Danielle Raad teaches at the public high school in Arlington, Massachusetts. She teaches physical science for 9th grade, and physics, archaeology, and oceanography for grades 11-12.
Question 1: Tell us a bit about your involvement with AAAS Science Days: In the Classroom.
Answer: I am looking forward to welcoming a scientist into our school...on February 16, and providing students the opportunity to meet and interact with them and to learn about their career path. As high school students look toward the next stage of their lives, it’s important for them to be exposed to the various ways in which the content we learn in science classes can be applied.
Question 2: What are you most proud of in your work?
Answer: My Introduction to Archaeology course, which is a science elective that I created myself. In the class, we conduct our own excavation on school grounds and tackle current issues such as the destruction of archaeological heritage. The course is interdisciplinary, authentic, and engaging.
Question 3: What is your approach to building a meaningful relationship with your students and their parents?
Answer: I strive to be fair and empathetic in all of my interactions with students. It becomes easy to build relationships when students know you believe in them, trust them, and care about them. I also live in the town in which I work, so I frequently see families outside of school and feel particularly invested in the community.
Question 4: Do you have a science demo that students find particularly compelling?
Answer: The most engaging demos that I do in physical science are in our sound unit. We graph the frequencies and amplitudes of notes sung by students into microphones, we test our audible ranges, and we pump a vacuum seal around a bell until we can no longer hear it. Sound and music are meaningful parts of my students’ lives and they enjoy seeing these concepts become tangible.
Question 5: Tell us about a hobby or passion outside of work.
Answer: I love to travel and to take pictures of new cities and landscapes. This summer, I went to Lebanon, Italy, and Slovenia. I am currently in the process of editing high dynamic range (HDR) images from the trip and creating new albums on my photography website.
Meet More AAAS Members Who Teach
