Inside the Classroom: Sabrina Dowell - Adams Middle
Inside the Classroom: Sabrina Dowell - Adams Middle
Inside the Classroom is a series that visits Northwest ISD campuses throughout the year and highlights the magical moments that happen between teachers and students each and every day across the entire 234 square miles of NISD.
Our next edition of Inside the Classroom takes you to Adams Middle School, where the mood in an eighth-grade science class shifted from one of camaraderie to a fight for survival in just 10 seconds.
Sporting her “Science Teachers Make a World of Difference” lab coat, Sabrina Dowell stood at the door and greeted each of her seventh-period honors science students with a smile.
As students found their seats that Tuesday, a “Tell Me Why Tuesday” warm-up activity awaited them on the screen at the front of the room. On Monday, students made claims about what traits help an arctic hare survive, and next it was time to provide evidence for those claims. After sharing their evidence with a partner, Ms. Dowell called on students to share with the class.
They then transitioned to “Tell Me Something Good,” an activity in which Ms. Dowell invited students to share something positive happending in their lives. Some spoke about a recent church trip, while others mentioned an upcoming choir performance. The unique opportunity allowed students to learn about their classmates and share the good around them.
However, that sense of connection was about to give way to a competitive battle of the fittest.
It was time to move on to the day’s main objective: a lab exploring how adaptations in bird beaks develop over time
Ms. Dowell shared the lesson’s learning target and explained the hands-on activity ahead. She then divided the class into groups of four and instructed each group to grab a tray of supplies.
Each tray contained materials representing different bird beak adaptations — binder clips, clothespins, toothpicks, and spoons — along with beads and pompoms representing food sources. Group members selected a “beak” and waited for instructions.
Beads, representing seeds, were spread across a plate. Ms. Dowell set a timer for 10 seconds, and each student had that long to gather as much food as possible. The 10 seconds were fast and furious, and as expected, the students wielding spoons finished in far better shape than those armed toothpicks.
After each round, the “bird” with the least amount of food was eliminated, and another 10 seconds went on the timer. The process continued until only one bird remained.
At the end of each round, students recorded data on their lab sheet. Once a single bird remained, they switched beaks and repeated the process using pompoms.
The room buzzed with energy and competition throughout the lab. Then, Ms. Dowell brought everyone back together with one simple question: “What was this fun experience intended to teach us?”
She guided a discussion on behavioral, structural, and physiological adaptations, prompting students to consider which types were demonstrated during the activity.
Students first reflected individually on their lab sheets, then discussed their thinking with a partner before sharing with the class.
Before they knew it, the time had come to pack up and prepare for the next period. Ms. Dowell’s smile and positive energy remained constant throughout the class, and students left wearing smiles of their own.
While not every “bird” survived, every student walked away with a deeper understanding of how adaptation shapes survival. In 45 minutes, Ms. Dowell had turned competition into curiosity — and curiosity into understanding.
Check back regularly all year as we continue to visit students and teachers throughout Northwest ISD and offer a rarely seen look Inside the Classroom.