Course Overview:
Full membership
in our scientifically and technologically advanced democracy requires
that we, as adult participants, understand the scientific method,
how to distinguish between fact, hypothesis, and theory as they are
used in science, and how technological and scientific advances may
affect us and the world we live in. Teaching Professionals have the
additional challenge of communicating this accelerating pace of scientific
advance to the decision-makers of tomorrow.
This course
will focus on preparing students to teach the California State Life
Science Content Standards in their future classrooms.
We believe
that, to be an effective science teacher at the elementary school
level, the teacher must:
- understand
enough of the natural surroundings of the school to use them for
learning.
- find
ways to apply the innate curiosity and imagination of children
to guide their questions and suggest solutions to the problems
they pose.
- understand
how to bridge such barriers to scientific learning as language
differences, lack of resources and the absence of appropriate role
models.
- understand
what appeals to young students and how to use those interests to
promote learning.
- understand
that science is a team effort, both as a teacher and as a student.
- develop
a high level of enthusiasm and comfort with elementary science.
- make
it fun!
Although the course emphasizes observation,
critical thinking and "science as a way of knowing," there
are also significant content and technology requirements in this course. Course prerequisites:
Computer literacy (CST 101 or equivalent)
required, ESSP 204 & 304 preferred...
Required
Texts:
There
are no texts required for purchase in this course although students
may find the
Science
Framework for California Public Schools useful.
The Monterey
Penninsula Unified School District in cooperation with CSU Monterey
Bay and Monterey Penninsula College has made available a website
containing lesson plans currently in use in the district:
http://science.csumb.edu/~hkibak/science/
The Life
Science Content Standards for California Public Schools K-8 will
be provided in class.
Required Materials:
One
reason we do not require textbooks for this course is that there
are plenty of incidental costs to this laboratory course that students
are expected to pay.
A hooded sweatshirt
or windbreaker! Casual walking shoes!
At least three
blank computer diskettes and protective case to hold them.
One 3-ring binder
with blank three-hole punched paper without lines, 81/2"x11".
One three-hole
punched spiral bound notebook with 50-70 sheets to serve as laboratory
field notebook, and something to sit on outdoors.
Access
to a computer with a BlackBoard compatible browser and internet
connection.
Please
bring a sweater, sweatshirt, or windbreaker with you to each class
meeting. Umbrellas and rain parkas are also appreciated. Dress in
layers and casual clothes when possible. This room varies substantially
in temperature. We also spend some time outside the classroom during
many class periods. Students sometime suffer from cold and this may
impair their work.
Drinking
and eating are not allowed in science labs, but you are welcome to
partake when we are outside.
Course Learning Outcomes:
- Students will integrate the California
Science Content Standards and the National Science Education Standards
pertaining to K-8 into their lesson plans and activities.
- Students will become proficient at
observation, illustration, and technology useful for the modern
K-8 classroom.
- Students will learn to ask testable
questions. They will demonstrate that ability by designing and
carrying out experiments to answer questions they have asked using
materials and equipment commonly available in the classroom or
neighborhood.
- Students will know where to find up-to-date,
high quality science teaching curricula, and how to search the
education literature for materials to supplement their teaching.
- Students will become collaborative
teachers of science. They will learn to use peer review of instructional
materials and student projects to improve their classroom teaching.
They will learn to rely on colleagues and the community to supplement
their teaching of science.
- Students will learn to prepare their
own instructional materials for science education, and become familiar
with resources already in place.
- Students will add to their knowledge
of the natural history of the CSUMB environment with the goal of
taking that process of knowledge acquisition to their eventual
placement as a teacher, wherever that might be.
Overarching Outcome:
Students completing this lecture, computer lab, and wet laboratory
course will be able to teach and prepare lesson plans based on the
California Life Science Content Standards for Kindergarten through
Fifth grade and portions of the standards for Sixth through Eighth
grades.
Assessment:
- Each
student will modify, prepare for, and teach one of the Monterey
Peninsula Unified Schools life science lessons to our class.
- Each
student will prepare a review of each lesson presented.
- Two
formal peer-reviews of student-developed instructional materials
will demonstrate the student's ability
to think critically.
- Each
student will prepare eight
Background Material Web Pages supporting existing K-8 Lesson Plans
on the course website.
- Each
student will prepare one significant powerpoint presentation to
be used in a classroom with an associated lesson plan.
- There will be ten on-line quizzes assessing
student mastery of K-8 life science content.
- There will be exercises in inquiry,
experimentation, data collection and analysis throughout the course.
- Field
trips and related writing assignments and activities will add to
the student’s background in natural
science "experiences".
- All class materials, except those posted
only on the student web site, will be turned in at the end of the
semester in the three-ring binder, which will be graded on the
basis of organization and completeness. This permanent record of
your work in the class will be available for you to pick up after
the instructors turn in course grades.
- Grading will be apportioned as follows:
| 20 |
- |
Ten
Quizzes |
| 20 |
- |
Lesson
Reviews |
| 10 |
- |
Lesson Presentation |
| 10 |
- |
Lesson
Background Web Pages |
| 10 |
- |
Protozoa
succession observations |
| 10 |
- |
On-line peer
reviews |
| 10 |
- |
On-line
Power-point Presentation |
| 5 |
- |
3-ring
Binder |
| 5 |
- |
Draft
Lesson Presentation |
| |
|
|
Periodically "grade
sheets" will be provided that cover the assignments graded to date,
during the course of the semester. The
"Binder"
Each student will keep a three-ring binder with the following divisions:
- Syllabus/Schedule
- Lecture
and fieldtrip notes
- Lab notes
and microscopy
- Powerpoint (print
handout)
- Standards K-8
- Kindergarten
- 1st Grade
- 2nd Grade
- 3rd Grade
- 4th Grade
- 5th Grade
- 6th Grade
- 7th Grade
- 8th Grade
|
