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Fall 2008
Instructor: Alan Colburn, Professor of Science Education
Office: FO5 - 132
Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays, 1-2--right after your class sessions. I am on campus a lot, too, and available by e-mail.
Telephone: 562 985-5948
E-mail: acolburn@csulb.edu
Course Rationale
Many elementary teachers don't teach much science. The fraction of class time devoted to science is less than it should be — even in the minds of many teachers themselves. Part of the problem lies in the fact that teachers don't like science very much, don't feel confident in their science knowledge, and/or don't know how to teach science effectively.
Exemplary elementary school science teachers have at least four important attributes. They like science, have an accurate understanding of major science content and processes, feel confident in their ability to learn science, and teach science using an age appropriate inquiry based approach. This course, like the science education department, exists to help you become an exemplary science teacher. I have centered the class around three major goals. The goals are to help you:
1. like science,
2. better understand the nature of science and what scientists do, and
3. develop your ability to identify, define, and solve problems like
scientists do.
If I'm successful in achieving these three goals, you'll feel more confident in your ability to teach science. You'll also be a more informed and critical consumer of scientific information. This means that when hear or read about a science related study discussed in the media (TV, newspapers, radio ... whatever), you will be better able to evaluate the study and the strength of its conclusions.
Although not taught directly, I will demonstrate inquiry based approaches to science teaching throughout the course. You will have the opportunity to experience science activities similar to those you will, hopefully, teach soon in your own classroom. You will, of course, work through the activities at a pace faster than children would. And you will do more than elementary science activities in our 15 weeks together; I would guess that we will spend about 2/3 of the course doing and discussing these activities, and the remainder of the class discussing ideas related to what science is and how science works (including evaluating studies). However, the centerpiece of the course will undoubtedly be your experiences and understandings of the hands-on activities.
By the end of the semester you should be able to demonstrate proficiency in the following objectives. The first five objectives are the most important in the class.
1.
Generate
researchable science questions.
2. Describe
or
devise procedures to answer scientific questions.
3. Discuss
the
limitations of an investigation.
4. Interpret
results of scientific investigations.
5. Describe
the nature of science--what science is, how
it works, and how science is different from other ways of knowing.
6. Demonstrate an
understanding of a few basic scientific concepts in the life, physical,
and
earth sciences.
7. Describe
attributes of elementary teachers who like science.
8. Explain the
implications of Piagetian theory to student learning in elementary
science.
9. Describe hands-on
minds-on science and explain how process and content can be taught with
this
approach.
10. Demonstrate an understanding of how
to use technology
tools and computer software for data analysis and presentation.
Required Course
Materials and Supplies
The class includes readings, available
online via library e-reserves. Click the link for e-reserves, and select my name from the drop down
list of course instructors. You will then be able to click a link to
open the course's e-reserves page. I will give you the necessary
password in class. Finally, the course has a course fee of $15 for materials
you'll use during class. This fee is assessed along with your other university fees. It's difficult to accurately assess how much someone
likes science or their ability to think like a scientist, not to
mention the course's other goals. For example, do I "grade" you on your
ability to think rationally, or the improvement you've shown over the
course of the semester? Do I reward natural talent more than effort? I
have come up with few answers while struggling with questions like
these. However, a few principles guide my thinking about assessment.
First, the things that are graded should have some intrinsic value; you
should learn something by doing the assignment, irrespective of grades.
Second, a variety of assignments are a better reflection of your
abilities and development than a small number of similar assignments (e.g.,
three multiple choice tests). Third, effort should "count"--without
discounting natural talent or the need to nevertheless show minimum
competencies to pass the course. Fourth, it's important that teachers
model good communication skills. Thus, clear writing and proper grammar
always "count". Finally, you should have a voice in determining your
grade, a chance to justify what you've done. I generally work with the "traditional" 90+=A, 80-89=B,
70-79=C, etc. I like to give + and - grades, and all these grades are
evenly spaced (3 1/3 pts separates each grade): A 95, A- 91.7, B+ 88.3,
B 85, B- 81.7, C+ 78.3, C 75, etc. Here are the course's assignments. The value of an assignment
toward your final grade is in parentheses. •science
autobiography (5%) Course
Policies However, the four hours/week we're together is by far the most
important part of the course. If you miss more than three days of
class, you've missed more than 10% of our time together! This will
unquestionably result in you learning less than you would if present. Upon your fourth and fifth absences, your final grade will be
lowered a grade (3.3%) for each day missed starting with the fourth
(not to mention the effects on your grade from whatever
you missed
the other days) unless you can show that all
your absences would be classified by the university as excused. In that
case we can discuss ways for you to try making up the missed classtime,
generally after the regular class is ended, i.e., via an
incomplete. If
you miss six times you should consider dropping the course or, if
possible, taking an incomplete. In addition, be on time. Teachers cannot be late to school
without inconveniencing others. Think of this class as practice.
Consistent lateness will be penalized; classtime missed will be counted
toward an absence. In other words, if you're 35 minutes late three
times, you've missed an hour and forty five minutes of
class--equivalent to missing an entire class session. Written work: I will deduct 3.3% of the
total
grade for each late day. However, papers are still on time if you give
them to me anytime on the date due, put them in my mailbox anytime that
day, or e-mail the file to me that day (even 11:55 pm is OK :-).
