What could be more fun than learning – and teaching – science?
ED 617 JD1
Methods of Teaching Elementary Science
Fall, 2011
Instructor:
Chip McMillan, PhD
Office: 110 Hendrickson Annex
Office: (907) 796-6035 Fax: 796-6059
Home: (907) 463 2684
cmcmillan@uas.alaska.edu
Science rocks!
Course Description
In every class meeting I will attempt to model a different method/pedagogy of teaching
science K-8. Students in the course will learn science content and will practice teaching
science with different grade levels K-8. Students will learn how to use district
curriculum, state standards, and other resources to guide their science instruction.
Text
Tolman, Marvin and Garry Hardy. Discovering Elementary Science. Allyn and Bacon.
Third Edition. Boston. 2002. ISBN 0205337627.
Weekly Elluminate Live sessions
We will meet every Wednesday from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. beginning September 7, 2011 via
the Elluminate Live webmeeting.
Participating in the webmeetings will be greatly facilitated by:
1) acquiring a
- sorry, one of these:
2) clicking here on the Homesite of the
ED617-JD1 Course site.
I encourage everyone to visit the WebMeetings Helpdesk site to get your computer
appropriately configured.
UAS Technology Support Help Desk: 465-6400 or 1-877-465-6400 and
http://www.uas.alaska.edu/helpdesk
Quick Overview
Introductions
Teacher Interview
Student Interview
Two Science Journal Entries
Science Curriculum/Instruction/Assessment Alignment
Four Science Lessons taught to a whole class1
One Science Lesson taught to a whole class outside your practicum2
One Favorite Science Resource3
Science Learning Center
14 Weekly quizzes
15 Weekly Elluminate Sessions
DES Chapter Presentation
Integrated Science Unit
Final Exam
5 pts
10 pts
10 pts
20 pts each
10 pts
15 pts each
15 pts
10 pts
15 pts
5 pts each
10 pts each
15 pts
50 pts
40 pts
Total
1
Whole class is defined as any group of 15 or more students.
500 pts
2
Whole class outside your practicum is defined as a grade level either above or below
your practicum grade level.
3
Science resource is defined as any resource helpful for teaching science, e.g., textbook,
website, video, game, Fish and Wildlife expert, etc.,
Assignments and Quizzes
Assignments are due 8:00 a.m. Wednesdays, posted to the Forum on the Homesite page.
Quizzes are posted in the Assignments section of the Homesite by Chip 5:00 p.m. every
Thursday. You will include one multiple choice question (5 answers), based on the
information you have provided in your assignment posting for each assignment you
submit – see Chip’s example posted in the Forum. Quizzes are based on the multiple
choice questions submitted by you and your classmates in ED617 JD1 for that week as
well as the Elluminate Live session for that week. You have exactly one week to take
each quiz.
When you post your Five Science Lessons, include the following:
1. Lesson Plan (see two examples in Class Resources)
 Title
 Date and Location (name of school) taught
 Grade Level and Host teacher
 Number of students taught
 Goals and Objectives of the lesson
 AK Standards/GLEs (the designator is sufficient, e.g., [5] SB4.1)
 Duration
 Materials
 Procedure – as you actually did it
 Assessment – how you know students learned anything
2. Profile of the students in the class.
3. How the lesson actually went, how you might teach it differently.
4. Three artifacts of the students’ work, e.g., scanned images of their science
papers, photographs of the materials you used, video clip of part of the
lesson, etc.
The lesson plan should meet your host teacher’s specifications. See the sample science
lesson plans in Class Resources.
Science Lesson Rubric
Lesson plan including all required components
Five answer multiple choice question
Artifact(s) from activity are included
Lesson plan is clearly organized and well-written
7 pts
2 pts
3 pts
3 pts
Your science lessons done with your host teacher’s students should be approved by your
host teacher before you teach them.
Science Learning Center
A learning center is a table or corner of the classroom where a self-guided lesson or
activity can be conducted by an individual or small group of students. All the materials
and instructions are found at the center. You may either create a real science learning
center and use it in your practicum, or clearly describe with illustrations what one would
look like. In the latter case it should be so well documented that any of the rest of us
could easily follow your description and illustrations to create ourselves.
Science Learning Center Rubric
Science concept/skill addressed by the center is appropriate and worthy
The necessary materials are present and clearly displayed
Instructions for how to use the center are clear for the student(s) to follow
Organization of the center makes it interesting and engaging
3 pts
3 pts
6 pts
3 pts
Science Lesson Observation Journal
Keep a journal documenting the science instruction in your practicum class. You will
submit two postings of your journal during this course. Each posting consists of the notes
you made of five separate days you were in your science practicum classroom. Notes
taken on an individual day should include:
Start time – end time of science lesson.
