Secondary Science Methods I

Catalog description

This is the first of a multi-course series for Single Subject Science credential candidates to develop professional, reflective practices and abilities for teaching in single-subject classrooms, especially in secondary schools. Candidates learn and apply current learning theories to planning, instruction, and assessment, focusing on the general knowledge, skills, and dispositions associated with managing contemporary, culturally diverse secondary classroom environments. Candidates will begin to learn about specific subject matter content and pedagogy and a variety of instructional and assessment strategies to benefit all learners. The needs of all secondary school students, including multilingual learners, and the characteristics of the school environment will be emphasized to foster effective teaching and learning. The course will cover a range of content-specific theories and instructional practices in science instruction. In this summer course, we will explore why we teach science, what we hope students will learn, know, and be able to do in a science classroom, what the skill and content standards for science teaching are, and how to design aligned, rigorous assessments in a science classroom. This learning will constantly be in conversation with discussions of the residents’ identities as educators and with lessons from the field.