Before teaching at Joe Walker, Sour taught chemistry, biology and junior high science for seven years in her native Louisiana. Since middle schools across the state have always required health and science classes at various grade levels, and high schools usually offer a cadre of biology, chemistry and physics courses, Sour never thought much about there being a de-emphasis of science in schools, or that there is a shortage of science classes at lower grade levels. However, in the December 2000 issue of the California Teacher's Association's magazine, California Educator, the professionals decried reduced emphasis on science in the state's public schools. Yet, while there may be less emphasis in other school districts across the state, Sour believes her campus has never let science fall by the wayside. Students then fire their rockets to prove that their science and math calculations were correct.
Teams compete for medals and slots in county, state and nation finals.
Joe Walker this year finished one point shy of first in the countywide competition. There's a lot of math in science. There's a lot of reading and writing in science. Also, she said, science is one of the few disciplines where even children can relate what they have learned in a book with the outside world. The same December 2000 California Educator article that said there is less emphasis on science in California schools, also said while the state approved new teaching content standards in science at the high school level in 1998, there are no plans to implement similar science standards at lower grade levels.