Science Curriculum & Instruction 3371-501 Syllabus Spring 05

ED3371-501

CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION IN THE NATURAL SCIENCES

2006 SPRING

469-593-2427 / james.mcconnell@utdallas.edu
FN2.306

Tentative Schedule

1/12/06.............. Orientation and overview of assignments and class activities

1/19/06.............. Videos on Inquiry Science / Solubility Activity

1/26/06.............. Articles on Units One and Two (10 pts); Unit Plan Topic due; discuss Units One and
Two

2/02/06.............. Articles on Units Three and Four (10 pts); discuss Units Three and Four

2/09/06.............. Article on Unit Five (5 pts); Discuss Unit Five

2/16/06.............. Article on Unit Six (5 pts); Discuss Unit Six

2/23/06.............. Article on Unit Seven (5 pts); Discuss Unit Seven

3/02/06.............. Attend the awards ceremony and view the exhibits at the ESF

3/09/06.............. UTD Spring Break ………No Class

3/16/06.............. RISD Spring Break ………….No Class

3/23/06.............. Article on Unit Eight (5 pts); Discuss Unit Eight

3/30/06.............. Article on Unit Nine (5 pts); Discuss Unit Nine

4/06/06.............. Project WILD (Meet @ UTD)

4/13/06.............. Project WILD (5 pts) [Meet @ RISD Environmental Center]

4/20/06.............. Unit Plan due (100 pts); Field Observations due (50 pts)

4/27/65.............. Final Exam (100 points)

Textbook: Carin, Arthur A., Joel E. Bass, and Terry L. Contant, Teaching Science as Inquiry, 10th Edition, 2005.
Pearson/Merrill/Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-118165-3.

Unit 1: Children, Science, and Inquiry

Unit 2: Processes of Science and Scientific Inquiry
Unit 3: Learning Science with Understanding
Unit 4: Teaching Science Through Inquiry
Unit 5: Questioning Strategies for Inquiry Teaching

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Unit 6: Assessing Science Learning

Unit 7: Preparing for Inquiry Instruction
Unit 8: Connecting Science with Other Subjects
Unit 9: Science for All Learners
Unit 10: Educational Technology and the Science Curriculum

Course Description: This course is designed to assist prospective science teachers in developing the knowledge and
skills necessary to be effective science education professionals. Emphasis is on basic applications of curriculum
planning, instructional theory, instructional methods, trends in science education, identification of practical and
helpful resources, organizational skills and classroom management techniques. Students are required to complete
20 hours of field site (classroom) observations (or show proof that you are currently employed full time as a
teacher or teacher’s aide).

If you have a handicapping condition that requires special consideration, let me know at the beginning of the
semester.

Academic Dishonesty: I strictly adhere to the UT Dallas policies concerning academic dishonesty. Those policies
are detailed in the Dean of Students office in the Student Union Building.

Attendance: It is important that you attend all class meetings. Please make every effort to be on time. If it is
necessary that you miss a class, please contact another member of the class to get a copy of the notes, etc. that you
missed. To be able to receive an “A”, you must have no more than 2 absences. To be able to receive a “B”, you
must have no more than 4 absences.

Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TexES) specifically covered in this course include:
Field 111: Generalist 4-8, Domain IV: 036-040, 056-058
Field 116: Science 4-8, Domains I and V: 001, 003, 004, 021-023
Field 136: Science 8-12, Domains I and X: 001-003,046, 047

Assignments / Activities
Submission of Work: All work must be legible. Work should not contain multiple spelling, usage and/or
mechanical errors. Remember, you are a role model for your students. Get approval before you submit work late. To
receive a grade of “A or B”, you must earn an average of 80 or better on all assignments and pass the final exam
with a score of 75 or better. (Note: Credit for this class can only be granted if the 20 field observations hours are
completed and a course grade of “A or B” is earned.)

