Math & Science Graduate Fellows in K-12 Education

Fellow: Steve Hoaglund, M.S. graduate fellow in Geological Sciences
Teacher: Paul Davis, Morgan Park Middle School, 7th grade Life Science & 8th grade Earth Science

I graduated with a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire, with minors in both physics and geology.  After taking a summer field camp based out of Duluth, I fell in love with the local geology and came to school at UMD to get a Master’s studying isotope geochemistry.  I’m in my second year of graduate study and hope to defend my thesis in the spring.  Through this fellowship, I hope to improve my communication of scientific knowledge.  My experience has taught me (through the various conferences and talks that I’ve attended) that there are not enough effective communicators in the scientific community.  By using inquiry-based teaching methods, I hope to effectively convey my scientific expertise with the students at Morgan Park Middle School.  I believe that through this program, I can improve my abilities as a communicator and change some preconceived notions about scientists. 

During my brief time at Morgan Park Middle School, I’ve already been heavily involved in the learning process for the 7th and 8th grade students.  So far I’ve helped students with research for class science projects, led a discussion on the inner solar system, brought a meteorite for show and tell, and taught a lesson on black holes.  The meteorite day was really cool, as the students were able to determine the chemical composition of the meteorite by measuring its density.  With my background in chemistry and geology, I hope to work with Paul to add more substance to the geology curriculum.  I look forward to teaching students about geologic time, mineral and rock identification, and the rock cycle in the spring.  I also hope to be a role model in the classroom and hopefully inspire a few students to pursue science.

Teams in Action

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Curriculum