Posted by Communications Staff on 11/30/2022 3:00:00 AM
Middle school students are learning about science at a high school through the exciting and innovative Institute of Science & Technology (IST) program at North Central High School.
This science-focused program provides 180 middle school students the opportunity to participate in advanced curriculum that gets them excited about science and prepares them for high school.
IST STEM Curriculum Director Daniel Shay says that research surveying 4th grade elementary school students shows about 75% of them view science as their favorite subject. But there’s a steady decline in science interest from 4th to 12th grade, with only about 30% of seniors listing science as their top choice.
The IST program features hands-on projects that partner with Spokane community needs to help foster an ongoing love for science in students.
“What differentiates us from other middle school programs is the depth and authenticity of the work that we do in the lab,” Shay said.
Student work addresses real issues like the health of the Spokane River and its ecosystem. Students who stay at North Central High School and choose to continue with the program have created award-winning research projects which are impactful to the community.
These projects, which are displayed in the halls of North Central, have a wide range of focuses from looking at coral reefs to the gut health - or microbiome - of dogs.
Middle school aged students at IST are also building game apps in their elective period and exploring the different organs and systems in the human body by dissecting rats.
As might be expected, eighth graders are enthusiastic about dissecting worms, crawfish and rats. There is much debate about which is the grossest to investigate, but either way, students are very excited to share photos of their work.
“Our goal is to make it exciting and accessible and have them ask questions and answer them,” Shay said. “Like, do those really gross things that are shocking and memorable, but also intriguing and fun, make you want to lean in and learn more?”
At each grade level there is a different science focus. Sixth grade students focus on the natural history of the earth, as well as space, in their earth science course. In one field trip, they’ll visit a local fossil dig site to start piecing together the deep history of the Inland Northwest.
Seventh grade students learn about microbiology and the structures and functions of microscopic cells. They’ll research the micro-organisms in a local pond and through an experiment that shows slime grows toward the food source it likes. By discovering which stimuli attract the slime, students learn about chemotaxis, or the moving of cells.
Finally, in 8th grade, students learn about human physiology. They start with anatomy, and then move to animal dissections and in-depth research of each system and its individual parts. These students also are working with Gonzaga University on creating prosthetics.
Not only are IST students learning and performing impressive STEM research, but they also learn crucial social skills.
IST Program Administrator and North Central Assistant Principal Heidi Hayes points out that the IST middle school program has only about 60 students per grade level, meaning classmates need to work out any disagreements amiably. Through the metaphor of the wolf pack (the North Central mascot), students learn important interpersonal and conflict management skills. They talk about being a small family where they cannot just abandon one another.
This close-knit community also allows students to grow especially close to their teachers.
“I love seeing their progression. I taught my first group of seventh graders and I’ve had them for six years,” Shay said. “You get to see this incredible growth in these students. You get them when they are 11 or 12 years old and say goodbye to them when they’re 18. Those are the most formative years in a person’s life, and you get to be part of that to see them grow and help them grow, and that’s a really special thing. I love everything about my job.”
Students are chosen for the IST program through a lottery system open to all families in our region. To learn more, visit the IST webpage or sign up for the IST email list.
