Most high school students are wary of sporting lab goggles for fear of being detained by the fashion police.

But classes taught by North Hall High School chemistry and biology teacher Rebecca Hartfield involve experiments so exciting, her students say they feel it's worth the crime in order to participate.

The classes' lab experiments spur Hartfield's Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate biology students and honors chemistry students to delve into what she calls "household science," and it's not surprising Hartfield's budding scientists named her the National Society of High School Scholars' Class Nobel Educator of Distinction.

Hartfield, who has been teaching at North Hall High School for five years, was nominated for the award by student Brittney Dial. She said Hartfield makes science interesting for students who are more liberal arts oriented.

"It's probably not my best (subject), but it's probably my favorite," Dial said of science class. "She's got an attitude that makes you want to learn. She can cut up in class, but then she can also be serious."

"I was really surprised," Hartfield said of the award. "I love my subject matter, and that comes across."

Dial said it's Hartfield's fun experiments that get students riled up.

"To me, when they can actually see it and manipulate it themselves ... that's what they need for it to stick," Hartfield said.

Under a ceiling that sports a student-painted periodic table of elements with a cartoon twist, Hartfield's students use household items to learn about the DNA and macromolecules that are the building base of all organisms.

Evann Rowland, one of Hartfield's students, said the hands-on experiments are the key to remembering difficult concepts.

"It's a lot of really hard material, but she breaks it down to where it's understandable," Rowland said. "And the projects we do help us to understand it more."

For example, on Thursday Hartfield's biology students used soap, salt, water and alcohol to extract DNA from strawberries and bananas. Students drained cells from the fruit, combined them with the liquid detergent solution and then poured alcohol on top of the cells. The alcohol pulled the DNA from the soapy solution.

"There's some serious DNA in this one," said 11th-grade biology student Austin Phillips as what Hartfield called "the snot of life" (or DNA) bubbled and spiraled upward from the strawberry cells through the clear layer of alcohol.

In another experiment Hartfield calls "McMush" but students call "gross," Hartfield brings in a happy meal from McDonald's and pulverizes it in a blender.

Students take samples from the mush to test the starch and sugar levels, proteins, carbohydrates, fats and nucleic acids to find the fast food meal's nutritional value.

"We didn't find a whole lot," Hartfield said.

Hartfield's biology students said in addition to her experiments, they enjoy using the class Web site where assignments, pictures and even podcasts from class are posted.

Hartfield said she's happy to share her love of science with students.

"I hope they're more into it when they leave than when they came in," she said.