Teaching with spark

Science lessons take on more punch at Gonzales with fifth grade teacher Rebecca Owens' Power Lessons.

Each week, she takes all the school's students through a concept in the cafeteria prior to the start of school. This week the focus was on safety, something she has taught before. She said she repeats information multiple times so students remember key concepts for TAKS and science in general. However, she illustrated her point by lighting fire on stage, even bringing a so-called "victim" on stage to get dangerously close to flames.

"It's a way for us to teach every student in the school something about science, get them ready for the day and get here. This room is packed when we do the lessons," Owens said.

She brought a student on stage to demonstrate the mechanics of fire and how to be safe at school. She showed students a fire blanket and extinguisher.

"We are putting on safety goggles since fire is dangerous," she told students.

Her volunteer, sixth-grader Josh O'Dell, held a piece of paper in his hand as Owens piled on cornstarch. She then tried to light it on fire, but only a slight flame immediately extinguished.

"The cornstarch doesn't have oxygen, so we don't have fuel," Owens said. O'Dell said he was a bit worried about what might happen to him during the demonstration.

"It was kind of scary. I was afraid I would burst into flames," he said. He said he learned a lot about fire and how Owens kept him safe.

After the first attempt, Owens moved on to trying to make fire by blowing cornstarch toward a torch O'Dell held up in the air. With oxygen introduced, a fireball shot out at the audience.

Stormi Deanda said the demonstration kept her awake.

"Very exciting and cool. I've never seen that before," she said.

Fifth-grader Tristan Fowler said he liked the show.

"It gets me excited about science," he said.

Owens said she introduces concepts throughout the year and reviews things students need to know for TAKS. She tries to tie it in to whatever lesson the kids are studying that week. The focus on different science topics like physical science or life science prepares the students for junior high and beyond.

She said Power Lessons have some relationship to the Power Words concept in some ECISD schools. Students study a key term for the TAKS exam each week.

"We have word walls for vocabulary terms in math, science and reading," Owens said.

She said she started the lessons about two years ago. Ross Elementary also used the concept to prepare students for TAKS. Owens said kids tell her they like the whole-school lessons, even though not every lesson has a powerful demonstration.

"Even the little ones tell me that it's great," she said.

FIRE INGREDIENTS

What Owens said is needed for fire:

>> Heat.

>> Fuel.

>> Oxygen.