Laura’s Big Idea: The inspiration for Laura’s project came from an unusual source: the large minke whale that recently washed up on a nearby beach. Laura planned to dig it up, move it to her school, reassemble it and design a unit to teach her students about animal biology, ecology and the Gulf of Maine. Laura’s students also created interpretive signs to teach the public about the whale, helping them to learn how to communicate science to a broad audience.
Interesting Facts: Laura teaches social studies and science at her school. She is the only 6th grade science teacher.
In her own words: "This year as I was teaching sound and light energy, I overheard our principal mentioning that she was looking into a solution for the noise levels in the cafeteria. I realized it would be a great way to make our study of sound more relevant and exciting, so we started researching sound levels in the cafeteria and trying to identify problem areas and times."