elementary school educators Archives

From a NSTA Screening to a District-Wide Movement

We first met Susan Bartol, a science teacher at Hillside Elementary and a Weston Award winner, at our NSTA (National Science Teaching Association) screening of OBSERVER in Philadelphia last year. Susan was so moved by the film’s message—how the simple act of paying attention can reframe our entire understanding of the world—that she didn’t just take the ideas home; she designed an entire day of rich, interdisciplinary programming around them for her students and faculty.

With support from the Montclair Fund for Educational Excellence (MFEE), Susan produced the 9th annual Hillside Science Day centered on OBSERVER in November. Along with Susan’s colleagues, 425 elementary students, 17 high school students, and 25 university students participated in this district-wide celebration of observation.

Building a Foundation for Educators

Before the students ever picked up their tools, Susan ensured her fellow teachers were equipped to lead. She enlisted the help of Montclair High School industrial arts teacher Robert Haas to organize a professional development session in June. Together, they:

Built physical frames similar to those used in the film for teachers to use as instructional tools.
Created a Google Classroom filled with tips and resources for educators across the district to integrate observation into their own classrooms.

How Susan Brought OBSERVER to Life for Students:

Science on the Big Screen: In the morning, Susan arranged for the students to take a field trip to a local theater to watch a chapter of OBSERVER, providing the cinematic foundation for the day’s theme.
Framing the World: To make the film’s concepts tangible, students used DIY wood squares to focus their gaze and isolate details in their environment.
Peer-to-Peer Mentorship: 17 students from Montclair High School joined the day, helping younger students build their frames and assisting at various “observation stations”.
Guided Discovery: Susan developed specially designed workbooks that prompted students to record their reflections, bridging the gap between visual observation and scientific thinking.
University Mentorship: The 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students were also mentored by 25 students from Montclair State University’s College of Science and Mathematics (CSAM). These university mentors—specializing in fields like biology, chemistry, and marine biology—led “fireside chats” to show how these skills apply to real-world research.

The impact of the science mentorship was felt deeply by the students and faculty alike:

“Representation matters. Today, our CSAM students weren’t just talking about science, they were real life scientists showing young children that the future of science can look like them”. ~Dr. Scott Kight, Professor of Biology and Director of Professional Resources in Science and Mathematics at Montclair State University

Building a Community of Observers

While the movement began in the sciences, its impact quickly spread to other departments. Suzanne Baptist, an English teacher at Montclair High School, was thrilled her students got to take part in the event. Seeing the profound engagement from the students, Suzanne was inspired to create a mini-elective for her 10th through 12th graders to engage with the film’s concepts through the lens of civics.

Susan Bartol’s incredible Science Day was a huge hit at Hillside and proves that when an educator is inspired to action, their impact can ripple through the entire community. By teaching her students to be “Observers,” she is helping them build a safe space for curiosity and a deeper connection to the world around them. As Susan puts it: “If you can give away your vulnerability, maybe you can be gentler with someone else’s ideas and feelings.”

Interested in hosting your own OBSERVER inspired event?

Check out our free resources for educators:

Watch and screen OBSERVER in your classroom for free with an SCL educator account
K-12 OBSERVER Activity Guide: Hands on activities to pair with each chapter of the film
Play the trailer below 👇

At our Observation as a Superpower PD workshop in August, Dr. Elizabeth Coscia—a science educator and curriculum designer—found fresh inspiration for helping students see science with all their senses. Her reflections below remind us how powerful observation can be in sparking wonder and inquiry.

Participating in the Observation as a Superpower PD event was a deeply enriching experience that invited me to embrace the joy and power of multisensory exploration both as an educator and as a lifelong learner. Scientists are well aware that observation extends far beyond the visual; it engages all the senses and invites us to notice with intention. Yet for many students, observation is often narrowly interpreted as “looking.” This workshop offered powerful tools to expand that understanding, helping students recognize that what they hear, touch, and even smell can be just as vital to inquiry. It was a beautiful reminder that observation is not only foundational to scientific methodology, but also a channel to curiosity, creativity, and connection.

Dr. Elizabeth Coscia during a group brainstorm at our PD workshop.

The workshop brought together local educators from elementary school and beyond, and despite our varied teaching contexts, we shared a common desire: to design curriculum that reflects the needs, values, and voices of this generation of students. The enthusiasm and engagement among participants underscored the educational impact of Science Communication Lab’s new documentary, OBSERVER, an engaging and thought-provoking film that opens rich possibilities for science curriculum design and student-centered inquiry. The chaptered format makes it easy to pair specific segments with science topics and follow up with Think/Pair/Share discussions and other forms of inquiry-based learning strategies.

I am excited to design a two-part lesson that begins with students engaging in a selected film excerpt and guided discussion. This first class will introduce the question “What does it mean to make an observation?” and then explore its essential role in the scientific method. In the following class, students will head outdoors in small groups, each equipped with a “red frame”—a simple, fun, yet powerful tool introduced in the film that encourages observers to focus on a personally meaningful view. Using an activity from the Observer Activities Guide, tailored to our classroom context, students will explore and record their surroundings through intentional, multisensory observation. The goal is to deepen their understanding of observation as a scientific practice while honoring individual perspective and sensory engagement. As the guide astutely notes, “There’s no single way to observe, and what each student notices is shaped by their individual perspective.”

This was my second workshop with the Science Communication Lab, and I continue to be impressed by the team’s warmth, creativity, and collaborative spirit. I look forward to continuing to guide students in exploring science through art, story, and sensory engagement, while honoring the Science Communication Lab’s mission of inspiring science learning through personal storytelling.

About the Educator:

Dr. Elizabeth Coscia is a biologist, science educator, and communicator with a passion for engaging students through hands-on experiments, nature-inspired projects, and immersive learning experiences. Her background includes research on wolves and hyenas, 17 years of high school teaching, and a deep commitment to experiential, interdisciplinary science education that integrates art and adventure. Now based in the Sierra Nevada region, she designs programs that make science personal, creative, and accessible to diverse learners.