It's not every day that students get to stick their hands in a pile of moist rocks, sand, soil and clay.

        At Covedale School, this experiment in getting “dirty and messy” is all in the name of science.

Covedale School students (from left) Kyle Hummer, 9; Michael Immegart, 10; and Brael Spurling, 9, work with a science kit to learn about the water cycle. (Dick Swaim photo) | ZOOM |

        Covedale and seven other Cincinnati Public Schools are piloting a science curriculum based on state and national standards. The program uses science kits to teach multiple, hands-on lessons in a variety of science concepts.

        The 29 students in Karen Cook's fourth-grade science class testified to the kit's worth.

        Adrienne Krueger said she was scared the kits would be too hard to understand. She's found that's not so.

        “Last year we had to do a lot of work sheets, and that was kind of fun, but not like this,” Adrienne said. “I think this is fun because we get to get messy and dirty.”

        Thursday's lesson was from a unit on land and water. Students were studying the water cycle.

        Brael Spurling explained:

        "We're mixing rocks and sand and soil to one side of the bin so we can put water to the other side to show the water cycle,” she said.

        At that point, she wasn't quite sure what, exactly, the water cycle was.

        And that's the idea behind the kits, Mrs. Cook said. Students must figure out what's going on, ask questions and find solutions to problems.

        The kits include all materials a teacher needs for lessons and labs for a class of 30.
       

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