Climate Science for Educators

Catalog description

Concepts of climate sciences highlighted by evidence-based explanations and scientific discourse in preparation for K-6 science teaching. This introductory, multidisciplinary course will focus on the interactions among physical science concepts, earth science concepts, and scientific practices to develop understandings about Earth's climate system. The course is primarily intended for prospective elementary school teachers (Childhood and Early Adolescent Education, PK-4 and 4-8 majors), although it is available to other non-science majors. The development of models is an integral part of the course as a means to facilitate climate systems thinking by serving as a means to explain phenomena and predict outcomes. In addition, students in the course consider how what they are learning applies to teaching by offering opportunities to think about how they might extend their knowledge to teaching contexts. This course consists of integrated lectures and laboratory investigations in class meetings each week, with work on collaborative projects outside of class.