness test using soapy water, and found that cress grows better with rainwater than with tap water. The jury praised their clear methodology, the neat presentation of the measurement results, the visualization of the cress growth, and their broad knowledge.

Anna-Lena, Maya, and Marlene securedfirst place in the chemistry category—and with it, a spot in the state competition at the University of Kassel—with their project “How Tear-Resistant Are Natural Adhesives?” They made many adhesives themselves—for example, from food—and tested other natural substances, such as spruce resin, shellac, and snail slime, for their adhesive properties. The team also succeeded in developing a device to measure the adhesive strength of the substances on paper.
The jury was particularly impressed by how these very young students continuously refined and adapted their experimental setup. They paid close attention to accuracy and critically evaluated their approach in each phase of the experiment. Their strong problem-solving skills were evident.
The team also won the plusMint Special Prize for interdisciplinary projects.

If you’re interested in starting your own research project, just stop by the “Open Lab” at the Steinmühle—it’s open every Tuesday and Friday starting at 2 p.m. (Room 127).