Students get hands-on science experience

The Lind and Ritzville sixth, seventh and eighth grade classes met at Ritzville Grade School on Dec. 9 to work on various science experiments.

The science experiments were geared toward helping the students with the scientific process. The students have to understand the scientific process for the upcoming science assessment the students are required to take.

The sixth grade science rotation consisted of two experiments, Better Boiling and the Heat is On. Both of these experiments dealt with water, and how heat can affect water with different salt and temperature levels.

The seventh and eighth grade groups focused on the same two experiments, Bubble Gum and Hold that Soil. Both of these experiments worked with density.

Teachers from both schools worked in the classrooms with the students. Each experiment had a time limit and the students rotated to a different experiment every 45 minutes.

The students wrote out the steps of the scientific process starting with asking a question, then doing background research, constructing a hypothesis, testing that hypothesis, analyzing the data, drawing a conclusion and communicating their results.

After the groups reached their original starting point, the students paired up and designed another experiment they would like the group to produce this spring.

The teachers in charge of each experiment asked students specific questions regarding those experiments. All of the questions will be similar to the questions the students will see on the upcoming science assessment.