Science Teacher
Mrs. Jackson once worked at a nature center where she handled large birds of prey like owls, hawks, eagles, and falcons. Now, she loves interacting with children every day, whose joyful curiosity is always inspiring!
Impacting Students
After learning about the water cycle, watersheds, where water is distributed on our earth, and what a precious resource fresh water is, fourth graders dive into an engineering design challenge to construct their own water filters. There are budget, material, and time constraints on their filters, and after their first test, they are able to redesign and improve their filters for a second test. This unit is not only relevant to our lives here in Colorado, but it gives students a chance to work together and actually create something that has meaning.
Lifelong Learner
For my master's capstone project, I worked to integrate more Nature of Science (NOS) topics into my fourth grade curriculum (science is tentative, science is empirical, scientists make observations and inferences, scientists use creativity and imagination, scientists are subjective). After assessing my students' current understandings of NOS, I redesigned our unit on animal adaptations to incorporate appropriate NOS topics into the lessons.
Favorite Off-Campus Trip
Taking the second graders to the Botanic Gardens when we learn about pollinators.
Science Fact of the Day
Seahorses don't have stomachs, just intestines that absorb nutrients from food. Food passes through their digestive system rapidly, so they eat plankton and small crustaceans almost constantly.
Outside the Classroom I’m...
Outdoors - running, hiking, backpacking, skiing, birding, and canoeing.
Hometown
Appleton, WI
Joined Graland In...
2016
Also Known As...
Diversity and Equity Cohort Member, Outdoor Education Chaperone (Mesa Verde, Chief Mountain, Bike Hike)
Education
Master's in Curriculum and Instruction for Elementary Science, University of Colorado-Denver
Bachelor's in Biology, St. Olaf College
Impacting Students
After learning about the water cycle, watersheds, where water is distributed on our earth, and what a precious resource fresh water is, fourth graders dive into an engineering design challenge to construct their own water filters. There are budget, material, and time constraints on their filters, and after their first test, they are able to redesign and improve their filters for a second test. This unit is not only relevant to our lives here in Colorado, but it gives students a chance to work together and actually create something that has meaning.
Lifelong Learner
For my master's capstone project, I worked to integrate more Nature of Science (NOS) topics into my fourth grade curriculum (science is tentative, science is empirical, scientists make observations and inferences, scientists use creativity and imagination, scientists are subjective). After assessing my students' current understandings of NOS, I redesigned our unit on animal adaptations to incorporate appropriate NOS topics into the lessons.
Favorite Off-Campus Trip
Taking the second graders to the Botanic Gardens when we learn about pollinators.
Science Fact of the Day
Seahorses don't have stomachs, just intestines that absorb nutrients from food. Food passes through their digestive system rapidly, so they eat plankton and small crustaceans almost constantly.
Outside the Classroom I’m...
Outdoors - running, hiking, backpacking, skiing, birding, and canoeing.
Hometown
Appleton, WI
Joined Graland In...
2016
Also Known As...
Diversity and Equity Cohort Member, Outdoor Education Chaperone (Mesa Verde, Chief Mountain, Bike Hike)
Education
Master's in Curriculum and Instruction for Elementary Science, University of Colorado-Denver
Bachelor's in Biology, St. Olaf College
Graland Country Day School
Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.
