5211                        Teaching of General Science (Professional)                      3(3+0)

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course will strengthen prospective elementary teachers’ subject matter knowledge. It provides further opportunity to deepen the pedagogical science content knowledge required to effectively teach general science in elementary school. The course covers core concepts in physical science, life science, and earth science. It also covers teaching strategies and instructional approaches that best support the development of a conceptual understanding of science. The Instructor will adopt innovative teaching approaches dominated by the inquiry approach along with cooperative learning and problem-solving, which involve Student Teachers in the active learning process. In this syllabus, the use of inquiry-based pedagogy in the paradigm of the constructivist approach should help Student Teachers experience making meaning in science, and help them relate science learning with their daily experiences. courses are designed to prepare prospective elementary teachers to teach inquiry science in grades 1-5. Their (pedagogical) content knowledge is chosen accordingly. It is recommended that prospective science teachers who want to teach science in higher elementary grades (6-8) deepen their science knowledge further by attending additional science classes offered in Year 3 and Year 4 of the B.Ed. (Hons) program.

COURSE OUTCOMES

After completing this course, student teachers will be able to:

1.   Describe forms and interactions of energy and matter, including energy transfer and transformations, as they apply to chemical and physical processes with an emphasis on events/phenomena in everyday life.

2.   Begin to see that complex interactions between the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, and the lithosphere in Earth’s systems undergo constant change. Understand the theory of plate tectonics as it relates to Pakistan’s mountain formations and earthquakes. Provide examples of advances in technologies that have made it possible to more accurately predict natural disasters and provide life-saving warnings (for floods, hurricanes, etc.). Explain how human activities influence air and water quality, ecosystems, and climate across the globe.

3.   Begin to understand the vastness and age of the universe, and be able to discuss the

characteristics and differences of objects within our Solar System.

4.   Describe the flow of matter and energy in living systems, and apply it to the human body to explain, for instance, the circulatory and digestive system.

5.   Be able to understand the purpose of scientific models and tools, and use them

appropriately. Examples are the periodic table, classification tables, maps, and models of particle theory and the atom. In addition, be able to demonstrate and teach data collection, recording, and graphing to present conclusions of investigations.

Teaching-Learning Framework

Throughout this course, pedagogy is interwoven with the content development. Faculty will model inquiry teaching to student teachers in order for them to experience the learning and teaching of science in an inquiry way. Thoughtful discussions will follow such hands-on experiences to clarify the applied methods and expected learning. These reflections are essential because it is through these discussions that prospective teachers will gain essential transfer and pedagogical content knowledge needed for after graduation when they enter the field and teach science to elementary students. Therefore, it is critical to give prospective teachers the opportunity to reflect on what they are experiencing as learners as well as opportunities to practice their role as teachers. Teachers can thus develop meaningful activities around core concepts that will enable their students to gain deeper conceptual understanding and allow them to modify these activities to best meet the needs of their individual classrooms.

This course is also designed to help students develop science thinking and process skills in addition to content and pedagogical content knowledge.

After completing this course, student teachers will be able to:

1.   Apply inquiry to the teaching of science at the elementary level.

2.   Identify, adapt, and modify investigations that lead to conceptual understanding.

3.   Design science investigations around core concepts.

4.   Understand the need for learning progressions.

5.   Recognize common misconceptions and be able to respond with appropriate remedies.

6.   Use open-ended questions to assess students’ conceptual understanding.

7.   Provide their students with exciting science experiences that extend their natural fascination with the world and help them learn the science skills and concepts they will need in later schooling and in life.

8.   Reflect on their teaching to develop a personal approach to the teaching of science.

SEMESTER II OUTLINE Unit 1: Course Overview

During this unit, prospective teachers will:

·              Understand that science reflects its history and is an ongoing, changing enterprise.

·              Read and reflect about the nature of science, and apply it to their own learning and teaching.

·              Distinguish between observation and inference.

·              Read about famous scientists and their lives, and relate their scientific quest to their own lives.

·              Investigate and present a science topic of their choice, applying their science and teaching of science knowledge following specific criteria (research component, science explanations, conclusions, transfer to teaching in elementary school grades).

Unit 2: Energy Transfer, Transformations, and Conservation

During this unit, prospective teachers will:

·              Distinguish among different forms of energy (kinetic, potential) and demonstrate that energy can be transferred and transformed.

·              Provide examples of kinetic energy being transformed into potential energy and vice versa.

·              Recognize that heat can spread from one place to another in predictable ways.

