R. Martin, C. Sexton, J. Gerlovich, Teaching Science for All children, 3rd edition (required). Available at the Rutgers Bookstore.

New Jersey Science Core Curriculum Standards

Your course final grade will be based on a number of different items. A point accumulating system is used. Each activity is graded based on the point distribution listed below. "Total points" stand for the maximum number of points you can receive for the assignment. Only assignments that deserve this grade will be accepted. Every assignment can be improved by submitting the improved version again. After I read your written assignments, I will provide my comments and assign a temporary grade. If the grade assigned is not a maximum grade, you will resubmit the assignment. Your grade can be improved by improving the assignment. I will be always willing to read it again.
   
Grades for class participation are self-assigned after every class. There are no due dates for activities (6-9). You are encouraged to submit the assignments as early as possible to avoid problems at the end of the semester. Your total points at the end of the semester will determine your grade.
    

Class discussions and hands-on activities: There is one two-period meeting in class per week. During this time you will learn about science teaching methods participating in science exploration yourself. Try not to miss any class meetings because it will be difficult (almost impossible) to learn the material on your own. You are welcome to express any opinion you have, and ask any questions regarding the material.

Quizzes: All classes will start with the short quiz regarding the material discussed the previous week. You will be either provided with it or will need to devise it yourself. The purpose of the quizzes is the formative assessment combined with self-assessment and feedback. To be ready for these quizzes make sure you leave the class understanding the material, review it the same day and before the next class. Try to do the homework on Monday, the day of class. If you are not confident of your knowledge, contact me via e-mail or stop by my office.

Weekly reports: Each week you will submit electronically a report in which you answer four questions: a) What science content and skills did I learn this week and how did I learn them? b) What teaching methods did I learn and how did I learn them? c) What questions remained unclear? c) If I were an elementary science teacher, what questions would I ask my students about the content matter to find out if they understood the material? The answer to the question (a) should be structured. Describing what you learned and how you learned it you need to follow the steps of the cycle: observation - explanation - experimental predictions and testing - application. The answer to the question (b) should be based on class discussions and TEXTBOOK reading and can be presented as a concept map. The reports should be submitted no later than Tuesday night and will be graded on Wednesday. Early submission improves the quality of the report and makes constructive feedback possible.

On-line laboratories: Some of the observational experiments will be conducted using digitized video data available on the website: http://www.pt3.gse.rutgers.edu/physics/introlong.html (additional instructions will be provided in class before each lab).
   
These experiments will be conducted at home. The results of your observations will be used for class discussions and reported in Weekly Reports. A separate written description of the observation and data collection method will be graded. These experimental reports are due the following Monday.

There are no deadlines for the following activities. You can hand in your work any time. Please, notice that the work should be read by the professor and returned to you for self-assessment before the end of the semester. If this happens at the end of the semester you might not have enough time to redo it if you wish to improve the grade. That is why I encourage you to start working on the assignments right away. Plan you semester so that the work does not pile up at the end of the semester jeopardizing you opportunity to achieve your best result in the course.

Science lesson plan and unit: After you present you lesson in class you need to hand in the lesson plan (it should satisfy all the requirements for lesson plans) and the description of the science unit to which this lesson belongs. The unit should demonstrate a human constructivist approach to teaching science concepts in the elementary school. Though presentation is a group project, each student should submit an individual lesson plan and the unit description.

Discovery House Report: In the middle of the semester we will go on a field trip to the Discovery House. You will need to select one most interesting exhibit, and submit a report describing and explaining how they work and how to incorporate them in the elementary science curriculum. This is a group project.

Elementary science education research paper report: You can choose any paper from the Suggested Readings list to write your report. In your report you should discuss the purpose of the paper, the design of the study it describes, the results, implications and conclusions. At the end of the report you should include your own comments about the value of the paper for your understanding of science education in the elementary school. A copy of the original paper should be attached to your report.