By Megan Perez, SCVTV

Fourth graders and kindergartners teamed up to conduct a “Forces and Motion” science experiment on Friday at Mint Canyon School in Canyon Country.

Forces and Motion is one of the Next Generation Science standards, a science curriculum framework that was approved by the California State board of Education in September 2013.

“The kindergartners are teaching the fourth graders about ramps and gravity and how gravity plays an impact on how fast or slow something goes,” Junior Engineering and Technology (J.E.T.) Program teacher Tess Toledo said.

The Sulphur Springs School District implemented the J.E.T. Program, which uses project based learning to educate students in kindergarten through second grade, at Mint Canyon Elementary last fall.

The morning wasn’t all fun and games. Teams constructed ramps using bright orange Hot Wheels tracks. Once complete, it was off to the races as toy cars were launched from the start line. The students job was to record the distance that each car traveled, then add friction to the course, in the form of aluminum foil, felt or wax paper.

“It’s too bumpy and all the fuzz get’s in the car and slows it down,” kindergartner Chloe said when asked what happened when a piece of felt was added to her track.

“They are having fun but it’s such a good way to integrate math and writing and build on the comprehension skills that we’ve already learned,” Toledo said.