CREATIVE THINKING

Thompson Falls sixth graders have been building mousetrap vehicles, helicopters and a Rube Goldberg machine. If any of these sounds familiar, you have probably already guessed they are preparing for a challenge that typically occurs in the fall, in person. This year, which has been anything but typical, the annual Science Olympiad competition is taking place the first week of April via Zoom.

According to Rebecka Sawyer, science teacher and Science Olympiad leader, students' projects will be judged more on design than measured performance because of the lack of in-person demonstrations and the inability to keep variables constant. Throughout the day on April 7, her six participants will compete from school.

"It's rubber band powered," Chase Helvey said of the helicopter he was building with teammate Teagan Dorscher. "There are hooks and the rubber band connects to both of them," clarified Dorscher. "Then, you twist the rubber band and let it go!" Dorscher emphasized by demonstrating with an extension of his hands. The two scientists have taken on the Science Olympiad challenges of Helicopters and Crime Busters.

Other classmates participating are partners Claire Lakko and Wyatt Brotherton who are tackling the Mousetrap Vehicle and Heredity projects. As of Thursday afternoon, the two were in deep discussion about how they were going to attach the dowels, which hold the wheels, to the vehicle.

"One action must hit another thing to start another action," said Aubrey Baxter, as her teammate Addy Deal was elbow deep in their Rube Goldberg box trying to figure out how they were going to create a chain reaction maze. The couple are participating in Mission Possible and Fossils.

These students have been working for about a month after school hours to increase their knowledge and capability levels in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. They are the only Sanders County students participating in this year's Science Olympiad.