Instructor                          e-mail                     phone                 office                   office hours
Laura Henriques lhenriqu@csulb.edu      562-985-5949       FO5-131   M: 3:30-6:30, T:1:00-4:00, W: 1:30-2:30 & by appt

Overview of Course

EDEL 475, Introduction to Teaching and Learning Science K-8, is the course designed to help prepare students for teaching science in diverse elementary classrooms. This course will assist you in developing the skills, knowledge, appreciation, and understanding about science and science teaching. Strategies that emphasize inquiry, hands-on approaches will be employed as we investigate curriculum in the life, earth and physical sciences.

Learning to teach is like learning to create a building. You start with a solid foundation and a good framework before paying attention to the details. As science methods instructors, we want to help you develop the skills to create your teaching foundation and framework. Towards this end, we have two overarching goals.

We want you to think about your own science classroom. What do you want your students to get out of your science classes? We want you to think about this a great deal. First you must figure out why you are teaching science and then what goals you have for your students. You will then begin figuring out how you can attain those goals. The bigger assignments in the course deal with these ideas.

Secondly, we want you to think about your teaching analytically. This means being aware of what you are doing and the effects your behaviors have on students. If the effects are undesired you will consider alternative actions. We will always be looking at teacher behaviors and thinking about how they influence students. The instructional, assessment and management choices we make as teachers have huge impact on the students - we want you to be make those choices in an informed, well thought through manner. Since you are all student teaching this semester you will have ample opportunity to analytically reflect on your own practice.

Lastly, we want you to feel comfortable and confident in your ability to teach elementary school science. Among other things, this means you have to know how to find activities and resources to teach science, have a repertoire of successful strategies to use in the classroom, see instruction and assessment as integrated issues, and have experiences teaching and assessing science lessons. You will get practice with all of these during the semester.

Upon successful completion of the course you will demonstrate a beginning teacher's understanding of, and ability to:

• Develop a rationale for the inclusion of science in the K-8 curriculum;
• Understand the nature of science and how it applies to K-8 instruction;
• Develop lessons with clear connections between science and other academic subjects, especially literacy;
• Incorporate appropriate technology into lesson planning and lesson implementation;
• Become familiar with and use a wide array of curricular, reference and assessment materials available to teachers of elementary science;
• Develop and implement content-based science lessons that reach all students;
• Demonstrate and apply an understanding of how children learn science (constructivism, conceptual change, developmental appropriateness);
• Use the professional literature (including various state and national standards) and derive the implications in creating a vision for the desired science classroom;
• Use inquiry and cooperative learning - define, describe, cite the advantages (especially for English language learners), implement;
• Make accommodations in lessons/assessment for ELL’s and special needs students;
• Learn skills to manage a hands-on science classroom;
• Learn classroom management strategies, especially for the science classroom;
• Be skillful in choosing and using assessment types that match curricular goals/standards; learn how to evaluate assessment results
• Know the steps involved in helping students create science fair projects;
• Acquire and demonstrate increasing enthusiasm, competence, and confidence for teaching science.This is what you can expect from us.

• Students will need to have an e-mail account and access to the internet. If you don't have an account, sign up for your free account on campus.
• Students must complete 10 hours of field work assignments. For you this means actually teaching a minimum of 10 hours of science in your field sites. You will do centers, stations, and interviews with children in your first 8-week rotation and teach full science lessons in your second 8-week rotation.
• Students will need to read and sign a safety agreement sheet.
• I expect you to be a professional. More specifically this means:
• You are expected to attend class ready to learn. This means you are on time, actively participate, and have completed all assignments for the day.
• Assignments should be turned in on or before the due date. Late work will receive a 5% reduction for each day it is late  - this includes weekends. (If you feel you need an extension ask for it before the due date as we will rarely grant extensions ON the due date.) Please note that being absent from class is not an excuse for late work. If you realize you are going to be absent get the assignment to me by e-mail, drop it off at CSULB or have a classmate turn it in for you.
• Ringers to cell phones and pagers should be turned off during class time unless there are extenuating circumstances.

Course Topics

There are several topics we will explore which will enable us to reach our goals. Rather than go into great depth here, we will simply mention the various topics and the types of questions we will be addressing during the term. My rationale for including these topics will be given in class. As we address each of these questions we will be moving towards the goals stated above.

