Liz Smith

There are very few things someone needs in life: good friends, good books, a good sense of humor and, every once in a while, a good slap in the face.

Always being interested in science and math, Liz attended the University of Missouri-Rolla for engineering. While interning and researching in industry, she realized that teaching was what she really loved. After graduating Cum Laude from Rolla with a Bachelor's Degree in Biochemical Engineering, she started pursuing a teaching certificate from University of Missouri-St. Louis in secondary education for the unified sciences. Eventually, she will want to obtain a Master's Degree in Education.Her philosophy in education is that everyone should be given the opportunity to learn. Education should encompass all areas and not be taught separately. Most importantly, education should be student driven!

"I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center." ~Kurt Vonnegut

Miss SmithBiology 101WB-Final Lesson IdeaDec. 7, 2009

Biology eMagazine Lesson Plan/Overview

Rationale: It is important for students to realize the impact biology has on other fields. Looking at books normally found in literature or history classrooms will help students grasp this idea of interconnectedness.

Summary:Students will create an eMagazine to share with each other and other science or literature classes. The eMagazine will feature articles, including pictures, covering biology in literature. The types of articles will include a cover story, opinions, Q&A, etc. The biological aspect can be any the student has an interest in; for example, one student may write on the sandworm’s in Frank Herbert’s Dune while another may write on the impact of disease in Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle.

Objective:To help students draw connections between science, literature, and history.To gain a greater knowledge of biology.To learn how to write and publish a science magazine article using available software.

Length:This project will take one week. Regular lectures will continue when time allows.

Materials and Resources:We will be using Microsoft Publisher to create the eMagazine. The eMagazine will then be distributed through e-mail to the receiving classes. We will spend a class period in the library for research time. Reputable sources from the internet are also welcome; this means no Wikipedia.

Assessment:Each student will be assessed individually on their articles according to the provided rubric for a total of 50 points.

Calendar of Events

Monday Oct 19: First 5 minutes:Present project to class. Go over rubric and calendar. 20 minutes: Whole class quick brainstorming. We will pick a book most have read and then pick topics from that book. We will then narrow it down to one topic and give ideas on how to present it. 15 minutes: Students will have brainstorming sessions in their groups. 10 minutes: Preliminary ideas from students on topics. Last few minutes: questions and ending discussion.

Tuesday Oct 20: Solidify student topics. Give some in class time to work on articles and for questions. Class will decide on rough layout of eMagazine.

Wednesday Oct 21: Meet in library for research.

Thursday Oct 22: First draft due which will be reviewed and edited by fellow classmates during class time.

Friday Oct 23: Final draft due. Articles will be imported into Publisher by teacher.

Biology eMagazine

The class will be putting an eMagazine together covering various biological aspects in literature. We are employing an eMagazine format, through Microsoft Publisher, to promote reduction of paper use. The eMagazine will be distributed by e-mail to other science and literature classes in the school.

Your Mission:Each of you needs to pick a book and write an article regarding a biological feature in

that book. For example, in Frank Herbert’s Dune there are giant sandworms. An article could be written about how the sandworms adapt to living in the desert, including how they obtain or keep water and food. Everyone must pick something unique to write about! This does not necessarily mean everyone must pick a different book though. Let’s say two people wanted to write about Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle. One person can write about the many diseases spread throughout the population and what the impact of those diseases on society and history were. Another person may then write about the horrible conditions cows were subjected to and how it was detrimental to a cow’s health. There may be some overlap, but both articles would still be unique. Be creative while writing the articles. For example, you can go into extreme detail about what the sandworm looks like. You can take a little creative liberty and write from the perspective of a character in The Jungle, describing how they feel, maybe even expanding a significant moment. You can even rewrite part of the novel in present-day terms or shorten it down. Be Creative!!

Important Dates

Tuesday Oct. 20: Have your idea solidified. You should have a back-up idea in case someone else picks yours.

Wednesday Oct. 21: Meet in the library. We will be doing research at this time. You need one reputable citation in your article. No Wikipedia! If you don’t know if it’s reputable, please ask myself or the library attendant.

Thursday Oct. 22: Bring a rough draft to class. We will be exchanging article for peer reviewing and editing.

Friday Oct. 23: Final draft due. Please e-mail them to me before class. I will import them into publisher for the final eMagazine. We will also discuss articles during class.

Grading: Each student will be graded individually on their article. Each article should include at least one relevant citation and picture. Please see rubric for more details.

Rubric

Single Cell0 points

Specialized Tissue5 points

Entire System10 points

Comments

Grammar Many grammatical mistakes

Some grammatical mistakes

Few to no grammatical mistakes

Double-check homonyms and apostrophes

Readability Language was garbled and messy

Only some sentences were hard to read

Entire article flowed easily and naturally

Big words aren’t always better

Content No original thoughts. Used “copy-paste” from original source.Did not follow objective

Some original thoughts included. Objective mostly followed

Entire article filled with student’s thoughts and followed objective

This does not mean no citations! Use the citations to back up points.

Citations and pictures

No pictures or citations used

Citation and pictures used, but irrelevant to article

Citation and pictures directly related to the article

Accuracy Many false or made-up data/facts

Some facts/data made-up

Correct facts/data Don’t make stuff up! Conjectures are acceptable though.

/50

“Facts are not science-as the dictionary is not literature.” Martin H. Fischer

Getting Started…If you need help getting started, try using a brainstorming technique like the one below. In my example, I decided I wanted to write on mutations, but didn’t know which books had them. I jotted down a few so I could decide between them. You can do something similar, but change it up. Instead your central bubble can be the book and your radial bubbles the science parts of the book. Or you can pick a science topic in the book and connect it to everybody it affects or how it works.

