Butler Junior High School teacher David Andrews shows students insects and other aquatic life found Wednesday in Thorn Creek in Penn Township. The class of seventh and eighth graders learns about trout, ecosystems and the environment in the trimester course.

PENN TWP — A group of Butler Junior High School seventh and eighth graders, equipped with boots, test tubes and netting, got down and dirty at Thorn Creek Wednesday morning in the name of science.

It's part of a trimester class where students learn about trout, including ecosystems and the environment.

Students tested the health of the stream by looking at aspects such as the temperature, pH levels and conductivity.

Teacher David Andrews assisted students each step of the way, showing how the water isn't acidic, and the temperature is just right, so it's healthy for fish.

“It's provided some real world examples of how the class is useful,” said eighth grader Ben Kalberer, 13. “It's been fun using the testing chemicals and kick netting.”

Ben is among 18 students in the trout enrichment studies program who went on the trip. Thirteen others, enrolled in the video production enrichment studies program, also participated and filmed during the field trip.

It's been fun for students to experience hands-on learning, too, through their personal interests.

“I always go up to my camp and go fishing. I thought I'd enjoy it,” said seventh grader Erica Leone, 13. “You learn so much.”

Students also learned about the vitality of the stream through a kick netting process, which is exactly what it sounds like.

Many of the students kicked up rocks and water downstream into a net to see what kind of wildlife they would yield. They captured several types of insects and three fish.

“The more bugs and wildlife, the healthier the stream is,” said Breit Cochran, a junior high social studies teacher, who was leading the video production class.

The trout class is also raising more than 20 trout in a class aquarium.

While the current students won't see all of the trout through to being full grown, because the class only lasts one trimester, the students enrolled in the spring trout class will release the fish in the creek.

The water testing aspect of the field trip is now in it's second year, thanks to a state Department of Environmental Protection environmental education grant. Classes have been doing other activities at the creek for several years.

Several enrichment program classes are offered to some junior high students, which in addition to trout and video production, include stage craft, computer and “history's mysteries” courses.