Students experiment with spooky science in this laboratory of learning

CHESTER, Va. — There’s a mad scientist behind a classroom door at Curtis Elementary School — and her students are mad scientists in training!

You can it a Halloween homeroom. Or a laboratory of learning.

There are black lights, wild decorations and glow-in-the dark décor everywhere.

Ms. Abigail Moody will tell you it’s that way for a good reason.

"The point of the room transformation is to kind of give some real-world application to them, while still doing some rigorous content,”said Moody. “But anything that I can bring, I mean, they're excited, you saw them in there. And when they first see it, they're like 'oh my gosh!' and they never know what to expect."

Fifth grader Gene Magbitang said the experiments get crazy. "We experienced pop rocks and how they explode. And we put them inside soda bottles."

"I shake it up," said Moody. “And I hand it to you. Are you going to open it?"

"No!," the students yell in unison.

"Why not?" she asked.

"Because it's going to explode!"

"A lot of the kids just need to be able to pay attention," said Moody. “When I'm jumping around, they're able to follow me a little bit more. So yeah, the freedom is awesome."

Dr. Frankenstein built a monster.

But in this lab, a mad scientist is Building Better Minds.