FAYETTEVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY
Fayetteville, North Carolina
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF MIDDLE GRADES, SECONDARY, AND SPECIAL EDUCATION
SYLLABUS
I. LOCATOR INFORMATION
Semester: Spring Year: 2004
EDUC 463 - Methods/Materials of Teaching Science in the Middle Grades (6-9)
Semester Hours of Credit: 3 HRS
Time Class Meets: 4:00 p.m. - 5:20 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday
Class Meeting Place: Lyons Science 203
Instructor: Ronald A. Johnston e-mail: rjohnston@uncfsu.edu
Office Location: Lyons Science, Room 125
Office Telephone: 672-1650
Office Hours: 08:00 a.m.-09:00 a.m. MTWRF
02:30 p.m.-04:00 p.m. MW
02:30 p.m.-03:30 p.m. F
Other Times By Appointment
II. COURSE DESCRIPTION
A brief review of the scientific principles, laws, and concepts prescribed in the knowledge base for teachers of science in the middle grades (6-9), with emphasis on science unit and lesson planning, laboratory demonstrations, experimental replication, and simulated teaching experiences.
III. TEXTBOOK
Sunal, Dennis W. and Cynthia Szymanski Sunal. Science In The Elementary and Middle School. Columbus, OH: Merrill-Prentice Hall. 2003
The instructor will also provide a series of handouts as deemed appropriate to augment the material in the textbook.
IV. COURSE OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this course, one hundred percent (100%) of the enrolled students will have demonstrated, by actual performance, and at an overall quality level of seventy-five percent (75%) proficiency or higher that they have achieved the objectives listed below.
A. Each enrolled student will complete all non-optional course requirements in accordance with specified quantitative and qualitative criteria, and within the time parameters set forth.
B. Each student will demonstrate that he/she possesses a workable knowledge of science.
C. Each student will demonstrate that he/she can plan and teach science lessons.
D. Each student will demonstrate familiarity and application of learning theory as it relates to the teaching of science in grades 6-9.
E. Each student will demonstrate a competency for planning daily lessons and units applicable to gifted, average, below average, exceptional, and multi-cultural groups in heterogeneous classes.
V. COMPETENCIES
Below are competencies identified by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction as necessary to achieve program objectives and a certificate or endorsement in science teaching.
1.0 Demonstrate an understanding of the nature of science: processes and content.
1.1 Demonstrate a general knowledge of the basic principles and concepts of the life, physical, and earth/environmental sciences and their inter-relationships.
1.2 Demonstrate ability to identify and integrate science process skills into all science activities.
1.3 Demonstrate an understanding of the inter-relationships between science and other academic activities.
1.4 Demonstrate the ability to make science personally relevant to student experiences.
1.5 Demonstrate knowledge of the historical development of scientific concepts and principles and how diverse groups have contributed to their development.
1.6 Recognize and understand that technology is the application of science.
2.0 Demonstrate an understanding of the nature of learning.
2.1 Recognize and respond to student diversity and encourage all students to participate fully in science learning. Explain how student learning is influenced by individual experiences, talents, and prior learning, as well as language, culture, family, and community values.
2.2 Demonstrate an ability to adapt instruction to the social, cognitive, and developmental characteristics of all students, including students with special needs.
2.3 Apply instructional models of inquiry that reflect current learning theory to the learning of science.
3.0 Demonstrate appropriate use of the methods of teaching science and for establishing a favorable learning environment.
3.1 Establish a safe learning environment that is flexible and supportive of scientific inquiry.
3.2 Translate science content into meaningful instruction using science equipment, materials, print media resources, and technology.
3.3 Encourage student inquiry through laboratory and field experiences.
3.4 Apply and model the processes and the nature of science.
3.5 Design and conduct lessons that involve extended scientific investigations.
4.0 Demonstrate an understanding of the science program-planning process.
4.1 Demonstrate familiarity with and skill in the use of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study and the Teacher’s Handbook for the Competency-Based Curriculum in planning for science instruction.
4.2 Select science content and adapt or design instruction to meet the particular interests, knowledge, skills, needs, and diverse approaches for learning.
4.3 Plan, organize, and sequence science instruction to facilitate student construction of scientific knowledge.
5.0 Demonstrate an understanding of the assessment process.
5.1 Apply a variety of strategies to assess process skills, manipulative skills, scientific concepts, and student understanding of the nature of science.
5.2 Modify instruction based upon an on-going assessment of student learning.
5.3 Interpret the results of assessment and make appropriate decisions regarding curriculum and instruction.
6.0 Understand the effective use of technology in the science classroom and laboratory.
6.1 Infuse current and emerging technologies into instruction for the collection, exploration, and analysis of data; information acquisition and management; communication, presentations, and scientific modeling; and decision-making.
6.2 Evaluate the accuracy, quality, and source of information gathered, as well as appropriateness of technologies used.
6.3 Demonstrate knowledge of ethical and legal issues of technology as they relate to society and model appropriate behaviors.
