500

This course is designed to provide active inquiry and exploration of science content for teacher candidates. The main topics in this course are aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards and will increase teacher candidates’ knowledge and skills to participate in inquiry focused on physical and earth science contents through a variety of hands-on scientific investigations. Relevant connections between science content and everyday life will be explored and discussed. Pre-requisite(s): 3 semester hours of previous coursework in the general education sciences. Co-requisite(s): None. 2 semester hours

This course encourages the active exploration of the question, "What is good science teaching?" In this course, candidates explore methods of planning, teaching and assessing elementary students' science outcomes. Candidates construct ideas about effective science instruction to inform their developing science teaching styles and their approaches to creating equity in learning. Assignments aim to increase comfort, confidence, and competence in using effective science teaching methods by relating the nature of science to the way elementary students develop and learn. An emphasis on curriculum, instructional planning, teaching with technology and creating formative and summative assessments are linked to building meaningful constructs of good science teaching.

1-4 semester hours