• The Students:Who are they? How do they learn? How to address the needs of ALL? How do issues of inclusion, gender, multiculturalism, and student language skills impact our teaching? How do we tailor science instruction for ELL and special needs students?
• Content Decisions: What is science? What science do I teach? How much to teach? How do I know if this book/curriculum is any good? What are the Science Standards and how do I use them?
• Assessment: What to test? How to test? When to test? How do I know if the students learned? How do I know if I am doing a good job? How do I make a 'test'? How should test results impact my future teaching? How do I modify assessment to meet the needs of all students?
• Integration/Interdisciplinary Science/Thematic Teaching: How? Why?
• Science Teaching Strategies: cooperative learning, the learning cycle, questioning, reading & writing to learn, STS, inquiry based science, constructivist approaches, 'hands-on minds-on' science, SDAIE
• Classroom Management: How? Rules and procedures, arranging the room, expectations, rewards or punishment? Teacher 'with-it-ness', getting eyes in the back of your head, the difference between management and discipline.
• Resources: Where are they? Who are they? How to find and use them in science instruction and assessment? How can you incorporate parents & other adults in your classroom? Using field trips and other informal education locations.
• Professionalism: Who are expert elementary science teachers? How can we become more like them? Self critiquing and reflecting, growing, opportunities for professional growth
• Technology: How can I best use technology to improve my own teaching? How can i use technology to enhance student learning? How can use of the internet support my professionalism?

Assignments

Grading for this course is traditional (A, B, C, etc.) with each assignment being worth a certain percentage of the final grade. A brief description of the assignments, the related Teacher Performance Expectations (TPEs) and their weighting in your final grade is listed below.

• PAPER: (10%) The Role of Science in the Elementary School.  DUE DATE: September 9

I want you to write this paper before you do many reading or talk to principals and master teachers. Answer the following questions. Be sure to provide as convincing an argument as possible.
Should science be taught in the elementary school setting? Why/why not?
What are the benefits to teaching science in K-6? (Answer this from the child perspective and the teacher perspective.)
What are the reasons NOT to teach science K-6?(Answer this from the child perspective and the teacher perspective.)
Please write honestly. Your grade is not dependent on the yes/not aspect of your answer, but the arguments you use to make your case.   Relevant TPEs: 1, 5, 7, 8, 11

• CURRICULUM ASSIGNMENTS:  This assignment actually has a couple of different components.

• FIELD EXPERIENCE & RELATED JOURNALING ENTRIES: (10%) All methods classes require 10 hours of field work. For this class your 10 hours of field work will be completed by actually teaching science in your student teaching placement. You will have several small assignments related to your science teaching experiences. Relevant TPEs: 3,4,5,6,7,10,11,13

• TECHNOLOGY ENHANCED LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS (TELE) (8%): You will experience online learning activities, environments and/or simulations. At the completion of your assigned tasks, you will reflect on the experience and impact technology-enhanced environments may have on your future teaching of science. This assignment will be partially completed via in-class assignments. Relevant TPE 1, 3, 7, 12, 13
• TECHNOLOGY AUTHORING ASSIGNMENTS (TAA) (8%): You will experience at least 2 different technology authoring tools for support use in your future K-8 classrooms. This assignment will be partially completed via in-class assignments. Relevant TPEs: 1, 13
• SCIENCE EDUCATION PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM (10%): You will participate in at least 2 opportunities showcasing science teaching and learning outside the classroom walls from the vantage point of a practicing teacher. You will be select from a menu of choices which include science education field trips, workshops, conferences and a speaker series designed to meet the needs of future K-8 teachers. Relevant TPEs: 6, 7, 9, 13

To sign up for your choices visit http://www.cnsm.csulb.edu/depts/scied/edel475/assignments.asp Activate your account and sign up! If you need to cancel your reservation please do so in a timely fashion so that other EDEL475 students can use your spot.
• In Class Assignments & Small Homework Assignments (10%) You will do several small assignments in class (activities, reflective writing assignments, etc.). As a result, you will be expected to turn in much of the work you produce during class. If you are absent on a particular day you will not be able to make up the assignments and you will lose whatever points were assigned for that day. Small HW assignments include things like e-mailing me summary statements for the various articles we read, writing a cover letter, turning in a resume, writing a lesson plan, etc. These will be given in class and are not listed on the course calendar.
• Culminating Assignment: (9%) TPA #3 - to be completed during week 16 [exam week]

Good writing always counts. In order to earn an A on an assignment the content of the paper as well as the presentation (writing, spelling, grammar, punctuation, mechanics, etc.) must be "A" quality.

