Class Popular With Science Magazine

A Green Country elementary school class is quickly becoming a popular feature in a national science magazine.  No class of any age has ever been showcased in Popular Science, until now.  News On 6 reporter Ashli Sims went to Jay to find out how the fifth graders snagged a spot in the magazine, not once but twice.

It is a monthly ritual in Jennifer Daftari's fifth grade class to go through Popular Science magazine.

Popular Science introduces them to new gadgets and gizmos.  And they go online, where the lesson continues.

So when the magazine's editor asked readers what they could do to get kids excited about science.

"I sent him back a picture of my kids holding nine years worth of Popular Science, showing him that he indeed was exciting them about science," said Daftari.

Next thing they know, the class is gracing the pages of their favorite magazine.

"I was about to have a heart attack or something," said 11-year-old Nathan Ramaker.

"I think it's really awesome that we're in Popular Science, it really means a lot to us," said 11-year-old Kelli Summerfield.

"I'm surprised that he even took time to notice us. Especially from us being from Jay, this little town. We don't really get noticed that much," said 11-year-old Madison Wilson.

Now Daftari's fifth grade class is going from national newsstands to the World Wide Web. And it's not just their faces, but their ideas that are capturing attention.

In exchange for printing the picture, the editor issued the fifth-graders a challenge: How will you save the world?

And he got back the kind of innovations only a kid's mind could dream up.

"So I thought if you had a car or truck that was made of polymer so that it would be flexible and bounce off things it would reduce injuries and deaths for citizens around the world," said Wilson.

"I want to cure all of the people with diabetes. The reason for that is because my mom has diabetes," said 11-year-old McKenna Mooney.  

"I decided to come up with an automatic car cover. Whenever you want the sun to not be on your car all you have to do is push a little green button," said Summerfield.

Daftari's class makes its second appearance in Popular Science this month and all of their essays are on the website.

"It just shows us that anything is possible. I just want all kids to know everywhere that anything is possible. We're a small little town, but they made it big," said Daftari.

And Popular Science has now made some big fans, even bigger.

Dozens of folks have responded to the Jay students and their ideas to save the world.

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