Welcome to the Science Page for Wellpinit High School (Wellpinit Science)

Welcome to the Science Page for Wellpinit High School

News

Chemistry Students Conduct Qualitative research on Traditional Foods of the Spokanes.

The Chemistry students recently completed a qualitative study of several traditional foods of the Spokane Tribe. The Spokane Language and Culture Office provided samples of dried white camas, brown camas, bitterroot, service berry, black moss, deer and moose. The students tested the foods for carbohydrates, sugar, protein and vitamin C. Their report can be found here.

Learn Science while helping the Tribe build a Pit House

Students in the 9th grade Physical Science class are learning about pit houses and science! The class visited a pit house site in the Burnt Valley with Randy Abrahamson right before Thanksgiving. Then the students created models of what they thought the house might have looked like.

The students learned about the physical and chemical properties of the materials used to build pithouses. They also learned about unbalanced forces by trying to build the strongest pithouse frame. The class added mass to the top of the pit house until it collapsed. Jeremy Campbell's design was the strongest, requiring 130 lbs of force to collapse. The students then created a poster display of the lab.

Following the pithouse demolition challenge, the students designed a model using paper mache. The domed pithouses were insulated with a variety of materials to demonstrate the properties of insulation in reducing the transfer of heat and cold. The students determined the best insulation based on which model had the least amount of melted ice after 30 minutes. They recorded the temperature inside the pit house every 3 minutes and measured the total amount of melt water after the time ellapsed. In the Spring, they will help the Culture and Language office build a full sized pit house on campus. In preparation for this, the students went outside to collect data on the proposed construction site.

The students made observations about sun exposure, tree density, and tree size. They noted the types of trees and which trees would be easiest to dig around due to root characteristics. Their next challenge will be to observe the changes in light throughout the seasons and determine the best location for the pithouse construction.

Life Science Students Visit Washington State University in Pullman

11 students from the Life Science classes at Wellpinit High School recently traveled to Pullman, Washington to visit Washington State University. During their visit, they met with staff from the Native American Center and learned about admissions requirements for the university. Then the students met with Dr. David Lin and learned about the research faculty are doing on hibernation and Grizzly Bears

. The students learned that Grizzlies lose about 50% of their body fat during hibernation but no muscle mass. Humans start losing muscle mass after 3 days of inactivity! Even more amazing, female Grizzlies can nurse 2 cubs during hibernation and still not need to eat or drink during the entire hibernation cycle. Several of the bears at WSU were reared by humans and have been trained so that researchers can conduct studies on the bears' heart rate with out using anesthesia. The students got to watch the scientists conduct an ultrasound on one of the bears.

After the visiting the bear research center, the students visited the Mechanical Engineering Lab and participated in an experiment. The investigation involved testing how much load a cantilever beam can hold.

Students Attend Olympic Park Institute in the Olympic National Park

Vinnie, Rosa, Marvin, Courtney, Tyler, (Michael and Ms. Bree not pictured) simulate the flow of water toward sea level.

Several students from Wellpinit High School spent a week of their Summer in the Olympic National Park at the Olympic Park Institute. While visiting the park, they learned about the Elwha River Watershed and planned dam removal. In addition they got to explore parts of the National Park on foot and in a canoe. The students met with Joe Peters, Biologist for the Squaxin Tribe and learned about salmon recovery efforts on South Puget Sound. The students conducted water quality tests on the Elwha, Crescent Lake and Barnes Creek. They also got to explore the mud flats at low tide on Budd Inlet.

Water Quality Testing

Temperature-temperature is important for salmon and other aquatic organisms. Oxygen doesn't dissolve as well in warmer water. As water temperatures rise, less oxygen is available for the animals in the lake or stream.
Dissolved oxygen-just like people, fish need oxygen. They get the oxygen by pumping water over gills. The gills remove the oxygen from the water.
Turbidity-turbidity is a measure of how clear the water is. Cloudiness in the water is usually caused by erosion and silt run off. The tiny particles suspended in the water get caught in fish gills and make it hard for them to breathe. Imagine trying to breathe in a smoky room.
Macroinvertebrates-A quick biological test for water quality is to survey the types of insect larvae and numbers present in the water. Certain species are indicators of water quality. Some plankton can also be used as an indicator.

Wellpinit Students Assist with Research into Potential Cures for Intestinal Parasites

Three students from Wellpinit, Jordan Muhs, Amanda Kieffer and Shawnita Ross, spent their summer living on Gonzaga University's campus and working in the Chemistry Lab with Dr. Jennifer Shepherd. They were also joined by their Science teacher Bree Reynolds. Dr. Shepherd is researching potential treatment options for intestinal infections caused by helminthes worms like hook worm. These worms cause millions of people and animals to become ill each year. Some of the traditional drugs are no longer effective due to the organisms becoming drug resistant. In addition, anti-parasitic drugs often cause harm to the patient's body.

This summer, the students and Ms. Bree assisted Dr. Sheperd in researching methods for inhibiting the production of a chemical called rhodoquinone in a bacteria called R. rubrum. Rhodoquinone is needed for R. rubrum to produce energy when no oxygen is present. Our intestines are practically oxygen free. When we have a parasitic infection, the parasites also make rhodoquinone.

Dr. Sheperd's hypothesis is that if rhodoquinone is removed, the organisms will die. If this is the case, new drugs could be made with chemicals that stop the production of rhodoquinone.

The students learned a lot this summer and got to see what going to college was like. They all plan on continuing with their science studies and are interested in science careers.

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