·              Provide examples of the transfer of energy from hotter to cooler objects by conduction, radiation, or convection.

·              Explain that energy can be transferred (e.g., by collisions and radiation) but never destroyed (conservation of energy).

·              Differentiate the states of matter based on their energy state (e.g., the structure of molecules and atoms in these different states varies from rigid in solids to independent motion in a gas).

·              View thermal energy (i.e., heat) in terms of atomic and molecular motion (i.e., the higher the temperature, the greater the atomic or molecular motion).1

·              Compare the transmission, reflection, refraction, and absorption of light using different materials.

·              Listen for student misconceptions about properties and particle theory, and try to correct them.

·              Identify the underlying core science concepts in this unit for elementary students

·              Design age-appropriate, inquiry-based activities and identify learning outcomes.

1 These objectives will be continued and deepened in Unit3, Energy and Matter where the focus of energy transfers  will be on the microscopic level (between and within atoms)—for instance, understanding chemical reactions (exothermic and endothermic) and radioactivity.

Unit 3: Interactions of Energy and Matter

During this unit, prospective teachers will:

·              Differentiate between physical and chemical properties, and physical and chemical change.

·              Gain an understanding that mass is conserved even when materials are dissolved.

·              Investigate how some common materials interact to form new materials.

·              Explain how in physical change properties of substances remain the same.

·              Provide examples of how the properties of a product of a chemical change are different than the products of the reactants.

·              Provide examples of the natural world in which energy is released (or needed) in chemical reactions (e.g., burning fossil fuels, photosynthesis).

·              Be able to identify some of the underlying core science concepts in this unit for elementary students.

·              Design age-appropriate, inquiry-based activities and identify learning outcomes.

·              Be aware of misconceptions about energy and matter, and learn what to do about them.

Unit 4: Earth’s Systems Undergoing Constant Change

During this unit, prospective teachers will:

·              See the Earth as a system consisting of major interacting components that consistently undergo change. Identify physical, chemical, and biological processes act within and among them on a wide range of scales.

·              Begin to see that there are complex interactions between the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, and the lithosphere.

·              Apply the theory of plate tectonics to explain the formation of Pakistan’s mountain ranges and the threat of earthquakes.

·              Recognize how the movement of Earth’s lithospheric plates causes slow changes in Earth’s surface (e.g., formation of mountains and ocean basins) and rapid ones (e.g., volcanic eruptions and earthquakes).

·              Give examples of advances in technology that have made it possible to more accurately predict natural disasters.

·              Understand how human activities influence air and water quality, ecosystems, and climate across the globe.

·              Identify the underlying core science concepts in this unit for elementary students.

·              Design age-appropriate, inquiry-based activities and identify learning outcomes.

Unit 5: Solar System and the Universe

During this unit, prospective teachers will:

·              Differentiate groups of objects in the Solar System—including the Sun; the planets and their moons and rings; and smaller objects, such as asteroids and comets—by their size, composition, and position in the Solar System.

·              Compare and contrast the properties and characteristics of Earth with those of the other planets in our Solar System.

·              Explain, based on the naked eye and telescopic observation, how objects in the Solar

System change position against the background of stars.

·              Begin to understand the scale of time and distance involved in deep space.

·              Describe how the early Earth was very different from the planet we live on today.

·              Identify the underlying core science concepts in this unit for elementary students.

·              Design age-appropriate, inquiry-based activities and identify learning outcomes.

Unit 6: Human Body as a System

During this unit, prospective teachers will:

·              Connect an organism’s need for food with cells’ need for food.

·              Explain how multiple body systems work together to meet cell energy needs.

·              Examine and describe the flow of matter and energy in living systems.

·              Demonstrate through investigations that food is a source of energy (fuel) and building materials for cells.

·              Relate cellular respiration to the functions of body systems (e.g., how body systems function to provide cells with the necessary raw materials).

Recommended Texts

1. Obe, W. H. (2018). The teaching of science in primary schools. UK: Routledge.
2. Terry, J. (2019). Oxford secondary science teaching guide 1. Oxford: Oxford University Press

Suggested Readings

1. Yeung, Y. Y. (2015). General Science Teacher Education. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-         007-2150-0_219
2.  Eikenberry, W. L. (2008). The teaching of general science. Chicago: The University of Chicago         Press. Retrieved from https://elearn.gov.pk/books/techersGuide/6th7th8th/index.html

COURSE ASSIGNMENTS

Suggested assignments are included in the Unit Guides of the course. Some are short-term assignments and some take several weeks to complete. A mix of individual and group assignments is also provided.

