One of the highlights of sixth grade at Yavneh Academy is the science fair. Students from the younger grades attend the fair and listen in awe as the sixth graders present their projects, demonstrating the depth of their expertise.

Preparations began for the upcoming science fair when the students were introduced to their task: to prove or disprove a claim made in a product advertisement. Students quickly began brainstorming and reciting their favorite commercials. The excitement in the classroom was palpable.

Yavneh parent Elie Rosenfeld led an animated discussion about the method and research that goes into creating an advertisement. Mr. Rosenfeld is CEO of Joseph Jacob Advertising, one of the leading advertising agencies for Jewish marketing. Mr. Rosenfeld’s engaging presentation made the students think about the research and process by which companies decide how to most effectively present their products to the public. Advertisements for Polly-O String Cheese and Empire Chicken were among those analyzed by the students, under Mr. Rosenfeld’s guidance. With his assistance, the students identified the claims that needed to be verified by these companies before the relevant advertisements were printed.

This unique visit afforded Yavneh students the opportunity to see how the scientific method is used in the real world. Find a problem, ask a question, create a hypothesis and then test it out. Now the students are off to find their own problems and create unique tests to prove or disprove claims made in advertisements of their choosing.