Secondary Science Methods II

Catalog description

This is the second course in 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. This course will support residents in learning to plan and assess specific science instructional strategies. Recognizing that science and literacy are deeply intertwined, we will start with strategies specifically that increase students’ understanding of science concepts through inquiry-based instruction and the use of science and engineering practices. Residents will read relevant theories and critiques for these strategies, practice instructional moves that teach them through deliberate practice and in their placement, and analyze the affordances and constraints of each. This learning will constantly be in conversation with discussions of the residents’ identities as educators and with lessons from the field.