Biology, Geology & Science 652:
Science Partners in K-12 Education (SPIKE)
Course Syllabus, Fall 2014
“Children are born true scientists. They spontaneously experiment and experience and re-experience again. They select,
combine, and test, seeking to find order in their experiences...” – R. Buckminster Fuller, Physicist
Instructors:
Shannon B. Seidel, Ph.D.
Co-Instructor
Postdoctoral Researcher, SEPAL
seidel@sfsu.edu, (415) 405-3756
Office Hours: by appointment on Mondays 3-4pm or Wednesdays 10:30-11:30am in HH216
Gloriana Trujillo, Ph.D.
Co-Instructor
Postdoctoral Researcher, SEPAL
gloriana@sfsu.edu, (415) 405-3578
Office Hours: by appointment in HH216
Course Credit:
Prerequisites:
Schedule:
Location:
4 units, including 2-hour seminar course and 4 hours of fieldwork each week.
Attendance at all course sessions and completion of all fieldwork is required to receive
credit for the course. Grading may be + / - letter, CR/NCR.
The course is open to both undergraduate and graduate students. Completion of Bio 230
and 240/Geo 110/Phys 220 and 230 or 240 OR at least 1 upper division bio/geo/physics
course, and instructor consent are required.
The seminar course will be held weekly, Wednesdays from 3:00 – 5:00 pm in Hensill
Hall, Room 245. Students in classroom-based partnerships must also have a consistent
~3-hour time block available every week between the hours of 8:00 am and 3:00
pm for fieldwork, in which they will alternately be planning and teaching elementary
school science lessons with teacher partners and SFSU student partners.
SFSU main campus and a San Francisco Bay Area public school; access to a car is
highly recommended, but not required.
Course description:
This upper division science course is intended for undergraduate and graduate science students interested in
revisiting and applying their science knowledge, understanding common misconceptions in their discipline,
gaining experience in teaching science in the K-12 setting, exploring the field of science teaching as a potential
career, and learning science through teaching science. SFSU students registered for this course will work with
teachers who have been selected to participate in the Science Partners in K-12 Education (SPIKE) or Spectrum
Program. SFSU students will engage in service-learning fieldwork through these partnerships with Bay Area
teachers and their students.
Teams of SFSU science students and Bay Area K-12 teachers will co-develop and co-teach 6 classroom
lessons (SPIKE) or 4 after-school science clubs (Spectrum) during the semester. In conjunction with this
fieldwork, SFSU students will meet weekly for a 2-hour seminar to explore concept development in science
learning, delve into the science education research literature, learn about science-specific teaching strategies,
discuss issues of classroom equity and access, and design assessments of science learning. Course learning
objectives are that SFSU students will:
1) explore and develop their own understanding of science concepts in their discipline
2) practice and develop their own teaching style and philosophy
3) gain skills in science teaching and the development of science lessons that engage students in scientific
investigations
4) increase their knowledge of research, theories, and policies that shape K-12 science education
5) share their knowledge and enthusiasm for science with K-12 students in the Bay Area
Bio/Geo/Sci 652: Science Education Partners in Biology
Shannon Seidel and Gloriana Trujillo, Co-Instructors
San Francisco State University (SFSU)
Fall 2014
2
Expectations and Grading:
As ambassadors of SFSU working in the local public schools, students enrolled in this course are expected to
conduct themselves professionally at all times. Professional behavior includes: 1) attentiveness to on-time
arrival for planning meetings and lessons with teachers and fellow SFSU students, 2) clear and frequent
communication in-person, by phone, and by email with partner teachers and fellow SFSU students, 3) ontime arrival and preparedness for class, and 4) professional behavior, language, and dress, especially
when visiting elementary schools to co-plan or co-teach a science lesson.
Percent
25%
20%
20%
15%
5%
5%
10%
100% Total
Course Activity
• Co-plan and co-teach 6 science lessons/4 science club activities with your partnership team
• Submit final drafts of 6 science lesson/4 science club activity plans
• Submit 14 weekly reflective journal entries prior to class each week
• Attend and actively participate in all 14 class sessions. Only one excused absence from
class is permitted during the semester. Excused class absences must be approved by the
instructor prior to the class session. There are no excused absences from any scheduled
fieldwork.
• Submit final reflection for the course
• Schedule and participate in one classroom site visit and subsequent coaching/feedback
session
• Final Exam
In general, no late work will be accepted unless approved in advance by the instructor due to fieldwork
constraints.
iLearn:
Course documents and classroom handouts will be posted on iLearn (ilearn.sfsu.edu) under the course Bio 652.
Students enrolled in Geo or Sci 652 will be manually added to the Bio 652 iLearn page. Students will post their
weekly reflective journals and their periodic lesson plans directly to iLearn.
Lab Fee:
Students are required to pay an administrative laboratory fee, which will be charged directly to your student
account. You can look up your university account financial statement for more details about the lab fee charge.
Fingerprinting:
Fingerprinting is required by the Bay Area School Districts Every Year and can be done at the San Francisco
State University Police Department. Please call the SFSU Police Department Appointment Desk at 415-3386043 to schedule a Fingerprinting appointment as a SFSU SPIKE Program Volunteer. The deadline to submit
proof of Fingerprinting is Friday, September 5, 2014.