5211                        Teaching of General Science (Professional)                      3(3+0)

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course will strengthen prospective elementary teachers’ subject matter knowledge. It provides further opportunity to deepen the pedagogical science content knowledge required to effectively teach general science in elementary school. The course covers core concepts in physical science, life science, and earth science. It also covers teaching strategies and instructional approaches that best support the development of a conceptual understanding of science. The Instructor will adopt innovative teaching approaches dominated by the inquiry approach along with cooperative learning and problem-solving, which involve Student Teachers in the active learning process. In this syllabus, the use of inquiry-based pedagogy in the paradigm of the constructivist approach should help Student Teachers experience making meaning in science, and help them relate science learning with their daily experiences. courses are designed to prepare prospective elementary teachers to teach inquiry science in grades 1-5. Their (pedagogical) content knowledge is chosen accordingly. It is recommended that prospective science teachers who want to teach science in higher elementary grades (6-8) deepen their science knowledge further by attending additional science classes offered in Year 3 and Year 4 of the B.Ed. (Hons) program.

COURSE OUTCOMES

After completing this course, student teachers will be able to:

1.   Describe forms and interactions of energy and matter, including energy transfer and transformations, as they apply to chemical and physical processes with an emphasis on events/phenomena in everyday life.

2.   Begin to see that complex interactions between the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, and the lithosphere in Earth’s systems undergo constant change. Understand the theory of plate tectonics as it relates to Pakistan’s mountain formations and earthquakes. Provide examples of advances in technologies that have made it possible to more accurately predict natural disasters and provide life-saving warnings (for floods, hurricanes, etc.). Explain how human activities influence air and water quality, ecosystems, and climate across the globe.

3.   Begin to understand the vastness and age of the universe, and be able to discuss the

characteristics and differences of objects within our Solar System.

4.   Describe the flow of matter and energy in living systems, and apply it to the human body to explain, for instance, the circulatory and digestive system.

5.   Be able to understand the purpose of scientific models and tools, and use them

appropriately. Examples are the periodic table, classification tables, maps, and models of particle theory and the atom. In addition, be able to demonstrate and teach data collection, recording, and graphing to present conclusions of investigations.

Teaching-Learning Framework

Throughout this course, pedagogy is interwoven with the content development. Faculty will model inquiry teaching to student teachers in order for them to experience the learning and teaching of science in an inquiry way. Thoughtful discussions will follow such hands-on experiences to clarify the applied methods and expected learning. These reflections are essential because it is through these discussions that prospective teachers will gain essential transfer and pedagogical content knowledge needed for after graduation when they enter the field and teach science to elementary students. Therefore, it is critical to give prospective teachers the opportunity to reflect on what they are experiencing as learners as well as opportunities to practice their role as teachers. Teachers can thus develop meaningful activities around core concepts that will enable their students to gain deeper conceptual understanding and allow them to modify these activities to best meet the needs of their individual classrooms.

This course is also designed to help students develop science thinking and process skills in addition to content and pedagogical content knowledge.

After completing this course, student teachers will be able to:

1.   Apply inquiry to the teaching of science at the elementary level.

2.   Identify, adapt, and modify investigations that lead to conceptual understanding.

3.   Design science investigations around core concepts.

4.   Understand the need for learning progressions.

5.   Recognize common misconceptions and be able to respond with appropriate remedies.

6.   Use open-ended questions to assess students’ conceptual understanding.

7.   Provide their students with exciting science experiences that extend their natural fascination with the world and help them learn the science skills and concepts they will need in later schooling and in life.

8.   Reflect on their teaching to develop a personal approach to the teaching of science.

SEMESTER II OUTLINE Unit 1: Course Overview

During this unit, prospective teachers will:

·              Understand that science reflects its history and is an ongoing, changing enterprise.

·              Read and reflect about the nature of science, and apply it to their own learning and teaching.

·              Distinguish between observation and inference.

·              Read about famous scientists and their lives, and relate their scientific quest to their own lives.

·              Investigate and present a science topic of their choice, applying their science and teaching of science knowledge following specific criteria (research component, science explanations, conclusions, transfer to teaching in elementary school grades).

Unit 2: Energy Transfer, Transformations, and Conservation

During this unit, prospective teachers will:

·              Distinguish among different forms of energy (kinetic, potential) and demonstrate that energy can be transferred and transformed.

·              Provide examples of kinetic energy being transformed into potential energy and vice versa.

·              Recognize that heat can spread from one place to another in predictable ways.

