LAUREN WOOD / THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Downs uses a blow torch to set a piece of rayon fabric on fire as fifth grader CamRon Harris, 10, holds it during an experiment.

LAUREN WOOD / THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — Fifth grader Jelremy Hutchins, 10, center, and classmates Aaliyah Butler, 10, and Terrance Thomas, 11, right, watch intently as a piece of fabric is burned.The class was timing how quickly each fabric burned, and was using the data to see if it supported their hypotheses or not.