For Immediate Release • October 17, 2005
Terren Roloff, Director
Community Relations
Phone: 354-7338

NC students begin year of scientific study

Sixty sophomores from North Central High School will spend today and Tuesday at Pinecroft Natural Area Preserve in Spokane Valley collecting samples, taking measurements and surveying the land.

Working in groups of three, along with area scientists who will serve as mentors, the students will begin research for the 20 different research projects they’ll be conducting this year. They include examining the leading cause of tree death in the area – kind of a “CSI for trees,” uncovering the characteristics of the fault line that runs through the property, measuring air pollution on different habitats, and assessing the fuel load of the area to get an idea of what the intensity of a Pinecroft fire would be.

Science teacher Brent Osborn’s sophomores last year were the first students to conduct novel research at Pinecroft. They also published a science journal and presented their findings at a science conference, as will this year’s students.

“It really helped them understand the scientific process from beginning to end,” said Osborn, noting that students also gained such technical skills as extracting DNA from grasses.

In addition, the students became experts in what they researched, became adept at technical reading and writing and learned life-long lessons in working with others, since students are arranged in groups based on similar research interests.

Though Spokane Public Schools requires only two years of science to graduate, NC has made a push to have its students complete three years of science. Currently roughly 80 percent of NC juniors are enrolled in science courses.

The students will be at Pinecroft from 8:30 a.m.-1:50 p.m. today and Tuesday, with the bulk of their research happening today.