Topic Taught: Biology/Life Science Grade Taught: 8th School: Central Middle School (Public) Quincy, Massachusetts, USA Average number of Students per class: 24

Years Teaching: 28 years teaching

Winner of the National Association of Biology Teachers'
1998 Massachusetts State Biology Teacher of the Year Award

Education:

B.A. Biology, minor in Chemistry, Northeastern University

M.Ed. Harvard University

Units Taught:

Ecology, Genetics, Cells, Body Systems, and Botany

 

Most exciting units taught and why:

The culturing unit (Ecology Unit) because the kids like it ... It is hands-on, challenging, effective in teaching ecology. It is an opportunity for students to be self learners and it meets all levels of learning (from advanced to special needs).

Units featured in Web site: Photosynthesis, Culturing, Cells

Influences: The Maine islands ... I want to live simply there and I just want to be in wilderness. Most people may not classify it as wilderness, but to us it represents the world as we would like to know it. There are no telephones, you carry your own water. For years we slept in a tent. The biggest bldg on the island for years was an outhouse, we showered for years under a tree, we do the dishes with a gravity fed water system ... And what we see on the island are Oak trees that you can't close your hands around. There is wildlife there... you sit on the rocks and you see seals come out and sunbathe or a great blue heron will squak by or occasionally an eagle will fly over and the osprey are always fishing. we have seen deer and otters.

One Regret: I haven't worked folk music into my curriculum. I have played songs but I should do more!

Pictures of Practice Contents Introduction The Colonial Biography Unit (7th Grade History) A Year of Seventh Grade English A Year of Eighth Grade Science The Jazz Unit Snapshot Using the CCDT to Develop Generative Topics