Priya had planned her science fair project for a month: a volcano that erupted with baking soda and vinegar. She had painted the cone, labeled the layers of rock, and practiced her speech twice.
On the morning of the fair, Priya walked into the gym and froze. At the next table, Jonah was setting up a volcano too. His was taller, and it had tiny trees glued along its sides.
For a moment, Priya considered packing up and going home. Then she noticed something. Jonah's sign said only "Volcano." There was nothing about how real volcanoes work or why they erupt. Priya pulled out her notecards and added one more line to her speech: "My model is not just an eruption. It shows what happens underground first."
When the judges came, Priya pointed to each painted layer and explained how pressure builds up beneath the surface. One judge raised her eyebrows and wrote something down. Priya didn't win first place, but the judge's note on her ribbon read: "Best explanation of the day."