Biology Teacher Writes First Book
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
Though she retired at the end of the 2011-12 school year from Warsaw Community High School, Ciula will continue teaching biology to students, but in a different capacity.
Besides teaching biology at IPFW, Ciula has published a book, “What is Life?”, which is an introduction to biology.
“I’ve been thinking about it a few years,” Ciula said during an interview Monday afternoon at Courthouse Coffee in downtown Warsaw. “I have freshmen biology students who don’t know or aren’t familiar with terms I think they should know. I wanted a real simple book with those basic terms.”
Some of those basic terms are biosphere, organism, freshwater habitats, multicellular, heterotrophs, deciduous and biodiversity.
She later said, “These are terms I would hope they would know by the time they were in high school and have a good understanding of. Biology is a foreign language because it is mostly Latin and Greek.”
Recognizing how creative her students could be, she asked her ninth-grade students at the time to illustrate her book.
“I thought it would be so neat for my biology students to illustrate my book,” she said.
Ciula will have a book signing for “What is Life?” Aug. 17 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Emporium, 116 S. Buffalo St., Warsaw.
The WCHS students who drew and submitted their work for Ciula’s book have their names and photo on page iv of the book. They include Molly Bartel, Catherina Daffre, Leanna Chan, Gabriella Beard, Abigail Schue, Karisa Clark, Matt Grothouse, Lucas Thomas, Hope Adams, Bryce Carter, Vanessa Malagon, Landen DeGraff and Christina Tlahuetl.
“Humans communicate through space and time,” Ciula said. “I’ve always encouraged my students to keep a journal to pass on to their families. I thought (this book) was a great project to do with my students. I gave them this opportunity. Some said they would illustrate, but didn’t follow through, but that’s like life. ... Not all these pictures are perfect, but anything they diagrammed, I tried to put it in the book. Some of these diagrams are unbelieveable.”
Her simple instructions to them were to do it free style and not copy any other work.
Ciula wasn’t initially sure about how to get a book published. Through church, she became friends with Howard Johnson, owner of Senesis Word publishing, St. Augustine, Fla. Johnson is an author himself, having written six books, including “Memoirs from the Lakeside.”
She asked Johnson to help and guide her. He thought it would be an exciting challenge and an interesting project. Johnson even provided some of his own pictures.
Ciula said Johnson was a good teacher. They got to know each other at Tippecanoe & Worship Too, which provides church services for summer residents on Tippecanoe Lake.
“Our church thinks it’s neat he’s published,” she said of Johnson.
But those involved in Ciula’s first book are just as excited about it.
“Those who participated are really excited about (the book),” Ciula said.
“What is Life?” is geared toward elementary students, second through fourth grade, she said. Johnson said his grandchildren love the book.
Ciula said if a parent reads the book over and over to their second-grade child, they will learn the words.[[In-content Ad]]Besides the book being available for purchase at the Aug. 17 book signing, it also can be purchased online at amazon.com or senesisword.com
“It’s been a learning experience,” Ciula said. “I’m not an author, I’m not a writer, I’m a teacher.”
“She did a fine job,” Johnson said.
Ciula said, “I didn’t write it to make money or sell copies. It’s more of a legacy: Here’s what I do.”
However, she is thinking of doing another book, possibly on the human body systems. In biology, there’s a lot of subject matter to be covered. Ciula said it may be neat to have her grandchildren or other students illustrate another book.
Having more children illustrate her books only makes sense as Ciula dedicates “What is Life?” to “our children and grandchildren. They are this country’s greatest natural resource.”
“One of these students now want to write their own book,” she said proudly.
Though she retired at the end of the 2011-12 school year from Warsaw Community High School, Ciula will continue teaching biology to students, but in a different capacity.
Besides teaching biology at IPFW, Ciula has published a book, “What is Life?”, which is an introduction to biology.
“I’ve been thinking about it a few years,” Ciula said during an interview Monday afternoon at Courthouse Coffee in downtown Warsaw. “I have freshmen biology students who don’t know or aren’t familiar with terms I think they should know. I wanted a real simple book with those basic terms.”
Some of those basic terms are biosphere, organism, freshwater habitats, multicellular, heterotrophs, deciduous and biodiversity.
She later said, “These are terms I would hope they would know by the time they were in high school and have a good understanding of. Biology is a foreign language because it is mostly Latin and Greek.”
Recognizing how creative her students could be, she asked her ninth-grade students at the time to illustrate her book.
“I thought it would be so neat for my biology students to illustrate my book,” she said.
Ciula will have a book signing for “What is Life?” Aug. 17 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Emporium, 116 S. Buffalo St., Warsaw.
The WCHS students who drew and submitted their work for Ciula’s book have their names and photo on page iv of the book. They include Molly Bartel, Catherina Daffre, Leanna Chan, Gabriella Beard, Abigail Schue, Karisa Clark, Matt Grothouse, Lucas Thomas, Hope Adams, Bryce Carter, Vanessa Malagon, Landen DeGraff and Christina Tlahuetl.
“Humans communicate through space and time,” Ciula said. “I’ve always encouraged my students to keep a journal to pass on to their families. I thought (this book) was a great project to do with my students. I gave them this opportunity. Some said they would illustrate, but didn’t follow through, but that’s like life. ... Not all these pictures are perfect, but anything they diagrammed, I tried to put it in the book. Some of these diagrams are unbelieveable.”
Her simple instructions to them were to do it free style and not copy any other work.
Ciula wasn’t initially sure about how to get a book published. Through church, she became friends with Howard Johnson, owner of Senesis Word publishing, St. Augustine, Fla. Johnson is an author himself, having written six books, including “Memoirs from the Lakeside.”
She asked Johnson to help and guide her. He thought it would be an exciting challenge and an interesting project. Johnson even provided some of his own pictures.
Ciula said Johnson was a good teacher. They got to know each other at Tippecanoe & Worship Too, which provides church services for summer residents on Tippecanoe Lake.
“Our church thinks it’s neat he’s published,” she said of Johnson.
But those involved in Ciula’s first book are just as excited about it.
“Those who participated are really excited about (the book),” Ciula said.
“What is Life?” is geared toward elementary students, second through fourth grade, she said. Johnson said his grandchildren love the book.
Ciula said if a parent reads the book over and over to their second-grade child, they will learn the words.[[In-content Ad]]Besides the book being available for purchase at the Aug. 17 book signing, it also can be purchased online at amazon.com or senesisword.com
“It’s been a learning experience,” Ciula said. “I’m not an author, I’m not a writer, I’m a teacher.”
“She did a fine job,” Johnson said.
Ciula said, “I didn’t write it to make money or sell copies. It’s more of a legacy: Here’s what I do.”
However, she is thinking of doing another book, possibly on the human body systems. In biology, there’s a lot of subject matter to be covered. Ciula said it may be neat to have her grandchildren or other students illustrate another book.
Having more children illustrate her books only makes sense as Ciula dedicates “What is Life?” to “our children and grandchildren. They are this country’s greatest natural resource.”
“One of these students now want to write their own book,” she said proudly.
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