KAYSVILLE -- Stuffed animals hurtled through the air Wednesday afternoon as Davis High School students put their science and engineering skills to the test.
In a full-size mock-up of the popular "Angry Birds" video game, student leaders in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math program showed their peers the joy that can come from science.
"We were looking for a way to get our cause out," said STEM student leader Daniel Page, 17. "We wanted to show some real-life experience."
He said he saw a similar project on YouTube and thought it would be a great way to get other students interested in science and engineering.
"The students came back from Christmas break with the idea," said STEM student leadership adviser Stacey Howell. "They spent weeks gathering paper boxes and other supplies."
In the school commons area, STEM student leadership built a tower out of paper boxes, cereal boxes and planks, then added balloon "pigs" as targets.
During the lunch hour, teams of three received a slingshot made of surgical tubing and thick material. They then picked up the stuffed animal they thought would be the best "Angry Bird" to knock down the tower and pop the "pigs."
"It's great if you can get something that people recognize and it includes physics and math," said Tayzia Andersen, 17, STEM student leader.
Students in the STEM program focus their education around science, technology, engineering and math. They are offered opportunities to take advanced courses in these subjects, as well as participate in leadership roles and extracurricular activities.
"It allows the students to streamline their interests toward careers," said Ryan Bishop, STEM program dean.
Approximately 550 of the 2,500 Davis High students are involved in STEM.
"STEM is a good head start for college," said Tayzia, who has taken physics, biology and physics with technology courses.
She has also participated in a special night out with chemistry and many experiments with science and robotics.
"I hope to join the Air Force and pilot F-22 Raptors," she said. "But I have to convince my mom first."
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