FOUNTAIN VALLEY : Students Excited by Wonders of Science

Jessie, the black Vietnamese pot-bellied pig, came to school wearing a gold-stud earring, her toenails painted hot pink. Squeals and all, she was a hit among students at Urbain H. Plavan Elementary School.

So was Elastic the tree frog, Iggy the iguana, Gus the chinchilla, Penny the hen, Taco Belle the parakeet and three rats named Raja, Jasmine and Curly Sue.

Those pets came to school Friday as part of Science Discovery Day.

During the event, students learned about the wonders of science, the animal kingdom and how to care properly for reptiles, mammals and amphibians.

Holding the bright green frog in the palm of his hand, fourth-grader Daniel Garcia told his classmates that Elastic needs water to live.

Daniel, 10, also said that his frog makes a good pet because he doesn’t smell, is clean and will live for a long time. Daniel said he wanted to show off Elastic and tell other students how to take care of the pet “so if they decide to get a frog, it won’t die.”

Students were also introduced to a hissing cockroach--the male hisses to scare predators and attract mates--and learned that insects have six jointed legs and use antennae to feel and smell.

“We want to get them interested and comfortable with science and get them curious about the world of science around them,” said teacher Pennie Sleeper, who organized the event. “Some people think science is something they can’t do, but it is something that can be fun.”

Other lessons in science included making bouncing “super balls” out of a chemical concoction, creating electricity and discovering microorganisms.

Peering into a microscope, fourth-grader Shaun Campbell, 10, examined strands of a classmate’s blond hair. “It’s weird,” he said, taking another look.

Charlie McGee, a microbiologist at Orange County Sanitation Districts in Fountain Valley, presented the “Teeny Tiny World” of microorganisms.

He showed students what spit, flower parts, water, blood and a spider look like when enlarged by a microscope.

“Our focus was looking at microorganisms and seeing that there is a whole world they can’t see with the naked eye,” McGee said.