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Helen Douglass Helen Douglass is her school's new full-time Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) teacher, focused on writing grants and building partnerships that allow students to hone their inquiry skills and receive career education and mentoring at the same time. Her students interact with scientists and educators as they act out an energy chain, build wind turbines, measure power and collect numeric data. They document each week's lesson via a digital camera and text to accompany the photographs. "I'm constantly building a culture of inquiry that is safe, rigorous and open to all students — where asking questions and investigating is the norm," say Douglass, an 18-year teaching veteran. "When students stay after class to pose other questions, explain more thinking or inquire about materials, I know I’m on the right track. I believe that by being excited about science and challenging myself in my professional development, I can pass this on to students in the newly created MESA lab." |
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Emily Haynes Science is the pursuit of discovery, whether it's finding a beautiful galaxy in the night sky, seeing the result of a chemical reaction, conquering a "misconception" in physics or being the first to see an image from the surface of Mars. So says Emily Haynes, a 16-year-veteran chemistry, physics and astronomy teacher. Noting that most of her students come from varied multicultural backgrounds, Haynes created an "Astronomy in Ancient Cultures" project in which students study how astronomy has played a role in their history and heritage. "For many students, the relevance of science to their own cultural history allows them to form a stronger connection to science, and to school, in general," Haynes says. "They are curious about their own heritage, enjoy the sense of history in this project and like finding scientific answers to questions that they formulate, themselves." |
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Susan Kidder Susan Kidder inspires her kindergarten through fifth grade students to think like scientists by immersing them in highly engaging, hands-on science adventures. Her students have become beekeepers, peering into real hives to learn about the lives of these amazing insects and their impact on our world. They've been to the local farmers' market where they share their excitement and knowledge with the general public. And last year, they built a walk-in butterfly habitat where they raise butterflies and moths, as well as the vegetation inside. When voracious caterpillars nearly decimated their flowering cabbage plants, the children discovered the importance of balance in nature. "Young children are innately curious about the natural world," says Kidder, who has taught for the past 15 years. "When they begin to perceive the world through the lens of scientific thinking, their appreciation blossoms." |
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Carol Seemueller A 23-year teaching veteran, Carol Seemueller likes to show her students how humans are connected from DNA and a common biochemistry to the interrelationships among all living things. Her students learn biotechnology skills — micropipetting, gel electrophoresis, restriction enzyme digests and bacterial transformation, to name a few — with Amgen-donated equipment and supplies. She then relates these activities to the forensic shows and crime scene analysis that captivate student interest. She weaves in plenty of fun, as well, often having students use signs, hats, tennis balls and other common objects as they transform themselves into Na and K ions to imitate a nerve message. This helps them grasp the concepts involved in nerve impulse transmission. "I find all students are curious about life and want to learn," Seemueller says. "By blending in some fun, they enjoy the topic and find it easier to understand. And by asking them to collect and interpret data as often as possible, they develop strong critical thinking skills." |
