Google Science Fair offers students alternative
By Ben Cowlishaw Online Copy Editor Through this morning and afternoon, the small gym was filled with science fair projects and their student creators. Participation in a Science Fair is a requirement in many science courses at the high school, and can also potentially be a Distinguished Achievement Program measure. The high school science fair came just a couple weeks after finals week and the holiday break, so many students find the almost exclusively out-of-class project to be especially demanding of their time. That is why some teachers have allowed their students to elect to participate in the Google science fair as a replacement. Instead of producing a physical tri-board and notebook, participants in the…
Star party proves as a hit among students
By Dyer Whitt Staff Writer Yesterday, the Coppell High School ESS class celebrated their love for astronomy with a party and gathering behind the softball fields. ESS, which stands for Earth, Space, & Science, is a fourth year science class developed by Ms. Binder that focuses on current events and controversies relating to the planet in which we live. Students scoped out stars and planets with two telescopes brought by chemistry teacher, Mr. Brimage. The telescopes allowed participants to get a real life view of the universe that they have been studying since the beginning of the year. The weather was chilly and most students sported heavily layered clothing or massive blankets to combat the…
APES students launch sustainability initiatives
By Mary Whitfill Features Editor AP Environmental Science (APES) classes are becoming ‘agents of change’ as they participate in the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge. The challenge is a project-based sustainability competition for high school students encouraging the creation of solutions to community environmental problems. Teams participating in the challenge must select an environmental topic relating to energy, biodiversity, land management, water conservation and cleanup, or climate. Groups consist of two to four students and the challenge is open until March 15. “We are working on getting a recycling incentive passed in the city of Coppell to address the major littering problem present in our parks,” APES senior Avery Sauders said. “We hope…
Safety showers in classrooms on hiatus
by Jordan Thompson staff writer Coppell students have been familiar with science safety procedures since middle school. Biology, physics, and chemistry teachers each kick of the year with a review of the rules every year even when the students are at the peak of adulthood. It was always amusing to learn about how the fire blankets worked, or discovering the purpose of the knobs by the sink labeled ‘gas.’ Perhaps the most inviting tool was the safety shower. To this day it is still rarely used. But does its minimal use mean there is no possibility of a chemical accident during a lab? The answer is interminably ‘no.’ the possibility remains. So why do many…
Benefits of space exploration worth the cost, Hair says
By Thomas Hair Staff Writer School is back in session, and as usual, the first day included much discussion of everybody’s summer vacation adventures. All students know the drill. The teacher awkwardly introduces themself to the new class and asks each student to talk about what they did over the break. This year, you probably listened with fading interest as classmates mentioned their stay at a tropical island, or a month long Science Camp. But in the not-so-distant future, students might just come to class on the first day of school bragging about their trip to the Moon or even to Mars. While the notion of space tourism may seem light years away, its roots…
Sustainability Expo today
Coleman Armes Staff Writer Today the annual Sustainability Expo is taking place at Coppell High School. Students will attend three classes that they have choosen after TAKS each focusing on going green, helping the environment and ways people plan to help the environment in the future. Although many students enjoy this it has faced some opposition from teachers and students for being rather pointless. Coppell High School has taken note of this though and has worked to improve this the past few months. Expect the Expo to be much improved with fun and knowledge on helping the Earth. If you are interested going green click here to find out more.
Irving students have a “blast” at Science Night
Addy Buigas-Lopez Staff Writer Ready, Set, Teach! and Public Service Academy students perform “chemical poppers” at Irving Lee Elementary’s Science Night. Photo courtesy of Brenda Brinkman. Think back to when you were in elementary school. Do you remember those special days when a guest would come in to show you something that seemed far more interesting than what your teacher had to say? Do you remember taking the things you made and learned home to impress your parents with? Do you remember those lab days when science class had experiments that could easily make Bill Nye jealous? Not many classes get the same academic experiences as students in Coppell. However, thanks to Ready, Set, Teach!…
Biology students crack open secrets to hands on teaching
Ashley Attanucci Web Manager Chirp, chirp. These friendly hollers are heard when students enter Sunny Richardson’s regular biology class. Pushed neatly against the wall of the classroom is a cage full of chicks, colored black, brown and crème, to be studied as a part of Richardson’s genetics unit. Students were to compare the color of the eggs of the chicks to the color of their feathers once hatched to determine the genotypes of the 18 chicks. Bringing these live animals into the class is a philosophy Richardson believes is a necessity to teach biology. “My belief is that a biology class should have live, living organisms in it,” Richardson said. “So when I was visiting…
Winners of CHS science fair announced after delay
Thomas Hair Staff Writer After months of preparation, hundreds of Coppell High School students gathered at the library and lecture hall on Monday January 31 for the annual school science fair. The library was closed for the whole day because it was literally filled with hundreds of projects. A group of volunteer judges spent the day grading poster after poster, experiment after experiment. Results of the science fair were originally scheduled to be posted on the library door the following day. However, these plans were dashed by the sudden winter storm that kept students out of school for the rest of the week. One week later, it is Monday, February 7 and students are still being barred…
Nutrition and Food Science class gets some changes
By Wren Culp Staff Writer When the economic crisis hit America, people knew it wouldn’t be long before classrooms would be feeling the heat too. Everyone knew that at some point it would hit Coppell High School as well. That time has come. Nutrition and Food Science is a class where students get to learn about cooking, preparation of cooking, and even get science credits for it. But now, the popular cooking class will be taking a slightly different approach on “nutrition”. “The new class is going to be called Lifetime Nutrition and Wellness,” said Nutrition and Food Science teacher Ms. Richards. “There will be no more food preparation.” The class will focus more and the well-being of…