PHSC 651:652
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE FOR TEACHERS
Catalog Entry
PHSC 51:652. Biological Science for Teachers
Credit Hours (3:2). A minimum of 100 contact hours for both courses.
Prerequisites: Undergraduate major in biology.
Examines biological concepts and instructional strategies essential to teaching modern secondary school biology.
Detailed Description of Content of Course
Because of the laboratory emphasis of the course and the differing needs of different classes, a detailed content description is neither possible nor desirable. Topics for study will be chosen from the traditional areas of biology.
Once topics are selected for study, class participants investigate the selected topics in a laboratory environment. Concurrently with developing their understanding of biology concepts, class participants also develop process skills and by their participation also develop an understanding of inquiry based instruction.
Parallel readings assigned to class participants review the pedagogical, philosophical and psychological bases for inquiry based instruction and begin to develop their own laboratory activities and materials for use in their classes. Global issues, e.g. greenhouse effect, population control, and pollutants added to the environment, are carefully examined. To the extent possible within time constraints, these participant-developed activities and materials will be tested and critiqued by other participants as a means of providing feedback to the developer.
Detailed Description of Conduct of Course
The class is conducted as a laboratory course, with the emphasis on open-ended inquiry. Class participants pick areas of inquiry to pursue and are encouraged to branch into areas that they may find interesting. Outside assignments consist of textbook readings to review and extend concepts (with occasional lectures as needed), readings in the philosophy, psychology and pedagogy of inquiry-based instruction, and the development by class participants of laboratory activities that can be used in a school setting. The activities developed by class participants will be tested by the class to the extent that time permits. All developed activities will be shared, so that class participants will leave with a supply of laboratory activities to use in their own classrooms.
Goals and Objectives of Course
1. The student will review and extend some major topics from biology.
2. To encourage teachers to incorporate more laboratory work into their curricula by giving them hands on experience with laboratory exercises and materials that they can use in their laboratories. Some of these materials will be provided by the instructor; other materials will be developed by the class participants.
3. To encourage teachers to incorporate more open-ended instructional activities into their curricula by giving them hands on experience with such materials, which they can in turn use in their own classrooms. Some of these materials will be provided by the instructor; other materials will be developed by the class participants.
4. The participants are to reflect in a thoughtful and skillful manner as they design curriculum appropriate for the students.
5. The participants will develop and/or reinforce positive attitudes toward inquiry based instruction by allowing class participants to be both student (using class material developed by others) and teacher (developing their own class materials and using those materials in a teaching situation with other class participants).
Assessment Measures
Assessment will be multi-faceted. Traditional testing will assess the level of understanding of biological concepts. Performance on investigative activities will be assessed by written and oral reports prepared by the class participants, individually and as part of a small group. The quality of investigative materials developed by class participants will be judged (by the instructor and class participants together) on the basis of originality, appropriateness of grade level, the degree to which the activity challenges students to use higher level cognitive processes, and the degree to which the activity encourages further investigation on the part of the student.
Other Course Information
1. This syllabus is provided to class members at the beginning of the course.
2. Bibliography
The BSCS materials and appropriate biological journals Review and Approval
APPROVAL AND SUBSEQUENT REVIEWS
DATE ACTION REVIEWED BY
Spring 1993 Revised and updated Franklin Jones, Chair Physical Science Department
