Throughout the year, we ask each of the teachers hosting Letters to a Pre-Scientist in their classroom to share a bit about their science classroom. Mrs. Wojnar is bringing LPS to her students for the 3rd year, so she has a unique perspective on how the program has impacted how she brings science to her students!
My name is Julie Wojnar and I teach 5th grade science and social social studies in Chardon Hills Magnet School in Euclid, Ohio. This is my 3rd year participating in the Letters to a Pre-scientist program and LPS has been an amazing experience for my students. Each year I have participated in LPS has motivated me to develop more opportunities to increase connections to my student’s learning in the classroom to real world science experiences and science career awareness. Along with participation in LPS, I have sought to create meaningful field trips for my students, bring in guest speakers, find and bring in outreach programs. When student learning can reach beyond the walls of a classroom and connect to the world outside of those four walls, students are more engaged in their learning, and the learning becomes more meaningful.
This school year when students were learning about ecosystems, we went to Lake Erie to study the Lake Erie ecosystem and the abiotic and biotic factors in it. To introduce my students to the engineering design process, When students were learning about food webs, we visited a local metro park learn about the organisms in food webs in local habitats. This fall, I also took my students to Cleveland State University where they participated in an Engineer for a Day program, where students toured the campus and participated in various STEM activities facilitated by CSU engineering students. I scheduled COSI on wheels to come to our school, which facilitates and provides mobile learning stations from the hands on science museum in Columbus, COSI. I have also had several parents come in to speak about their careers this year in our classroom, including a nurse, a small business owner, and our school superintendent. Letters to a Pre-scientist has helped me engage and connect my students to their learning.
