MSED 7232 - Teaching the Great Ideas in Science (3 Credit Hours)

Lecture Hours: 3 Lab Hours: 0
This course is designed to enhance students’ understanding of the “Great Scientific Premises” that undergird and integrate the science disciplines. Emphasis is placed on hands-on interaction with scientific principles and materials that will enhance the capacity of teachers to support their students’ construction of scientific understanding. The course uses the ideas and experiences of both classical and/or contemporary scientists to engage teachers in a reflective opportunity to gain an appreciation of the rich extent of the history and nature of the scientific enterprise and to prepare them to help their students “make sense” of the science they are expected to learn. It is also designed in a way to engage teachers with the National Science Standards as they explore the science that is necessary to be a scientifically literate citizen of the United States. Candidates must tailor their course assignments and experiences to their specific grade levels and certification/content field: biology, broad fields science, chemistry, physics, or middle grades science.