VIDALIA — Even though they have no immediate plans for world domination, groups of Concordia Parish students were transformed into mad scientists this week during summer science retreats.

The science retreats offer upper elementary, junior high and high school students the opportunity to participate in two-day camps filled with a variety of science experiments.

From making their own gooey slime to making tie-dye T-shirts, the high interest experiments help students get a more hands on feel of what they’ve been learning in the classroom, said Concordia Parish School Board Title I supervisor Rhonda Wilson.

“We want these experiments to reinforce what they’re already learning during the school year and help them see those things in action with the different experiments,” Wilson said. “All these experiments are very high interest for the students and not just regular book work, which is what a lot of them enjoy.”

But in order to keep the scientists focused on learning the principals behind the experiments, Wilson said the students take tests at the beginning and end of the camp.

“We want to be able to measure the student’s growth and see what information they retained and learned from the experiments,” Wilson said. “The experiments help promote that interest and get them involved with science, but we also want to make sure they’re learning from the experiments.”

Despite the immediate appeal of playing with slimy green goo, Vidalia Junior High School eighth-grader Keith Myles said understanding the chemical makeup of the slime was interesting.

“The slime is a polymer, so we put the slime liquid inside a cup, put a linker inside and mix it together to make sure it bonds,” Myles said. “And then it changes from a liquid to a more solid gooey form.

“The body heat from your hands makes it melt and stretch when you pick it up.”

Some students, however, preferred the physics behind a balloon helicopter instead of slimy goo.

“The exerting force from the wind makes the propeller spin, which makes it go up in the air,” said seventh-grader Thomas Mason. “Then when the force goes away, it falls to the ground.”

Seventh-grader Kelsi Cabazos said she enjoyed seeing all of the things she’s learned in science class be put to action with the experiments.

“When we cover a lesson plan in school, we’ll probably do one or two experiments to help us see it, but here all we’re doing is experiments,” Cabazos said. “It shows us a more inside look at what we’re doing in school and gives us a more hands on look.”