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Canyon College

COURSE SYLLABUS: ED584 - Advanced Methods in Science Education

Course Title:	ED584 - Advanced Methods in Science Education
Department:	Education
Instructor:	Mark D. Hogue, M.Ed. - - Vita

COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OVERVIEW

Science curriculum models for elementary and secondary science students in relation to goals and standards for science education and classroom practice will be thoroughly surveyed in this course. Inquiry-based models for teaching and learning science will also be studied in great detail. Particularly, models for shifting the learning paradigm to a student-centered framework will be evaluated and relevant literature will be reviewed. Finally, this course will facilitate practitioners in the development, selection, and evaluation of curriculum materials based on research.

TEXTBOOK  Online Bookstore

REQUIRED TEXTBOOK FOR K – 8 CANDIDATES

Friedl, A. E. and Yourst Koontz, T. (2005). Teaching science to children: an inquiry approach, 6th edition. New York: McGraw Hill.
ISBN13: 9780072563955

REQUIRED TEXTBOOK FOR 9 – 12 CANDIDATES

Mortimer, E. F., and Scott, P. H. (2003). Meaning making in secondary science classrooms. New York: McGraw Hill.
ISBN: 0335212077

CONTACT INFORMATION

The most effective means of contact is via email . With very few exceptions, I will respond to your inquiries and submitted assignments within 24 hours.

ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION

1. your name,
2. your student identification (example: stu00000),
3. the course number (example: ED584), and
4. the assignment title (example: Assignment One) are included in the SUBJECT box of your email message.

EXAMPLE: Subject: Jane Doe; stu00000; ED584; Reflection and Reaction Paper #1

NOTE: Assignments that are attached to email must be Microsoft Office compatible!
If you are unsure if your document is compatible please save it in "Rich Text Format" to ensure Microsoft Word can open the file.

COURSE COMMENTARY

Each candidate enrolled in this course has up to eight weeks to complete the assignments indicated below. However, a candidate may elect to accelerate his/her course of study and finish the assignments at an earlier time without permission from the instructor.

After each assignment that is submitted, the candidate will receive an email within 24 hours indicating his/her score along with possible comments or feedback from the instructor.

In this course, candidates will be assessed through three assignments. The assignments include the development of two reflective papers and a lesson plan.

COURSE ASSIGNMENTS

Assignment #1
The first reflective paper should relate the candidate’s perception of science education to the process of scientific inquiry. The paper should be 2 – 3 pages in length, 12 point font, double spaced. Specifically, the candidate should seek to address attention to the following questions in their response:

• How does inquiry promote a classroom environment which promotes a community of learners?
• How does inquiry allow students to develop personalized meanings to scientific phenomena?
• How would you compare traditional science education instruction (primarily lecture-based) to the inquiry approach?

Assignment #2
The second (and final) reflective paper deals specifically with the utilization of discrepant events in the science classroom. The paper should be 2 – 3 pages in length, 12 point font, double spaced. Specifically, the candidate should seek to address attention to the following questions in their response:

• From a student’s perspective, how do discrepant events forge scientific truths?
• How does the employment of discrepant events complement an inquiry-based approach to science education?
• How do discrepant events align to the National Science Education Standards (NSES)?

Assignment #3
The third and final assignment involves developing a lesson plan of the candidate’s choice that incorporates the constructs of inquiry and discrepant events. Many ideas are presented and developed in the text, but the candidate has the academic freedom to select any relevant science topic of their choice (K – 12). The lesson plan should adhere to the following lesson plan template:

• Topic
• NSES Academic Standards (available at http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/nses/3.html)
• Objectives
• Materials
• Anticipatory Set (lead in)
• Procedures (the body of the lesson - outline)
• Closure
• Assignment (if applicable)

ASSIGNMENT	POSSIBLE POINTS
Assignment #1 (inquiry)	30
Assignment #2 (discrepant events)	30
Assignment #3 (lesson plan)	40
Total	100

GRADE DERIVATION

90 - 100	= A
80 - 89	= B
70 - 79	= C
60 - 69	= D

COURSE ITINERARY

1. Order your textbook
2. Consult your text and complete Assignment #1
3. Email Assignment #1 to the instructor
4. Consult your text and complete Assignment #2
5. Email Assignment #2 to the instructor
6. Consult your text and complete Assignment #3
7. Email Assignment #3 to the instructor
8. Your grade for the course will be sent to registrar within 24 – 48 hours