Beyond the Textbook: Cultivating Critical Thinking Through Project Based Learning with Sara Plowman

ScIC "Science is Cool" Unplugged

Fostering curiosity and inquiry with real-world examples. Sara Plowman is a veteran teacher in Santa Monday and discusses with us various topics, including stinging nettles, biomimicry, authentic science, and project-based learning. They also discuss biomimicry design applications and other natural phenomena. The conversation then shifts to the importance of authentic science and project-based learning in education, with Sara sharing her definition of authentic science and providing tips for teachers to incorporate hands-on activities in the classroom. They also explore the benefits of collaboration and cross-curricular projects. The conversation concludes with a discussion on measuring heat islands and the potential for students to make informed decisions based on data collected. The conversation covers various topics related to project-based learning and scientific exploration. The main themes include the use of real-world projects to engage students, the importance of incorporating hands-on experiences, the value of failure and learning from mistakes, and the exploration of scientific questions and phenomena. The conversation also touches on the role of simulations, cultural norms in risk-taking, and the wonder of nature. Overall, the conversation highlights the importance of fostering curiosity, critical thinking, and scientific inquiry in education.

ABOUT SARA

Born in the mountains of Utah, Sara's early days were filled with snow, sledding and mountain biking. She then moved to the Napa Valley in California, where she spent her days finding frogs in the nearby stream, exploring the nearby reservoir in her make-shift raft, and, unfortunately, discovering exactly what stinging nettles look like.

Initially discovering her love of outdoor experiential education through the lens of a student, Sara attended Midland, a small boarding school in central California with a strong focus on sustainability, environmental education and experiential learning. From there, she went on to earn her bachelor's degree in biochemistry and bachelor's degree in public health from UC Santa Cruz.

Sara has been a teacher for 19 years. She currently teaches at a small project based learning pathway that is part of Santa Monica High School. Sara believes that learning in all of the disciplines is interconnected, and strives to help guide her students to be better global citizens through differentiated, cross-curricular, project-based learning experiences. She believes in the value of experiential, inquiry based education with a strong emphasis on developing climate literacy, data analysis, presentation and word skills.

Sara is a life-long explorer. Whether strolling through Havana, or hiking the mountains of California, she believes there's something to be learned from every experience. This love of exploration and her commitment to geographic education led Sara to be chosen as a Grosvenor Teaching Fellow in 2016. This allowed her to travel to Antarctica with National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions. In 2023, Sara was selected by National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions to partner with two visiting scientists using climate proxies and modeling to explore climate change in the Arctic. These two experiences, as well as others, continue to inform her development of deep data driven, cross curricular climate literacy focused projects for her students.