TB Testing:
TB Testing is required by Bay Area Schools and needs to be done Every TWO Years. This can be done at the
Student Health Service located on the SFSU Campus or at your private physicians office. The cost of the test is
$28.00. The deadline to submit the results of the TB Testing is Friday, September 5, 2014.
Bio/Geo/Sci 652: Science Education Partners in Biology
Shannon Seidel and Gloriana Trujillo, Co-Instructors
San Francisco State University (SFSU)
Fall 2014
3
Departmental and University Procedures and Deadlines:
Credit/No Credit Option - Students are responsible for choosing this option. The deadline to request
credit/no credit grading is Monday, October 20, 2014. The option cannot be reversed after the request.
Dropping a Course: The student is responsible for dropping via the WEB or Touch Tone until the last day to
drop, Monday, September 8, 2014.
Withdrawal from a Course: After the first two weeks of instruction, withdrawal from a course is not
permitted except for serious and compelling reasons. If the withdrawal is approved, the student will receive a
“W” grade. Requests for withdrawal are reviewed by the Instructor and Department Chair. Students must submit
their unofficial transcripts along with their petitions. Last day to withdraw is, Friday, November 21, 2014.
Withdrawal by Exception: Withdrawals beyond November 22, 2014 to December 15, 2014 are only
accepted in cases of verified accident or serious illness where the cause of withdrawal is due to circumstances
clearly beyond the student’s control and where the assignment of an incomplete is not practical. Ordinarily,
withdrawals in this category involve a total withdrawal from the University. All requests during this period must
be reviewed by the Instructor, Department Chair, and Associate Dean. Students must submit their unofficial
transcripts and appropriate documentations along with their petitions.
Bio/Geo/Sci 652: Science Education Partners in Biology
Shannon Seidel and Gloriana Trujillo, Co-Instructors
San Francisco State University (SFSU)
Fall 2014
4
Bio/Geo/Sci 652: Science Partners in K-12 Education
Class Topic Sequence and Fieldwork Timeline
(The topic sequence is approximate and almost certainly will change.)
Week of…
1. August 27
Course Activity Course Content
Class Topic:
Welcome, Expectations, and Introduction to Elementary Teaching & Learning
Fieldwork:
Reflecting on What You Want to Learn; Fingerprinting and TB Testing
2. September 3
Class Topic:
Fieldwork:
Inquiry-based Science Teaching, Constructivism, and What is Science? &
Station Activity
SEPAL Resource Center Visit
3. September 10
Class Topic:
Fieldwork:
Partnership Orientation: Meet Your Teacher Partners! (4-6 pm)
Structured Classroom Observation
4. September 17
Class Topic:
How to Start: Goals for Student Learning, Anatomy of a Lesson Plan, and
The 5-E Model
Lesson Planning and Reflection
Fieldwork:
5. September 24
Class Topic:
Fieldwork:
6. October 1
Class Topic:
Fieldwork:
7. October 8
Class Topic:
Involving All Students in Science Lessons: Case Study Discussion &
Addressing Issues of Equity and Access through Hands-On Activities
Teaching Lesson #1, Final Lesson Plan #1 Due
Assessing Student Science Conceptions: Questioning Strategies, Bloom’s
Taxonomy, and Wait Time
Lesson Planning and Reflection
Fieldwork:
Lessons from Thin Air: Common Student Misconceptions in Science
Discussion: Sharing Our Classroom Experiences
Teaching Lesson #2, Final Lesson Plan #2 Due
8. October 15
Class Topic:
Fieldwork:
Poster Session
Lesson Planning and Reflection
9. October 22
Class Topic:
Fieldwork:
Case Study Discussions on Classroom Teaching Dilemmas
Teaching Lesson #3, Final Lesson Plan #3 Due
10. October 29
Class Topic:
Fieldwork:
Lesson Plan Review
Lesson Planning and Reflection
11. November 5
Class Topic:
Fieldwork:
What’s in Your Resource Bag? Considerations for What Our Students Bring
to the Classroom
Teaching Lesson #4, Final Lesson Plan #4 Due
12. November 12
Class Topic:
Fieldwork:
Stereotype Threat in the Classroom
Lesson Planning and Reflection
13. November 19
Class Topic:
Bringing Student Voices to Bio/Geo/Sci 652 Classroom: Looking at Student
Assessment Data & Case Study Discussion
Teaching Lesson #5, Final Lesson Plan #5 Due
Fieldwork:
14. November 26
THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY - NO CLASS, NO FIELDWORK
15. December 3
Class Topic:
Fieldwork:
Making Bio/Geo/Sci 652 Better in Future Years! – Evaluations and Feedback
Preparing Posters to Showcase Our Work!
Lesson Planning and Reflection
16. December 10
Class Topic:
Fieldwork:
Partnership Poster Session with Teachers Partners and SFSU Students (4-6 pm)
Teaching Lesson #6, Final Lesson Plan #6 Due
17. December 17
Class Topic:
Final Exam (3:10-5:00PM); Final Reflection Due
Bio/Geo/Sci 652: Science Education Partners in Biology
Shannon Seidel and Gloriana Trujillo, Co-Instructors
San Francisco State University (SFSU)
Fall 2014