·              Provide examples of the transfer of energy from hotter to cooler objects by conduction, radiation, or convection.

·              Explain that energy can be transferred (e.g., by collisions and radiation) but never destroyed (conservation of energy).

·              Differentiate the states of matter based on their energy state (e.g., the structure of molecules and atoms in these different states varies from rigid in solids to independent motion in a gas).

·              View thermal energy (i.e., heat) in terms of atomic and molecular motion (i.e., the higher the temperature, the greater the atomic or molecular motion).1

·              Compare the transmission, reflection, refraction, and absorption of light using different materials.

·              Listen for student misconceptions about properties and particle theory, and try to correct them.

·              Identify the underlying core science concepts in this unit for elementary students

·              Design age-appropriate, inquiry-based activities and identify learning outcomes.

1 These objectives will be continued and deepened in Unit3, Energy and Matter where the focus of energy transfers  will be on the microscopic level (between and within atoms)—for instance, understanding chemical reactions (exothermic and endothermic) and radioactivity.

Unit 3: Interactions of Energy and Matter

During this unit, prospective teachers will:

·              Differentiate between physical and chemical properties, and physical and chemical change.

·              Gain an understanding that mass is conserved even when materials are dissolved.

·              Investigate how some common materials interact to form new materials.

·              Explain how in physical change properties of substances remain the same.

·              Provide examples of how the properties of a product of a chemical change are different than the products of the reactants.

·              Provide examples of the natural world in which energy is released (or needed) in chemical reactions (e.g., burning fossil fuels, photosynthesis).

·              Be able to identify some of the underlying core science concepts in this unit for elementary students.

·              Design age-appropriate, inquiry-based activities and identify learning outcomes.

·              Be aware of misconceptions about energy and matter, and learn what to do about them.

Unit 4: Earth’s Systems Undergoing Constant Change

During this unit, prospective teachers will:

·              See the Earth as a system consisting of major interacting components that consistently undergo change. Identify physical, chemical, and biological processes act within and among them on a wide range of scales.

·              Begin to see that there are complex interactions between the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, and the lithosphere.

·              Apply the theory of plate tectonics to explain the formation of Pakistan’s mountain ranges and the threat of earthquakes.

·              Recognize how the movement of Earth’s lithospheric plates causes slow changes in Earth’s surface (e.g., formation of mountains and ocean basins) and rapid ones (e.g., volcanic eruptions and earthquakes).

·              Give examples of advances in technology that have made it possible to more accurately predict natural disasters.

·              Understand how human activities influence air and water quality, ecosystems, and climate across the globe.

·              Identify the underlying core science concepts in this unit for elementary students.

·              Design age-appropriate, inquiry-based activities and identify learning outcomes.

Unit 5: Solar System and the Universe

During this unit, prospective teachers will:

·              Differentiate groups of objects in the Solar System—including the Sun; the planets and their moons and rings; and smaller objects, such as asteroids and comets—by their size, composition, and position in the Solar System.

·              Compare and contrast the properties and characteristics of Earth with those of the other planets in our Solar System.

·              Explain, based on the naked eye and telescopic observation, how objects in the Solar

System change position against the background of stars.

·              Begin to understand the scale of time and distance involved in deep space.

·              Describe how the early Earth was very different from the planet we live on today.

·              Identify the underlying core science concepts in this unit for elementary students.

·              Design age-appropriate, inquiry-based activities and identify learning outcomes.

Unit 6: Human Body as a System

During this unit, prospective teachers will:

·              Connect an organism’s need for food with cells’ need for food.

·              Explain how multiple body systems work together to meet cell energy needs.

·              Examine and describe the flow of matter and energy in living systems.

·              Demonstrate through investigations that food is a source of energy (fuel) and building materials for cells.

·              Relate cellular respiration to the functions of body systems (e.g., how body systems function to provide cells with the necessary raw materials).

Recommended Texts

1. Obe, W. H. (2018). The teaching of science in primary schools. UK: Routledge.
2. Terry, J. (2019). Oxford secondary science teaching guide 1. Oxford: Oxford University Press

Suggested Readings

1. Yeung, Y. Y. (2015). General Science Teacher Education. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-         007-2150-0_219
2.  Eikenberry, W. L. (2008). The teaching of general science. Chicago: The University of Chicago         Press. Retrieved from https://elearn.gov.pk/books/techersGuide/6th7th8th/index.html

COURSE ASSIGNMENTS

Suggested assignments are included in the Unit Guides of the course. Some are short-term assignments and some take several weeks to complete. A mix of individual and group assignments is also provided.