Science education has “become my life” from the moment I stepped into my first science classroom. A Presidential Award would be an honor, recognize my life’s passion, and reflect the students and colleagues who have inspired and challenged me to become a better teacher. As an awardee, I would be in a better position to have an effect on science education at a time when our future generation needs to understand the implications of scientific progress more than ever before.

Maria Palopoli Brunswick, ME | 7-12, Science, 2009

The official biography below was current at the time of the award.

Maria Palopoli has taught science for 25 years at the middle and elementary levels. Since leaving the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools in 1998, she has been teaching seventh grade science at Brunswick Junior High School and is the department chair. As an amateur entomologist, Maria shares her love of science. Whether dressed as a tiger beetle to show how cool insect life can be or creating an iMovie to explain insect communication, students leave with a new view of the world. Her science program promotes critical thinking and helps students realize the importance of science in daily life. In a genetics unit, the students engage in a fictional court case and create evidence. A student jury decides whether "Jenn Ettics" can hold her parents and Chromo Labs accountable for an effect on her "artistic genes" when she was genetically modified for "athletic genes." Maria has authored teaching units for the Lincoln Park Zoo and the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, IL. She has presented at conferences, has published in National Science Teachers Association journals, and was recently accepted into the Governor's Academy for science leadership in Maine. Maria has a B.A. in Education and an M.S. in Science Education, both from the University of Michigan. She is certified in kindergarten through eighth grade.

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