Science Updates: Find one article that relates specifically to each of the first nine units in the textbook. You will
share these with the rest of the class. Research for these updates should not be more than one year old. Make enough
copies of each article (or at least the summary) for each member of the class to have one. Be sure to include the
source(s). [5 points each]

Sponge Activity (one): This activity will focus students’ attention on the lesson for the day. It should be an
“attention grabber”. They work best if they are varied from day to day and some days you will not use them at all.
While students are engaged in a sponge activity, you will take roll, etc. They should not take more than three to five
minutes to complete. Use your imagination and creativity. Pick a Sponge Activity that would go with the topic of the
unit in the textbook you are presenting. [5 points]

Project WILD Participation: The Project WILD facilitators will sign your participation certificates if you
complete both nights. [5 points]

Unit Plan (Syllabus): The objective of this assignment is to help you assimilate material in such a way that when
you plan to use it, it will be organized and easily implemented. Units require a lot of work, but if done correctly the
first time, will save you time and effort in the long run. You will refine and improve it each time you use it. This
activity will provide you with a solid foundation upon which to build your course. [100 points]

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On the cover page include your name, the date, ED 3371-501, the unit title, grade level (i.e. 7th grade, AP/PreAP
physics, etc.), and the text(s) used.

Use tabbed dividers (or something) to separate the sections:

Section 1 .........................Calendar: this is the calendar you would give the students. Please, clearly
mark labs you plan to do in class. On each day’s lesson, list the TEKS(s) that
will be covered in the lesson. As you list the TEKS, make sure that you have
them in a logical sequence.
Section 2 .........................Daily Activities: one divider per day. One entire unit should be approximately
2 weeks long (some will be longer and some will be shorter). If your school
has or will have block scheduling, let me know and we will adjust this part of
the unit plan. Be sure to include the objective for each day’s lesson, what
concept(s) you will be teaching, what are the essential understandings students
will need to be successful, key terms students must know, will there be any
math involved and if so, will you need to re-teach it, etc.
Section 3 .........................Review: be creative here. This section will illustrate how you plan to review
the material you have covered in this unit.
Section 4 .........................Extensions: this will outline how you would extend the lesson(s) for students
who are more advanced. You will always have these students in class and it’s
better to prepare ahead of time for them.
Section 5 .........................Remedial/Reteach: You will also have students who need to have the material
presented in another format, at a different rate, visually, using tactile
kinesthetic methods, etc. You will need to prepare for them, as well.
Section 6 ........................Safety Lesson: include any safety lessons you will use in your class. Make this
specific to you particular unit you are teaching. If applicable, include MSDS
instructions.

Units should include all answer keys, transparencies, notes, worksheets, powerpoints, directions, etc. Don’t leave
anything out.

Field Observation Journal: You must observe 20 clock hours in your field to receive credit in the course. Dallas
ISD will assign you a school and a teacher. You are required to turn in a signature page for this assignment and a
one or two (at the most) page written summary of the overall experience. In your summary, include any suggestions
on how this experience can be improved to make it more beneficial for prospective teachers. If you are already
teaching, you will not need to complete this assignment. Instead, you will teach a sample lesson to the class (see the
“peer-teaching” assignment described above). [50 points]

Final Exam: 100 points

Scoring:
Total number of points = 305
Your grade percentage will be the total number of points you earn divided by 305.
275+ points = A
244 – 274 points = B
214 – 243 points = C
183 – 213 points = D

Resources

Arter, Judith A. and Kathleen U. Busick. Practice With Student-Involved Classroom Assessment, 3rd. Edition. 2001.
Assessment Training Institute, Inc., Portland, OR. ISBN 0-9655101-2-3.

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Burz, Helen M. and Kit Marshall. Performance-Based Curriculum for Science. 1997. Corwin Press, Inc., Thousand
Oaks, California. ISBN 0-8039-6507-9.

Callahan, Joseph F., Leonard H. Clark, and Richard D. Kellough. 6 th Edition, Teaching in the Middle and Secondary
Schools. Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-621004-X.
Hazen & Trefil, Science Matters. New York, New York: Doubleday. ISBN 0-38-524796-6.

Dorner, Dietrich. The Logic of Failure. Perseus Books. ISBN 0-201-47948-6.