6.4 Design and implement student learning activities that integrate technology for a variety of student groupings and for diverse student populations.
6.5 Apply current instructional principles, research, and appropriate assessment practices to the use of instructional strategies.
6.6 Use telecommunications and multimedia resources to support student instruction and teacher professional growth.
Specific Competencies
To obtain middle grades science certification, the teacher should acquire understandings of and have opportunities to investigate:
1. Content knowledge needed to teach the specific objectives identified in the North Carolina Competency-Based Curriculum Teacher Handbook.
2. The development of positive attitudes toward science and an understanding of current topics in science.
3. The relationship of science concepts to current, historical, environmental, technological, and societal issues.
4. The application of appropriate mathematics to investigations in science and the analysis of data.
5. The location of resources; design and conduct inquiry-based, open-ended investigations; interpret findings, communicate results; and make judgments based on evidence.
Biology
6. The kingdoms of living things.
7. Growth, development, reproduction, and heredity.
8. Ecology and the environment, including the study of populations, communities, and ecosystems.
9. The cell and cellular processes.
10. The roles of cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems.
11. Evolution, including evidence and mechanisms for organic evolution.
12. The uses and care of living organisms in an ethical and appropriate manner.
Chemistry
13. Models of the atom that reflect the historical evolution of the concept of the atom.
14. The properties of matter including the law of conservation of matter and how the properties are interrelated.
15. The Periodic Law through the use of the Periodic Table.
16. The theoretical bases for molecular structure and formula writing.
17. The principle types of chemical reactions and how they relate to everyday occurrences.
18. The properties of acids, bases, and salts and their occurrences in the environment.
19. Appropriate and safe methods of handling chemicals and their appropriate disposal.
Earth Science
20. Earth materials (rocks, minerals, soils), their structure, properties, formation, and uses in the context of the Rock Cycle.
21. The theory of plate tectonics to explain earthquakes, mountain building, volcanism, and paleogeography.
22. Model events in the evolution of Earth over time.
23. Current weather data to explain and investigate weather phenomena and their interactions with the hydrosphere, atmosphere, and lithosphere.
24. Oceanic and shoreline processes.
25. Astronomy including the Earth-Moon-Sun system, the Solar System, and the other celestial phenomena throughout the universe.
26. Ways that the systems of Earth interact in the environment and how these systems are affected by human activities.
27. How landscapes are formed through the processes of weathering, erosion, and mass wasting on the Earth and similar processes on other planets.
28. Information from various types of maps (topographic, geological, soils, aerial photographs, satellite imagery, meteorologic, oceanographic) in problem-solving situations.
Physics
29. The various sources and forms of energy, their transformations, and the impact of energy use on the environment.
30. The uses of machines and their relationship to the conservation of energy and mass.
31. Kinematic relationships, dynamics, momentum, and Newton’s Laws.
32. Electricity and magnetism and their interrelationship and practical applications.
33. Properties of heat, light, sound, matter, and their practical applications.
34.
Use of technological
devices in our society such as lasers, computers, optical fibers,
transportation, and telecommunication.
VI. EVALUATION
Quality must become the most important goal for students enrolled in this course. Evaluation will be based upon both the quantity of work completed and the quality of that work.
GRADING
The course requirements and assignments portion above suggests that each student may accrue a maximum of 3,300 points in this course. Therefore, grades will be based upon the number of total points earned. The grading scale is given below.
Points Earned Percentage of Total Grade
3300 - 3036 100 – 92 A
3035 - 2739 91 - 83 B
2738 - 2409 82 - 73 C
2408 - 2145 72 - 65 D
Below 2144 64 - 00 F
VII. COURSE OUTLINE AND ASSIGNMENTS
Jan. 8 Class Administrative Concerns, Introduction to Class
Jan. 13 NSES, Benchmarks, and NC Standard Course of Study
Jan. 15 The Learning Cycle and Constructing Knowledge
Jan. 20 Demonstration Learning Cycle Lesson by the Instructor
Jan. 22 Questioning Techniques
Jan. 27 Cooperative Learning and Grouping
Jan. 29 Inclusion of Special Populations
Feb. 3 Different Learning Styles in a Science Classroom
Feb. 5 Writing Course and Classroom Objectives
Feb. 10 Developing Unit Plans
Feb. 12 Assessing Classroom Learning
Feb. 17 Developing Lesson Plans
Feb. 19 Developing Learning Cycle Lesson Plans
Feb. 24 Use of Technology in the Classroom
Feb. 26 Multiple Intelligences
Mar. 2 Brain Research and Learning
Mar. 4 Thinking Skills
March 8-13 SPRING BREAK
Mar. 16 Teaching and the Law
Mar. 18 No Child Left Behind
Mar. 23 Presentation of Lesson by Student
Mar. 30 Presentation of Lesson by Student
Apr. 1 Presentation of Lesson by Student
Apr.