Course Policies

ATTENDANCE: Put simply, don't miss class! The predominant mode of instruction will be through discussion & activities. We will talk about weekly reading assignments, you will take part in a variety of activities (science activities, analyzing video tapes, mini-teaching lessons, sharing and critiquing science activities and science centers, analyzing and making various assessment instruments, and participating in cooperative activities). Participation and attendance are vital. If you absolutely must miss class, try to let me know ahead of time, we know unavoidable things happen. That is why we will allow two (based on section) absences before your grade is penalized.

However, if you miss more than two classes (in a once-per-week section) you will have missed more than 10% of the course. This will unquestionably result in you learning less than you would if you'd been present. After your second absence, your final grade will be lowered by one 5% for each day missed (not to mention whatever you missed on those days - i.e. in class assignments). Each subsequent absence results in a further reduction of 5% (e.g. a 85% average + five absences -- final grade of 70%).

In addition, demonstrate your ability to be punctual. Teachers cannot be late to school without inconveniencing others, think of this class as practice! Consistent lateness will be penalized. Likewise, teachers cannot turn in paperwork late without getting in trouble. Late work will be penalized (5 points/day) unless an extension has been given prior to the due date. Absence from class is not a legitimate excuse for late work.

MAKE-UP WORK/EXTRA CREDIT: In general, there is no make-up work or extra credit. You will, however, have grading criteria for all assignments prior to submitting them so you will know what is needed to earn the grade you want to earn in this course. After getting an assignment back you can revise it and resubmit it within two weeks of getting it back.

Students with disabilities who need reasonable modifications, special assistance, or accommodations in this course should promptly direct their request to me. If a student with a disability feels that modifications, special assistance, or accommodations offered are inappropriate or insufficient, she/he should seek the assistance of the Director of Disable Student Services on campus.

PLAGIARISM & CHEATING (taken from the CSULB catalog)
Plagiarism is defined as the act of using the ideas or work of another person or persons as if they were one's own, without giving credit to the source. Such an act is not plagiarism if it is ascertained that the ideas were arrived at through independent reasoning or logic, or where the thought or idea is common knowledge. Acknowledgment of an original author or source must be made through appropriate references, i.e., quotation marks, footnotes or commentary.

Cheating is defined as the act of obtaining or attempting to obtain or aiding another to obtain academic credit for work by the use of any dishonest, deceptive or fraudulent means. Examples of cheating during an examination include, but are not limited to the following: copying, either in part or in whole, from another's test or examination; discussion of answers or ideas relating to the answers on an examination or test unless such discussion is specifically authorized by the instructor; giving or receiving copies of an examination without the permission of the instructor; using or displaying notes, "cheat sheets," or other information or devices inappropriate to the prescribed test conditions, as when the test of competence includes a test of unassisted recall of information, skill, or procedure; allowing someone other than the officially enrolled student to represent the same. Also included are plagiarism as defined and altering or interfering with the grading procedures.

It is often appropriate for students to study together or to work in teams on projects. However, such students should be careful to avoid the use of unauthorized assistance, and to avoid any implications of cheating.

For more information on plagiarism and cheating refer to the CSULB catalog.

Required Course Materials

You must make a few purchases for this course.

• First, a course-pack of required readings. These are available from One Stop Business Center (in the Ralph's/Long's Drug shopping center on 7th/PCH/Bellflower. One Stop is next to Dairy Queen). The course pack includes readings about teaching, learning and managing science in elementary & middle level classrooms, teaching standards, science content standards, and handouts to be used during the semester. This is available for a cost of ~$30. The articles in the course pack are arranged in alphabetical order, not the order in which we will read them. We will assign readings in class for the next class meeting. You will need to e-mail 3-4 "bullet statements" reflecting the main idea from each night’s assigned articles.
• Second, you will be required to purchase two books at Border's (2110 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach). The books are Nurturing Inquiry by Charles Pearce and EdThoughts by Krueger & Sutton. Simply go to the cashier and request the CSULB Science Methods books (they are behind the counter).
• Third, you are required to join the National Science Teachers Association. If you join our "science teacher's club" you get a free year of NSTA membership. You do not need to attend all club meetings to be a club member. As part of your membership you get the journal Science & Children, discount on NSTA products and reduced admission to the annual meetings. We will fill out the NSTA membership form in class.
• THIS COURSE HAS A $15 LAB FEE PAYABLE BY CHECK (CSULB) OR CASH AT THE CASHIER'S WINDOW. You must return the receipt of payment slip to me or the Science Education Office (FO5-118).
• You will need to get and use an e-mail account during this class. As a student you are entitled to free e-mail on campus but you are not required to use a campus e-mail account. we will help you get started if you don't already know how to use e-mail and the internet. We will be using this extensively during class this semester.