We spotlight Danielle Todaro, CRS Science Super Star Honoree, who teaches at Chabot Elementary in Oakland. Danielle recognizes that all students have different learning styles, and many thrive under less-conventional methods. Throughout her classroom’s exploration of states of matter, Danielle utilized different forms of teaching and learning to engage all of her students and help them excel.
April 10, 2020
We are thrilled to recognize Danielle Todaro, a 2nd Grade Teacher at Chabot Elementary, as a 2020 Science Super Star!
Danielle recognizes that all students have different learning styles, and many thrive under less-conventional methods. Throughout her classroom’s exploration of states of matter, Danielle utilized different forms of teaching and learning to engage all of her students and help them excel.
After covering the basic properties of different states of matter, Danielle had her class discover what would happen by leaving (solids) in various liquids and leave them for a period of time. Not only did she collect their graphs and written observational data, but through colored scientific drawings.
| For students who struggle in other areas, it seems like science is a hands-on way for them to be engaged every week. Most other subjects require writing to explain your thinking. Science is the one of the few subjects where drawing can explain thinking, which is what this student needed. |
While the initial experiment run-time was for a single night, the classroom chose to extend their observations over the course of a week. Danielle overheard many of them conversing about further discoveries and predictions they have made.
Danielle often advocates for class-wide discussions. Not only does it encourage active listening of others’ ideas, but it strengthens students’ abilities to clearly convey their own thoughts while building on the observations of classmates. She had them practice adding details to their statements, so their peers could understand their thinking.
Students were amazed by the experiment, and many began to question small tweaks that might cause an impact (such as using craisins over raisins, or using cooked rice rather than uncooked rice.)
From there, they began to make connections and meaning of the experiment into their daily lives. Danielle heard many remarks on how students noticed that if they take too long to finish their breakfast their cereal gets soggy, or how their granola changes texture in milk and yogurt. Her lesson had lasting impacts on her students ability to recognize the science behind their everyday life.
Danielle’s helpful tip for other teachers:
| Read the [CRS] emails. Or at least, don’t delete the emails, there is so much information there that is helpful. Between the field trip suggestions, along with the teacher field trips offered, I feel have gained so much more information about science and science instruction through CRS. |