'Science rocks!'

COEUR d'ALENE - Nothing quite like dissecting the eye of a cow to encourage interest in science.

"It was gross," said third-grader Cody Tippetts. "Sometimes if you poke it, it can shoot out and go half way across the room."

Another third-grader, Caleb Emory, was equally enamored with science - particularly one aspect of it.

"I've learned that fingerprinting is fun and dirty," he said, grinning.

The two students from Ramsey Magnet School of Science were among about 125 who visited Lakes Magnet Middle School on Thursday for "Science Rocks."

With older students acting as mentors and guides, Ramsey students attended three, 25-minute presentations on science classes at Lakes.

Anatomy, horticulture, astronomy, wildlife, forensics and forestry were among their choices of subjects.

Anna Wilson, Ramsey principal, said about a third of her students attend the magnet school because they're interested in science.

"A lot of the families ask, 'What's next? My kids are so hooked, what's next for us?' We wanted the kids to see there is a next step if they want to continue to the next level and continue with their science focus," Wilson said.

Each class was hands on, with students tackling activities like planting grass and sunflower seeds, building a shock-absorbing system to protect astronauts and dissecting a chicken wing, beef eye or a worm.

"We love science here at Lakes," said Annette Brennan, Lakes seventh-grade life science teacher. "We decided we would like to share that with Ramsey because Ramsey loves science as well."

Brennan said it is becoming more challenging to interest students in science, which according to Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, is defined as "knowledge attained through study or practice."

"I think science in the United States is starting to sort of slip backward and enthusiasm for science is not there any more," Brennan said.

But Thursday, science sang. Students were excited about learning through experiments, trial and error, and just cutting into a cow's eye.

"First, we've gotten off the fat," said sixth-grader, Torin Smedley, as he deftly handled a scalpel and forceps. "Now we're trying to get inside."

Liam Romasko, Lakes eighth-grader, helped third-graders in forensic science as they learned how to dust for fingerprints and match them by looking through magnifying glasses.

It was easy to keep their attention.

"I just talk to them and show them how fun it is," he said.

Brennan, a 27-year science teacher, likes to see students engaged in the classroom - especially when it comes to science.

"Literally, everything in the world deals with science," she said.

Lakes has about 200 students in nine science classes daily.

"I love it when the light bulb goes on and they're making connections and go, 'That's how it works, that's why it does that.' I love that excitement that I see."

Like that expressed by young Caleb Emory.

He wants to follow in the footsteps of his father, Mike Emory, a science teacher at Woodland Middle School.

As for students who just aren't into science, well, here's what Caleb says:

"They're crazy."