In Townsend Harris High School’s Sophomore Science Research course, students move from completing teacher-designed group assignments to developing independent projects based on their own interests, giving them an early introduction to the challenges of original scientific research.

According to science research teacher Olivia Comer, the end-of-year project marks an important transition for students.

“The students are now working on developing independent projects,” Ms. Comer said. “While most of Sophomore Science Research involves working with larger groups on topics already chosen by the Science Research teachers, at the end of the year, students work individually or with one partner to develop their own experiment based on a science topic of their choice.”

Unlike in previous assignments, students must create original research questions and design experiments that could later be expanded for science competitions.

Students plan their experiments and write literature reviews, which require them to examine existing research before developing their own approaches. Ms. Comer said one of the most difficult parts of the process has been identifying topics that are both meaningful and original.

“One of the biggest challenges for many students has just been coming up with ideas,” Ms. Comer said. “In order to enter these competitions, the research project must be novel, meaning that it must be something that has not been done before.”

Sophomores Manuelle Moura and Samantha Lee decided to investigate whether scented candles can affect a person’s ability to focus. They said the idea came from noticing how often people use candles while studying.

“We wanted to study something that people interact with every day,” Manuelle said. “A lot of students use candles while doing work, and we were curious if they actually make a difference.”

Turning that question into a measurable experiment presented challenges. Samantha said the pair had to determine how to evaluate focus accurately. “It’s harder than it sounds because you can’t just ask someone if they felt focused,” Samantha said. “You need a way to collect data that you can actually analyze.”

Sophomore Danna Rosas is studying how being in an environment where people share the same racial background can impact one’s confidence and educational experiences. “I was interested in how a person’s environment can shape the way they feel about themselves and participate in school,” Danna said.

As she researched the topic, Danna said she found that many factors can influence confidence and academic success, making it difficult to narrow the scope of her project.

“There are so many directions you can take the research,” Danna said. “Finding a specific angle has definitely been one of the biggest challenges.”

Although students are pursuing a wide range of topics, several said the opportunity to study their own interests has been one of the project’s best aspects.

“A moment that stood out was when I finally found a research topic that connected to something I was genuinely interested in,” said sophomore Violet Scholz. “After weeks of brainstorming, everything started to feel more real.”

“Instead of following instructions, we’re making decisions about the project from the beginning,” said Manuelle.

Former Science Research student Natalie Tamma said that independence helps prepare students for future research opportunities and to develop skills for when research takes unexpected turns.

“There were definitely times when things didn’t go according to plan,” Natalie said. “But that’s part of the process. You learn how to adapt and solve problems when you run into challenges.”

According to Ms. Comer, the project will help students build to later work.

“This project is important because it will be the basis for their work in Junior Science Research,” Ms. Comer said. “It is also the Science Research project in which they have the most freedom.”