Natural Science Curriculum for Grades 1-6 (Formerly Elementary Science)

Natural Science Curriculum for Grades 1-6 (Formerly Elementary Science) (EDU-315)
Location:
Various: distance learning format

Length:
Varies (self-study; self-paced)

Dates:
April 2020 - Present.

Subject Area:
Education

Number of Credits:
3

Learner Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: paraphrase that science is observing, analyzing, and investigating to learn how the natural and physical world works; establish learning goals that are aligned to standards identify what students should know, understand, and be able to do at their grade level; illustrate how designing a positive classroom environment is essential to promote active inquiry learning; demonstrate how understanding science ideas means being able to explain, to interpret, to apply and adapt knowledge; demonstrate how inquiry-based instruction features practices needed to ask and try to answer a scientific question; illustrate how asking the right question is at the heart of teaching and learning; investigate how assessment processes provide opportunities to gather evidence of student learning (summative) or for student learning (formative) which can be evaluated to determine level of mastery of the identified learning goals; investigate how technology can be used support learning in the science classroom; demonstrate how science doesn’t happen in isolation but is connected to mathematics when the learning goals from each discipline and the student practice skills from both disciplines are linked; and scrutinize how equity, diversity, and achievement gaps should be considered when guiding all children to learn science.

Instruction:
Major topics include: an introduction to concepts related to effective science instruction for elementary school students, including the nature of science, inquiry-based instruction, effective learning environments, teaching for understanding, using the 5E engagement model, and questioning strategies, strategies for integrated science across other disciplines by incorporating technology.

Credit Recommendation:
In the upper division baccalaureate degree category, 3 semester hours in Elementary Education (4/20)