Meet a Science Teacher: Loa Ortiz (Patreon)

Hey Deep Peeps,

It takes a lot of time and effort to produce each episode of Deep Look, but we couldn’t do it without the help of scientists and other valuable collaborators who have worked closely with us over the years. We’re introducing several of these wonderful partners to you in a series of short profiles so you can get a deeper look at their expertise.

Meet Loa Ortiz, a sixth grade math and science teacher at The Berkeley School, in Berkeley, Calif.

“I teach math and science to some pretty awesome sixth graders,” Ortiz said. “I strive to help my students become scientifically and mathematically literate, learn to recognize the opportunities and challenges facing our world and feel empowered and engaged as global citizens. My science classes build on students' sense of wonder about the natural world. In math, I help my students understand the value of mistakes and cultivate a growth mindset about their learning.”

Like other enthusiastic educators we hear from, Ortiz regularly shows our videos to her students. It’s one way they can bring the beauty of the natural world into their classrooms. “My students look forward to it every week! They love it! I'll give them a few choices and have them vote on the video to watch that day.

“As they watch, I'll have them do what we call a thinking routine. As you watch this video: ‘What do you see? What do you think? What do you wonder?’ Then we'll share out and discuss.

Hydra extend their tentacles to ensnare swimming prey. (Josh Cassidy/KQED)

“I use Deep Look to model and cultivate that sense of wonder, to practice asking questions, to get kids excited about the natural world and phenomena we don't usually see or learn about.

“I just think these videos are fantastic! I love the variety of subjects, the cinematography [and] going deep into the hidden worlds of all these creatures. I love that we always learn something new! Also, we all enjoy the gross stuff and the creepy ones! We love the cute kittens too! Some of my students' (and my) favorites include the face mites, aphids, leeches, hairworms, bedbugs, lice. So many!”

Penny Dougherty bottle feeds a 2-week-old kitten at her house in Newcastle, California. She fosters orphaned kittens, as well as stray and feral cats with their kittens, through a nonprofit organization she founded called Kitten Central of Placer County. (Credit: Josh Cassidy/KQED)

If you’re a teacher who’d like to use Deep Look in your classroom, check out these additional resources that are available online.