playing god? In the Classroom

Lesson Plan Advisory Board

Dorothy Holley, PhD

Learn more about Dorothy Holley, PhD

Dorothy Holley, PhD

  • Albert Einstein Fellow

State: North Carolina

Years teaching: 28

What type of schools have you taught in?
Public and Private; Rural, Suburban, and Urban; Traditional and Redesign

Subjects taught: Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Environmental Science, Forensics, Future Decisions in Science, Research Methods

Grade levels taught: 7-12

Lesson Plans: 

  • Episode 1: I Would’ve Let You Die, Too
  • Episode 6: Creating One Life to Save Another
  • Episode 7: Miracle Drugs, Million Dollar Price Tags

Jacquelyn Southerland, M.Ed

Learn more about Jacquelyn Southerland, M.Ed

Jacquelyn Southerland, M.Ed

  • Albert Einstein Fellow

State: Maryland

Years teaching: 9

What type of schools have you taught in?
Public

Subjects taught: Middle School Science (Biology, Genetics, Chemistry, Physics, Earth Science, and Environmental Science)

Grade levels taught: 7 & 8

Lesson Plans: 

  • Episode 2 – The Girl Who Died Twice
  • Episode 3 – Need a New Liver? Drinkers to the Back of the Line
  • Episode 5 – A Womb of One’s Own
  • Episode 7 – An Off Switch for Depression?
  • Episode 8 – Miracle Drugs, Million Dollar Price Tags
  • Episode 9 – The Future of Babymaking

Amy Szczepanski

Learn more about Amy Szczepanski

Amy Szczepanski

  • Albert Einstein Fellow

State: New Jersey

Years teaching: 10

What type of schools have you taught in?
Public, Private, Charter, Start-up

Subjects taught: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Environmental Science

Grade levels taught: High school

Lesson Plans: 

  • Episode 3 – Need a New Liver? Drinkers to the Back of the Line
  • Episode 6 – Creating One Life to Save Another

Melissa Thompson

Learn more about Melissa Thompson

Melissa Thompson

  • Albert Einstein Fellow

State: Maryland

Years teaching: 18 in public education; 20 informally

What type of schools have you taught in?
Public, Outside of school network organizations

Subjects taught: All STEM Fields: Chemistry, Biology, General Science, Anatomy & Physiology, SpEd Self-Contained; Engineering

Grade levels taught: PK-12; Elementary administrator

Lesson Plans: 

  • Episode 3 – Need a New Liver? Drinkers to the Back of the Line
  • Episode 5 – A Womb of One’s Own
  • Episode 7 – An Off Switch for Depression?
  • Episode 9 – The Future of Babymaking

Samantha Willsey

Learn more about Samantha Willsey

Samantha Willsey

  • Albert Einstein Fellow

State: Indiana

Years teaching: 16

What type of schools have you taught in?
Public

Subjects taught: Biomedical Science, Human Body Systems, General Biology, General Chemistry, Earth/space science

Grade levels taught: 8-12

Lesson Plans: 

  • Episode 5 – A Womb of One’s Own
  • Episode 6 – Creating One Life to Save Another
  • Episode 8 – Miracle Drugs, Million Dollar Price Tags
  • Episode 9 – The Future of Babymaking

To develop the playing god? in the Classroom Lesson Plans, the Berman Institute has collaborated with a group of teachers participating in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program, which provides accomplished K-12 STEM educators the opportunity to spend 11 months working in federal agencies or in U.S. Congressional offices, applying their extensive knowledge and classroom experiences to national education program and/or education policy efforts. Several of the Fellows, drawn from public and private schools across the country, formed an advisory board that has helped shape, review, and pilot the educational materials.