We spotlight Neila Willow, CRS Science Super Star honoree, who teaches at Franklin Elementary in Oakland. Neila is an avid science supporter, as as she can firsthand attest to the wondrous affects it has on her students. This past year, she tried to engage her students in science as much as possible, and connect it with all aspects of learning.
April 22, 2020
We are thrilled to name Neila Willow, 3rd Grade Teacher at Franklin Elementary in Oakland, as a 2020 Science Super Star!
| “The hands-on science lessons engaged one of my students who does not know much English and is very shy to speak or write. He connects with the lessons, as they can be described with models and math, and he has excellent reasoning skills. When he works with another student who speaks his language, I notice he really grasps concepts. Plus he is REALLY engaged!” |
Neila is an avid science supporter, as as she can firsthand attest to the wondrous affects it has on her students. This past year, she tried to engage her students in science as much as possible, and connect it with all aspects of learning.
One phenomena she and her class undertook was on the life cycle of a bean. After discussions on the structure of fruits and seeds, they decided on focus questions from What structure does a seedling have and how do they help it survive? to How do the difference structures of the bean plant help it survive?
They narrowed in on these questions as they were testable, since each structure has a role in the survival of a plant. The students collected evidence through their observations of the growth of the plant. Neila had her students sprout the seed and plant it hydroponically, so they would be able to observe the progress from all angles.
She incorporated math by having her students measure the plant growth and keep a graph of the leave count. Many of them were able to relate the experiment to the foods they cook at home, or some form of gardening they have been able to explore.
Neila emphasized this ability of connecting prior knowledge with new information learned during an investigation. She also incorporated different methods when teaching science, which is effective in engaging all types of learners.
While studying force and matter, she had her students engineer machines with wheels and axles on ramps. She overheard perceptive comments “It turns when there is a small wheel on one side.” and “I wonder what will happen if I put more wheels on.” and “I think it goes faster with the big wheels because they are heavier.”
She encouraged them to note their observations and sketches for class discussions. Many students would ‘add on’ information as evidence during their discussions from their own findings.
Finally, Neila even assigned her students a larger project that focused on animal habitats. In groups, they built a habitat dioramas, complete with the correct animals and plants that would live there. They all turned in informational essays about their habitat that they had to research through readings from their science book and the internet.
Neila’s ability to utilize different methods to teach her students has a profound effect in creating meaningful science lessons. She wants others to be able to do the same, and has one piece of advice for teachers interested in strengthening their science teaching practices:
| “Please go on science-focused field trips and access resources, such as BASIS lessons.” |