Lesson/activity title – what was the concept or skill addressed.
Summary of what happened – not a lesson plan, just a narrative.
How did the lesson go, in your opinion.
What you would have done differently.
Science Journal Rubric
An entry for each of five separate days where some science lesson was taught
Each entry contains the components described above
5 pts
15 pts
Integrated Science Unit
The integrated science unit consists of four lessons tied to some theme/concept. The unit
must include at least two other content areas such as art, math, social studies. Administer
a pre- and post- knowledge/skills test with the unit and include it in your posting along
with a unit reflection.
Unit is integrated:
Four lessons meeting the criteria above for each lesson
Unit pre- and post- test and reflection
E-Live Class Participation Rubric
Present at the E-Live start time with a functioning headset
Present throughout the E-Live session to the end
Contribute to the E-Live session beyond simple breathing
4 pts
40 pts
6 pts
2 pts
5 pts
3 pts
DES Chapter Presentation
Each of us will present a chapter from our text to the rest of the class during one of the
Elluminate class sessions. During this presentation, we present some of the basic ideas of
the chapter and how we would teach the concepts in a K-8 classroom. Chip will model
Chapter 16 Sound in our first class meeting September 7. Post the chapter you have
chosen to present and the week you wish to present under Chapter Presentations in the
Forum on our course home site. This is done on a first come – first serve basis.
Final Exam
Your students must take a multiple-choice science test for the State of Alaska, you might
as well know what it is like. The Final Exam is a 40 question test just like the Standards
Based Assessment all fourth and eighth grade students in Alaska take for science.
Missing Assignments, Deadlines and Incompletes
Every posting must be made to the correct location and by the due date and time. You
have numerous extra-credit opportunities sprinkled throughout the semester. I do not
read late assignments and I hate giving students incompletes.
If you have trouble turning in assignments on time or to the specifications requested or if
you have trouble taking the quizzes, the Extra-Credits are your one and only safetyvalve – your one and only way to redeem points.
Course Schedule
Due Date
Activity
Points
Random times throughout semester Extra credit Questions
9/7 Introductions
5 pts
9/7 E-Live session one
10 pts
9/15
9/14 Teacher Interview
10 pts
9/14 E-Live session two
10 pts
9/22
9/21 Student Interview
10 pts
9/21 E-Live session three
10 pts
9/29
9/28 Curriculum, Assessment Alignment
10 pts
9/28 E-Live Session Four
10 pts
10/6
Quiz
Points
36 pts
Quiz One
5 pts
Quiz Two
5 pts
Quiz Three
5 pts
Quiz Four
5 pts
10/5
10/5
10/13
10/12
10/12
10/20
10/19
10/19
10/27
10/26
10/26
11/3
11/2
11/2
11/10
11/9
11/9
11/17
11/16
11/16
11/24
11/23
11/23
12/1
11/30
11/30
12/8
12/7
12/7
12/15
12/7
12/15
Science Lesson One
E-Live Session Five
15 pts
10 pts
Favorite Science Resource
E-Live Session Six
Quiz Five
5 pts
Quiz Six
5 pts
Quiz Seven
5 pts
Quiz Eight
5 pts
Quiz Nine
5 pts
Quiz Ten
5 pts
Quiz Eleven
5 pts
10 pts
10 pts
Science Lesson Two
E-Live Session Seven
15 pts
10 pts
Science Journal Entry One
E-Live Session Eight
20 pts
10 pts
Science Lesson Three
E-Live Session Nine
15 pts
10 pts
Science Learning Center
E-Live Session Ten
15 pts
10 pts
Science Lesson Four
E-Live Session Eleven
15pts
10 pts
Integrated Science Unit
E-Live Session Twelve
50 pts
10 pts
Science Journal Entry Two
E-Live Session Thirteen
20 pts
10 pts
Outside Practicum Science Lesson
E-Live Session Fourteen
15 pts
10 pts
Quiz Twelve 5 pts
Quiz Thirteen 5 pts
Quiz Fourteen 5 pts
Final Exam Posted
Final Exam Due
40 pts
Grading
450-500 pts
400-449 pts
350-399 pts
300-349 pts
A
B
C
D
0-299 pts
Class Decorum
While communicating with your instructor and classmates, whether through UAS Online
or Elluminate, discretion and courtesy is greatly appreciated.