Natural Wonders

The printed anthology

My 5th graders researched native species and explored their connections with them in illustrated natural history essays inspired by Aimee Nezhukumatathil's sublime World of Wonders. All the student essays were anthologized in a beautifully bound book called Bay Area Wonders that's a real celebration of local biodiversity! Please check out my blog post to read more about the project and get a sampling of student work. If you would like to view an online version of the book, it's available here.

'Wonder'ful student work

Illustrated Climate Graphs

​For this project, my 5th grade students analyzed climate data and incorporated an actual graph line into an original watercolor. The technique was inspired by the work of science communicator/artist Jill Pelto. To accompany their sci-art, students researched and wrote an essay that described the specific impact of climate change they depicted. Enjoy some beautiful examples of student work below:

Nature of Water by Emma

Climate Refugees by Evelyn

A Bleached Future by Channing

(Virtually) Exploring the Intertidal

Exploring the rocky intertidal is a unique opportunity to observe an underwater world. Last spring, I taught an elective I developed called "Between the Tides." The remote course was an introduction to the dynamic ecosystem that can be observed “between the tides” here in the Bay Area. I presented in introduction to rocky intertidal natural history through multimedia lessons and creative projects. We collaboratively created a natural history guide called Bay Area Intertidal Life. During the course, students recorded their learning in an interactive Digital Notebook, which served as an individual portfolio and tidepooling reference. Students gained an appreciation for tidepooling and were empowered to plan all aspects of their own tidepooling excursion! 

Read this Nueva Notes article to learn more about the course and view some student work samples.

Incredible student work. (left) Tide pooling educational signage. (top right) A custom tie-dye shirt with original urchin art! (bottom right) Digital tide pool scene for the cover of our collaborative natural history guide.

On Expedition in the Galápagos Islands

With an endemic Galapagos Giant Tortoise

To my delight, I was offered a chance to join a National Geographic/Lindblad Expeditions Galápagos expedition in 2020 as a Grosvenor Teacher Fellow Alumna. It was a tremendous professional honor and an opportunity to explore a place that has long fascinated me. I observed blue-footed boobies, giant tortoises, marine iguanas and other iconic animals of the islands. On expedition, I gained firsthand knowledge of Galápagos wildlife and natural history as I followed in the footsteps of Charles Darwin. Read more about the voyage of discovery in this blog post.

MiddleWeb Article on Women in STEM 

Read some of my thoughts on a resource to help educators promote diversity in STEM fields and shift cultural perceptions of what science is and who can do it. The blog was inspired by Erin Twamley and Josh Sneiderman's latest book Everyday Superheroes: Women in STEM Careers. The book features 26 prominent women of color in STEM careers from A-Z (Astronomy to Zoology). Young readers will be amazed by the profiles of the superheroes and they will be challenged to develop their own STEM superpowers through embedded activities. Click here to read the blog, and click here to order a copy of Everyday Superheroes.

National Geographic Headquarters, Washington D.C.

Science Scope Article on Plankton

I have a featured article in Science Scope (January 2019, Oceans Issue) called "The Microscopic World of Plankton." Science Scope is the middle school journal of the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA). The article describes a series of activities for students to investigate plankton and better understand plankton's role in aquatic ecosystems. Students can engineer a plankton net out of household materials, observe plankton specimens with a microscope, and construct a visual model of an aquatic food web!
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Click here to read the article.
Click here for a Plankton Primer info sheet.
​Click here for the Plankton Activity Cards.