Through creative uses of filled pop bottles along with Mentos candies, Maple Leaf fourth grade students kicked off the school year with a clever, hands-on and creative learning experiment to demonstrate the realities of chemical reactions. Performed with the guidance of Mr. Zappola, students who were part of his science classes took advantage of the seasonal weather, and performed a series of experiments in Maple Leaf’s Court Yard. The idea of adding Mentos to a pop bottle emphasizes carbon dioxide bubbles forming because of the miniature but irregular surface of the candy piece, and causes those bubbles to shoot out of the bottle opening in a big woosh! Great job, Mr. Zappola, in helping to make this fourth grade science experience fun, engaging with the courtyard resources available at Maple Leaf, and memorable!