Teacher Assistant at the Lawrence Hall of Science

For a number of years the Lawrence Hall of Science (LHS) has given undergraduates IB 95 units for assisting in their workshops. UC students take part in the various classes offered by LHS on site (accessible by a short bus ride on the H line). You should be taking or have completed Biology 1B. In the teacher assistant program at LHS, you will get two IB 95 units for completing six hours/week of work for the semester. This is a twice weekly morning commitment for the entire semester.

The Lawrence Hall of Science is a children's science museum that serves grade school-aged children in the Bay Area. While LHS offers numerous programs in the sciences, the courses you will most likely assist in are those related to Biology, although there may be days when this isn't possible. You can find a list of the different workshops offered by LHS on their website. As an assistant you are not directly responsible for course material. You are there to help one of the full-time staff teachers, but will likely have the opportunity to lead small groups. In addition to the time spent assisting during the actual class time, you will also be expected to help with the set-up and clean-up of the workshop during each of your three hour sessions per week.

This section is only available Wed.-Fri. mornings from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. can also be accommodated if needed). When planning your schedule, please allow for travel time, as LHS is about a 10 minute bus ride from campus on the H Line. The same shuttle that takes you to the UC Botanical Garden takes you to LHS. It leaves from the Hearst Mining Circle at 10 and 40 minutes after the hour. A full schedule of the H Line Bus can be found here.

Reyna Hamilton will be your contact at LHS. She can give you more information about the programs you would be assisting with as well as helping you figure out which weekday works best for you and LHS. Before you start assisting, you will be required to complete a short orientation as well as an animal handling training (since many of the Biology workshops involve live animals).

This opportunity is announced at the beginning of the semester in class. If you think that you might be interested in this program, please fill out the LHS Teacher Assistant Application Form below and send it along with a note of your interest to Brett Boltz, the Admin Coordinator for Biology 1B. You need to begin to work at the LHS within the first couple of weeks of the semester in order to get full IB 95 credit.

LHS Teacher Assistant Application Form

Undergraduate Learning Mentor (ULM) Program

The Undergraduate Learning Mentor (ULM) program has been very successful in Biology 1B. It allows undergraduate students who are interested in biology to obtain teaching experience. The ULM is in a unique position. Students have usually just had Biology 1B and have done well in the class. They are familiar with the material and have an understanding of the class from the students' point of view. The ULM is valuable because they can share their experiences in the class and they help the Lab Instructor with the laboratory exercises.

There are mandatory weekly lab prep meetings at 1-4 PM on Friday afternoons. As a ULM, you will receive two units of IB 192 credit for assisting in lab and attending the lab prep meetings. Your grade will be Pass/No Pass. If you are interested, contact your Lab Instructor, who will discuss the position with you. Your Lab Instructor should submit a letter of recommendation on your behalf to Brett Boltz. Students can serve as a ULM for Biology 1B a maximum of two terms. For Summer Session ULM applicants only, you should have either taken Biology 1B the previous Spring semester, or have served as a ULM during the previous Spring semester. The deadline to submit an application will be in early June for summer and in early August for fall 2023. Please contact Brett Boltz for an application.



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