Mutations

Dr. Jekyll and Mr.

Hyde

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of

NIHM

The Tempest

I am Legend

LONIPThe PagemasterElizabeth SmithFinal draftOct 8, 2009

The Pagemaster

“You can't get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me.” C. S. Lewis

The sunlight shines through the tree’s canopy, dappling my rough indigo blue blanket with

bright patches and creating warm spots on my back. A fragrant breeze trips across the field, carrying the

heady wildflower scent with it. Petite white butterflies playfully dart around dull brown leaves and

bright yellow buttercups.

“Jeez, are you always here?” my best friend asks as he kicks my sprawling feet. “Nerd.”

“Shhh,” I reply. “You’re annoying.”

He rolls his eyes, sits down next to me and pulls out a sketchpad. I look down at my book’s tiny

print, a book I’ve read a dozen times before, as I listen to the lake fountain’s nearby cascade mingled

with the low honks of geese and higher-pitched quacks of ducks. I love it out here, this park in the

middle of suburban activity, a little patch of wilderness. Sometimes I come here just to walk around,

taking in the sights and sounds of nature; usually, I come here to read. It is one of my absolute favorite

places to have a book’s heroes, history, or hopefulness capture my attention.

The dark, murky Irish pub in downtown St. Louis is a stark contrast to the lovely, bright outdoor

meadow. Filled with worn oak benches and tables, the tavern’s quaint quality instantly warms my heart.

Its dark lighting and generally noisy guests would deter most people’s attempts to read something

simple, like the Post Dispatch; however, the dim illumination lends an intimate, personal feel to the

ambience, cloaking lonely patrons in its welcoming embrace. I order a pint of Guinness and sit in a

corner booth, putting my feet up on the smooth seat and leaning my back against the rough wall. My

glass’s condensation slowly rolls down, gathering into tiny droplets and pooling in a ring around the base

as the scent of cheap cigars and good whiskey fills my lungs. I can read for hours at a time, taking

frequent breaks to rest my weary eyes, strained from the dark lighting. I keep quiet, lost in the seclusion

of reading; my only fleeting words-“Another pint, please!”-yelled towards the bartender.

The Delmar Loop, bustling with people and lined with unique stores and harmonious musicians,

fills me with creative wonder. Sometimes I sit outside Starbucks with a newly purchased hardback from

Underground Books and enjoy my recent acquisition. The cold metal of the wrought-iron chair seeps

through my clothes and bites into my legs. From here, I can listen to the nearby saxophone player’s

melodies or I can smell the delicious Starbuck’s aroma of coffee, chocolate, and caramel. While I read I

people-watch, smiling at little kids dodging parents, trying not to chuckle at teenagers’ antics, and

watching corporate businessmen scurry by, secretly glad I don’t wear a suffocating, itchy suit. Life’s

richness surrounds and infuses every pore, every molecule, invigorating the air. I normally leave before

nightfall, before the mosquitoes come out to bite and the drunks come out to play.

A cherished memory from my youth –happy adolescent memories are rare since most involve

gawky embarrassment-bounces inside my head while I browse bookstores. When I was younger my little

sister would constantly torment me, pinching my arms or kicking my shins. I would grab a book and

escape outside, climbing up into a large maple tree in the backyard, scampering up the trunk and pulling

myself into a branch’s fork. There, I would curl up to read, secure in the knowledge that my sister’s

acrophobia prevented her following. I treasured that tree and the sense of isolation it brought. Its shady

leaves would keep the sun from my face and its rough bark would rub against my skin, prickling me in a

pleasant, familiar way. There was a constant, soft breeze wafting through its branches, cooling me but

not making me chilled; the breeze would rattle the helicopter seeds creating a welcoming, peaceful

sound. Tiny ants and miniscule opaque spiders explored my dangling legs, tickling the sensitive points

behind my knees. From my perch I could see my friends’ houses and backyards, knowing when they

were coming out to play. I was completely alone, enjoying a fresh novel that had caught my whim;

generally, it was a classic or the newest science fiction thriller. Most days I would come in smelling like

bark and green things, twig fragments caught in my shoes or hair. It was the one place I could truly call

my own in a crowded house.

I think that every person who loves to read has a favorite chair. My favorite chair- comfy,

homey, safe-sits inside my apartment. It’s a sphere chair, looking like an upside-down turtle shell; it’s

perfect to curl up in, reclining even, to either waft a book’s newly-bound paper smell towards my nose

or let a magazine’s smooth, slippery page slide along my fingertips. The smooth, fuzzy navy blue

covering feels inviting and cozy, adding a splash of rich color to the apartment’s neutral palate. I don’t

have a fireplace or overlooking garden; however, I cherish my chair exactly where it is. I can always

count on it to put me at ease, ideally situated in the room’s corner, allowing me to watch TV, listen to

music, or overlook the small apartment courtyard while resting. It is perfect for me, and I wouldn’t trade

it for the world’s most expensive, exquisite Italian leather chair.

I love to read, whether it’s in the outdoor’s beauty and wonder, my apartment’s quiet solitude,

or people’s surrounding hum of energy. I’m sure some of these places seem silly or mundane; most

people could care less about my favorite park or my particular chair. But they are each special to me,

carrying fond memories of books read, battles lost or won, daring escapes, witty dialogue, epiphanies, or

falls. I’ve had adventures and insights at these places, and sincerely wish that everyone has at least one

place they can escape with a good book.

“To sit alone in the lamplight with a book spread out before you, and hold intimate

converse with men of unseen generations - such is a pleasure beyond compare.” 

~Kenko Yoshida