Picture WalkAngela Dietz

City CrittersOakland University Detroit Zoo CrewJanuary – March 2010

What is City Critters?Introduces children to animals that share

their neighborhoods (wild and domestic)Helps children develop an awareness and

appreciation for the animals they find in their backyard

Rutherford ElementaryFifth Grade

Here I am introducing the students to domestic animals. In this class, we discussed how cats and dogs have different needs than the wild animals they find living in their neighborhoods like squirrels and raccoons.I selected this photo because this was one my first City Critter’s presentations. The students were very engaged and responsive. They had a lot of prior knowledge about many of the wild and domestic animals and I enjoyed furthering their awareness.This picture shows that I am comfortable in front of a group of students. I confidently walked around the room to show the students the puppets.

Miller ElementaryFirst Grade

This was a special day for City Critters: Dr. Seuss’ Birthday. Here I am reading I Can Read with My Eyes Shut by Dr. Seuss. City Critters was promoting March as reading month by reading to the students, leaving them with a Dr. Seuss stuffed animal and also with a book for their grade level.I chose this photo because I feel it is essential to encourage reading and crucial for young students to experience read alouds. I love this photo because I am having fun and the students really liked the book.This photo indicates that I am able to gain the attention of a whole class and present a read aloud in an engaging way. The students were attentive and responsive to me and the story. I had a wonderful time reading to the students.

Emerson ElementaryFirst-Fifth Autistic/Impaired

In this photo, I am showing the opossum puppet used in the City Critters program. This is an example of one of the puppets used to inform the students about the wild and domestic animals sharing their neighborhoods.I picked this photo because I loved working with the students in this classroom. It was the first time I worked with an entire group of impaired students and it was a challenge. The students were wonderful and I learned so much.This photo illustrates the satisfaction I had working with City Critters. Each classroom I ventured into was a different and enjoyable experience that I learned from.

Parker ElementaryFirst Grade

I am teaching this first grade class about the raccoon; where he lives, what he eats, and how he protects himself from his predators. I selected this photo because it shows how I interacted with the students as a whole group. In this case, the students were seated as a whole group at the carpet area but I also worked with students at their desks, too.This photo demonstrates that I have the ability to manage students in whole group. The students were actively engaged in the lesson and were able to ask questions and share their experiences with neighborhood animals.

Paul Robeson AcademyFifth Grade

In this photo I am informing students about the bat. I shared information like where he lives, what he eats, common misconceptions, his use of echolocation, and why he makes such a great neighbor.I like this photo because the bat is my favorite animal to share with the students. They have fantastic experiences to share with me and I enjoy making them aware of the misconceptions of bats.This photo illustrates that I am passionate and excited about what I am teaching. It is also showing that I am focused and engaged with the students I am speaking with. It is important to talk with the students and include them, not lecture at them.

Educational Zoo TourArctic Circle Exhibit

This is a picture of Rose and me at the Detroit Zoo for our educational zoo tour. We learned about the exhibits and how to take a class on a zoo tour from our Docent. We also took turns presenting information about animals in the different exhibits.I chose this picture because I had a lot of fun on the zoo tour and learned a lot of new content about the exhibits and animals. This picture shows that as a future educator, I will be prepared to take my students outside of the classroom. Students need to make real world connections to the material they are learning in class and the zoo is a place where students can learn and have fun!

MSTA ConferenceLansing MichiganMarch 5, 2010

What is the MSTA Conference?MSTA = Michigan Science Teachers

AssociationA professional development experience for

pre-service and practicing teachersAn opportunity to network with practicing

teachers and colleagues

Elementary Science Inquiry ExtravaganzaCloud Formation – Seventh Grade

Here, Rachel and I are presenting our Cloud Formation inquiry lesson at the MSTA Conference on Friday evening. Practicing teachers were able to walk through and converse with us about our lesson. We also demonstrated our lesson for the teachers.I picked this photo because it displays all of the effort Rachel and I put into our lesson. Once we finally arrived at the conference, we were excited to present our inquiry ideas.This photo indicates the professionalism that I put forth into myself and my work. I was dressed appropriately and my work was presented neatly.

Elementary Science Inquiry ExtravaganzaCloud Formation – Seventh Grade

This photo shows the poster Rachel and I used to display our work at the MSTA Conference. On the left, there are ways to extend our lesson. The middle shows the factors to be tested, types of clouds, and the water cycle. And our lesson is displayed on the right.The lesson asks students “What factors affect cloud formation?” Students are told that a water bottle, a match, and warm water will form a cloud. It is their job to figure out which of these factors affects the formation of the cloud in the bottle.At the MSTA Conference, we were able to present this lesson as inquiry science and demonstrate how teachers could use it in their classrooms, even at different grade levels.My favorite part was getting feedback from practicing teachers on how it worked best for them in their classrooms and how we could improve our lesson.