DuFour, Richard and Robert Eaker. Professional Learning Communities at Work. 1998. National Education Service,
Bloomington, Indiana. ISBN 1-879639-60-2.

English, Fenwick W. Deciding What to Teach and Test. 2000. Corwin Press, Inc., Sage Publications Company,
Thousand Oaks, California. ISBN 0-8039-6832-9.

Fifer, Fred Jr., & C.E. Ledbetter (1988) Penny Ante Science. (2nd ed), Penny Ante Science Revisited, and Penny
Ante Science Third Verse. UTD.

Gabel, Dorothy L. Handbook of Research on Science Teaching and Learning. 1994. National Science Teachers
Association, Macmillan Publishing Company, New York, NY. ISBN 0-02-897005-5

Kotulak, Ronald. Inside the Brain. 1997. Andrews McMeel Publishing, Kansas City, Missouri. ISBN 0-8362-3289-
5.

Loucks-Horsley, Susan, Peter W. Hewson, Nancy Love and Katherine E. Stiles, 1998. Designing Professional
Development for Teachers of Science and Mathematics. The National Institute for Science Education. Corwin Press,
Inc. ISBN 0-8039-6662-8

Marzano, Robert J., Debra J. Pickering and Jane E. Pollock. Classroom Instruction that Works. 2001. Association
for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Alexandria, VA. ISBN 0-87120-504-1.

Mills, Geoffrey E. Action Research, A Guide for the Teacher Researcher, 2 nd Edition. 2003. Pearson Education.
ISBN 0-13-042254-1.

Palmer, Parker J. The Courage to Teach. 1999. Jossey-Bass Inc., Publishers, San Francisco, California. ISBN 0-
7879-1058-9.

Sprenger, Marilee. Learning & Memory: The Brain in Action. 1999. Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development, Alexandria, VA. ISBN 0-87120-350-2.

Stiggins, Richard J. But Are They Learning? 1998. Assessment Training Institute, Inc., Portland, OR. ISBN 0-
9655101-1-5.

Stiggins, Richard J. Student-Centered Classroom Assessment. 1997. Prentice Hall, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New
Jersey. ISBN 0-13-432931-7.

Stiggins, Richard J. Student Involved Classroom Assessment, 3rd Edition. 2001. Prentice Hall, Inc. Upper Saddle
River, New Jersey. ISBN 0-13-022537-1.

Stronge, James H. Qualities of Effective Teachers. 2002. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Alexandria, VA. ISBN 0-87120-663-3

Swartz, Robert J., Stephen David Fischer and Sandra Parks. Infusing the Teaching of Critical and Creative Thinking
Into Secondary Science, A Lesson Design Handbook. 1997. Critical Thinking Books & Software. ISBN 0-89455-
703-3.

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TAKS Study Guide, Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills, Grade 5. 2003, Texas Education Agency, Austin,
Texas.

TAKS Study Guide, Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills, Exit Level. 2003, Texas Education Agency,
Austin, Texas.

Tapscott, Don. Growing Up Digital. McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 1998. ISBN 0-07-063361-4.

The Charles A. Dana Foundation, Jane Nevins, Editor in Chief. The Dana Brain Science Guide, Resources for
Secondary and Post-Secondary Teachers and Students, New York, New York.

Trowbridge, L., Rodger Bybee and Janet Powell. Teaching Secondary School Science (8th ed), Columbus, OH:
Prentice Hall, Inc. ISBN 0-13-099234-8.

Whittrock, Merlin C. Handbook of Research on Teaching. A project of the American Educational Research
Association, Macmillan Publishing Company, New York, NY. ISBN 0-02-900310-5.
Wiggins, Grant and Jay McTighe. Understanding by Design. 1998. Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development, Alexandria, VA. ISBN 0-87120-313-8.

Working Group on Teaching Evolution. Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science, National Academy of
Sciences, National Academy Press, Washington, D.C. ISBN 0-309-05986-0.

Web Sites:

For the Texas Education Agency home page go to:

http://www.tea.state.tx.us/

For the TAKS Test information go to:

http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/taks/booklets/index.html

For a list of the TEKS go to:

http://www.tea.state.tx.us/teks/

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