About Me:

Hi! Welcome to my page! I'm Arielle Benyo and I'm so excited to be part of the science team at AMHS. In college, I  studied Biochemistry and Economics together because there are not enough scientists who speak the business language (and vice versa!) and science is a fundamental part of our everyday lives, without people even realizing it. I firmly believe in connecting what we are learning in my classroom to as many real life situations as possible, and holding my students to a high academic standard that demands they think deeply about the world around them. 

I graduated with honors in 2018 with a Bachelor's of Science from UW Bothell in Biochemistry, and completed my Masters in Secondary Education from UW Seattle in 2021. My undergraduate research in volatile organic compounds was published in the Journal of Chemical Education's February 2023 edition. Other ocean chemistry research is currently being revised for future publication.

I love what I teach, and I try to share that passion with every student who comes through my door. Outside of my classroom, I volunteer at the Seattle Aquarium & with their Beach Naturalists program, Scuba dive with my amazing husband Nick, garden, and go on adventures with my dog, Hank. I also write and illustrate digital web comics and occasionally participate in local theatre productions and salsa dance. I am also fluent in Spanish.

More about my teaching style:

My students and I follow the research-backed "Ambitious Science Teaching" practices of professors Mark Windschitl, Jessica Thompson and Melissa Braaten, which center student problem solving, building deep scientific models and explanations of real life phenomena. They learn how to collect, use and visualize data and support and defend their ideas, keep detailed notes and connect old topics with new topics through projects, labs and presentations.  We learn how to use technology to enhance our understanding, graph and understand graphs, and report our findings to our peers and others in the community in seminars and presentations. 

My class is fast paced, includes a lot of writing and drawing, and as many hands-on labs as we can reasonably fit into each unit. My homework policy: If you use your time wisely in class, you won't have very much homework. If you respect my time in class, I will do my best to respect yours in & outside of class. Phones are to be used to help you understand and communicate better, not as a distraction. Currently, Marine bio & Bio also include at least one field trip! **If you are a parent and want to help chaperone on one of these field trips, let me know! I'd be delighted to have you!**