Deyna Roebuck, M.S.

ES, NH Life Science Certification

Blast from the (Science) Class

We analyze Archimedes' theory with a bathtub, Newton's with an apple
dropping contest, then take on Curie, Crick and Copernicus. This is how my
students explain natural phenomena. On my countertops are experiments in
jars, bottles, and Tupperware with murky-colored liquids from students
testing the effects of artificial soil microbes. This is how my students use
problem-solving science. Around our school's courtyard, my students chose
to replace ornamental perennials with native wildflower grown by a local
nursery. This is how they are becoming citizen scientists. There is more to
science education than just theories, formulas, and conventional
experiments. Science is about being curious, asking questions, and finding
meaning and application in learning. Science is doing.
Science education should be a cross between a "please-touch", tinker, and
discover museum, and a forum for generating and exchanging new ideas.
My classroom is set up to promote the learning (and loving) of science by
engaging students in the natural world. There are fossils, funky plants, tanks
of invertebrates, a library, elaborate experiments, and ongoing projects
lining the room, but more importantly, there are opportunities for inquiry,
exploration and sharing science. I encourage my students to find meaning in
their work, and to develop skills as well as concepts. When a student wanted
to investigate hydroponics, a discarded industrial bin was hauled into my
classroom, and a few weeks later our first pea sprouts were emerging. If I
can make science relevant to my students' lives, I believe they will seek out
their own investigations long after they walk out of my classroom.
Learning science should begin with a systemic approach, touch every
discipline, and influence the way we perceive the environment around us. I
design curricula holistically, then, to ensure that every activity, experiment
and reading connects to some bigger picture, either ecologically, or
culturallyor both. I want to develop a community of young scientists who
can identify the issues that concern their neighborhood, region, or the world,
and who can advocate and be of service for that community. My intention is
not to burden students with the global problems, but rather to impress on
them that they can be stewards of their future in tangible, immediate ways.
It is our privilege and responsibility to use our knowledge and skills to give
back to others.
Complexity and interdependency are the themes of today's global
economy, and can find a home in science education. I teach innovation,
confidence and action to young scientists, so that they will be invested in,
and ready for, the world of tomorrow. Bring me your uninspired,

Deyna Roebuck, M.S. ES, NH Life Science Certification

unmotivated or unsure, and I will prove every student of mine can be valued
as an individual in my learning community, and given the space to grow as a
citizen of our world. Let's make science a verb again.