Students will sometimes e-mail me a paper on time, and then give me a
hard copy the next day. Students sometimes ask about whether spelling, punctuation,
and mechanics "count" in written assignments. They do! Teachers need to
be able to communicate clearly with a wide ranging audience, including
parents. You are the model! I expect you to write well wherever you
go--and you can expect the same of me. In addition, I think EVERY
college graduate should be able to write clearly and it's one of my
duties as a professor to encourage good writing by my students. Don't forget to proofread your work. You can avoid
many writing
errors I routinely see by simply reading your work carefully.
Don't rely on spell check! It doesn't catch everything. Make-up work, Extra credit:
Generally, there isn't any. Liberal
Studies Plagiarism Policy Statement: Liberal
Studies students are held to a high standard of academic integrity and
will pursue
their academic and scholarly activities free from fraud and deception. Plagiarism and cheating
are serious offenses
that will not be tolerated by the Department of Liberal Studies. Such
offenses are
violations of university
regulations. Plagiarism
is
defined in the University
Catalog as “using the ideas or work of another
person or persons as if they
were one’s own, without giving credit to the
source.” Cheating
is
defined as “the act of obtaining or attempting to
obtain or aiding another to obtain academic credit for work by use of
dishonest, deceptive or fraudulent means.” In
Liberal Studies courses, actions of plagiarism or
cheating will be subject to disciplinary action no matter the scale of
the
infraction.A
single instance of
plagiarism or cheating will result in a failing grade for the course
(without
the opportunity to withdraw), and a memo to this effect will be placed
in the
student’s file.If
a second infraction
occurs, the student’s case will be submitted to the
University Office of Judicial
Affairs.If
students have any questions
about academic integrity, they should consult the University
Catalog or speak with their instructors. NOTE: The activity part of the
schedule is tentative and will change. For example,
you'll be raising a butterfly from a caterpillar. The caterpillars may
not arrive on schedule.
We'll start working with them as soon as they get here--whenever that
might be! Similarly, some units might go a little more time than
scheduled, some a little less. I'll alert you as the schedule changes. Major
due dates, though, are unlikely to change. Students with disabilities who
need reasonable modifications, special assistance, or accomodations in
this course should promptly direct their request to the course
instructor. If a student with a disability feels that modifications,
special assistance, or accomodations offered are inappropriate or
insufficient, s/he should seek the assistance of the Director of
Disabled Student Services on campus. SCED 401
•interviewing children
(10%)
•consumer product
testing (20%)
•long term research
project (LTRP) (25%)
this assignment will include periodic progress reports due during the
semester
•notebook (5%)
•article reviews(10%)
•quizzes (probably 3-5 total) (25%)
Attendance: Put simply, come to class and arrive
on time. Being hands-on oriented, it's difficult to make up what's
missed. If you must miss, try to let me know ahead of time. I know
unavoidable things happen; it's not my goal to be an ogre. If you are
sick, a family member is ill, your car breaks, you need to appear in
court, etc.--don't come to class. These kinds of things happen all the
time. I allow three absences before I begin to penalize you. I don't
check to see whether your absence is "excused" or "unexcused." If you
were not in class, I know you had a good reason.
Read
about each day's lesson plan
Week
Date
Activity
Student
Work Due Today
1
Sep 1
No class today
Sep 3
Course introduction; begin Pendula
Transcript Evidence
2
Sep 8
Pendula (cont'd); read safety sheet
Hazen; Graika; Keys
Sep 10
Pendula (cont'd); disc. readings
Autobiography Assignment
3
Sep 15
Pendula (cont'd); graphing with Excel
Sep 17
Electricity & Magnetism
Article 1
4
Sep 22
Electricity & Magnetism
(cont'd)
Rosenberg
Sep 24
Electricity & Magnetism
(cont'd)
Marsa
5
Sep 29
Electricity & Magnetism (cont'd);
Rosenzweig
Oct 1
Quiz (Pendula, Electricity);
Introduce Consumer Product Testing Assignment
6
Oct 6
Skull Activity; Plant Expt (part I)
Carey
Oct 8
Mystery Powders; caterpillars
Article 2
7
Oct 13
Mystery Powders (cont'd); graphs,
tables, expt. design
Gott & Duggan 62-85
(tables, graphs)
Oct 15
Mystery Powders (cont'd)
Article 3
8
Oct 20
Mystery Powders (opt.); Discuss readings
Kotar
Oct 22
quiz (Mystery Powders)
9
Oct 27
Student Presentations
Consumer Product Testing
paper
Oct 29
Searching the ERIC database
(assignment completed in class?); check activity (NOS)
Swanson (pp 17-32)
10
Nov 3
Begin Plants II; discuss Piaget assignment
Swanson (pp 33-44)
Nov 5
Sampling activities + ?
Braude
11
Nov 10
Cat's Meow
activity, operational
questions; discuss LTRP, generate Q's
Shiland; LTRP Question?
Nov 12
Explore databases for LTRP; pillbugs?
Piaget paper
12
Nov 17
Oil Spills
Howard
Nov 19
Sinking & Floating
LTRP Pilot Study?
13
Nov 24
Sinking & Floating (cont'd)
Backhus
Nov 26
No Class Today
Chiapetta & Koballa
14
Dec 1
Structures
Long Term Research Project paper
Dec 3
Student Presentations
15
Dec 8
Curriculum Materials, Science
Processes & This Course
Ca Dept of Ed....maybe
Dec 10
Final quiz
Article 4
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