PHSC 621:622
EARTH SCIENCE FOR TEACHERS
Catalog Entry
PHSC 621:622. Earth Science for Teachers
Credit Hours (3:2).
A minimum of 100 contact hours for both courses. In-depth study of earth science concepts and instructional strategies essential to teaching modern secondary school earth science.
Detailed Description of Content of Course
Because of the laboratory emphasis of the course and the differing needs of different classes, a detailed content description is neither possible nor desirable. Topics for study will be chosen from geology, astronomy, meteorology, and oceanography.
Once topics are selected for study, class participants investigate the selected topics in a laboratory environment. Concurrently with developing their understanding of earth science concepts, class participants also develop process skills and by their participation also develop an understanding of inquiry based instruction. Numerous field trips are taken as an integral part of the course.
Parallel readings assigned to class participants review the pedagogical, philosophical and psychological bases for inquiry based instruction and begin to develop their own laboratory activities and materials for use in their classes. To the extent possible within time constraints, these participant-developed activities and materials will be tested and critiqued by other participants as a means of providing feedback to the developer.
Detailed Description of Conduct of Course
The class is conducted as a laboratory course, with the emphasis on open-ended inquiry. Class participants pick areas of inquiry to pursue and are encouraged to branch into areas that they may find interesting. Field trips to appropriate locations give class participants the opportunity to make first-hand observations, collect specimens, and make photographs for later use. Additional assignments will consist of textbook readings to review concepts (with occasional lectures as deemed needed), readings in philosophy, psychology, and pedagogy of inquiry-based instruction, and the development by class participants of laboratory activities that can be used in a school setting. The activities developed by the class participants will be tested by the class to the extent that time permits. All developed activities will be shared, so that class participants will be able to leave with a supply of laboratory activities to use in their own classrooms.
Goals and Objectives of Course
1. Students will review and extend some major topic(s) from geology, astronomy, meteorology, and oceanography.
2. Students will be encouraged to incorporate more laboratory work into their curricula by giving them hands on experience with laboratory exercises and materials that they can use in their laboratories. Some of these materials will be provided by the instructor; other materials will be developed by the class participants.
3. Students will be encouraged to incorporate more open-ended instructional activities into their curricula by giving them hands-on experience with such materials, which they can in turn use in their own classrooms. Some of these materials will be provided by the instructor; other materials will be developed by the class participants.
4. Class participants develop and/or reinforce positive attitudes toward inquiry based instruction by becoming both student (using class material developed by others) and teacher (developing their own class materials and using those materials in a teaching situation with other class participants).
Assessment Measures
Assessment will be multifaceted. Traditional testing will assess the level of understanding of science concepts. Performance on investigative activities will be assessed by written and oral reports prepared by the class participants, individually, and as part of a small group. The quality of investigative materials developed by class participants will be judged (by the instructor and class participants together) on the basis of originality, appropriateness of grade level, the degree to which the activity challenges students to use higher level cognitive processes, and the degree to which the activity encourages further investigation on the part of the student.
Other Course Information
This syllabus is provided to class participants at the beginning of the course.
APPROVAL AND SUBSEQUENT REVIEWS
DATE ACTION REVIEWED BY
September 1991 Revised and updated Franklin Jones, Chair Physical Science Department
