EDU 221: SCIENCE IN THE ELEMENTARY CURRICULUM

In this course, students draw from contemporary teaching and learning theories to design and implement effective science lessons and units for elementary school children. An emphasis will be placed on four domains, 1) identifying appropriate science content relative to grade level, 2) understanding the common misconceptions that children harbor about scientific topics, 3) developing inquiry-based lessons to foster children’s conceptual learning, and 4) identifying varied ways of assessing children’s learning. Significant attention throughout is given to understanding what it means to “do science” and how to help elementary children appreciate a scientific way of knowing about the world. Lesson design and teaching is aligned with the Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework.