A Module for Pre-Service Elementary Science Methods Courses

The complete Instructor's Users Guide is now available.

This module is designed for instructors of elementary science methods courses to use to introduce pre-service teachers to the AAAS Project 2061 curriculum criteria. This module provides pre-service teachers with an understanding of

1) how to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of science curriculum materials using the Project 2061 criteria

2) how good curriculum materials support good teaching practices,

3) how to modify the instructional approach of curriculum materials that do not meet the criteria.

This module addresses 10 of the 22 criteria identified by Project 2061. The criteria examined in this module are:

Criterion IA - Conveying Unit Purpose

Criterion IC - Sequencing of Activities

Criterion IID - Building on Student Ideas

Criteria IIIA & IIIB - Engaging Students with Real World Phenomena

Criterion IVC - Representing Ideas Effectively

Criterion IVF - Providing Practice

Criterion VA - Promoting Student Thinking

Criterion VB - Guiding Interpretation & Reasoning

Criterion VIB - Assessing Student Progress

The activities in this module assume that pre-service teachers are in field placements and have access to science units taught in field placement classrooms.

It is intended that the course instructor use this module to supplement existing course material on science teaching methods. Each lesson addresses a specific criterion or set of related criteria and follows a general sequence of activities that is integrated in the existing course content. The instructor can insert module lessons into the syllabus at the point where the module lessons fit with existing course topics. For example, if an instructor addresses topics related to assessing student progress, then the instructor would insert lesson #4 (assessing student ideas) at that point in the syllabus. As a result, the module lessons can be integrated into the many d ifferent course designs . Example integration is presented.

This version of the module includes approximately 10 hours of in-class instructional time and 2 to 3 hours of student homework time.