Bringing Inquiry to the College Science Classroom: Science Classes for Pre-Service Teachers

1. Bringing Inquiry to the College Science Classroom: Science Classes for Pre-Service Teachers Barbara A. Gage and Patricia A. Basili Prince George’s Community College NSTA 2002 Eastern Regional Convention Louisville, KY October 25, 2002

2. Why Inquiry? • Integral part of the nature of science • Gives students an experiential base for understanding concepts • Develops better reasoning skills and richer conceptual understanding in students

3. Why Inquiry? • Provides meaningful opportunities for cooperation and collaboration with peers • Students report that they feel excited and more confident when they “discover” for themselves

4. Why Inquiry for Pre-Service Teachers? • National Science Education Teaching Standard A: Teachers of science plan an inquiry-based science program for their students

5. Why Inquiry for Pre-Service Teachers? • National Science Education Professional Development Standard A: Professional Development for teachers of science requires learning essential science content through the perspectives and methods of inquiry.

6. Why Inquiry for Pre-Service Teachers? • National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) Standard: Candidates know, understand, and use the fundamental concepts in subject matter of science…and the inquiry processes used in the discovery of new knowledge to build a base for scientific literacy.

7. How? • Start with a question, problem or discrepant event that addresses the concepts to be covered rather than teaching the concept through lecture • Have students engage in an guided-inquiry activity based on those concepts • Give explanations when students have finished exploring or along the way as needed

8. Inquiry Courses at PGCC • PSC 120 Exploring Chemistry and Physics Concepts…4 credits…5 contact hours/week • PSC 121 Exploring Earth and Space Science Concepts…4 credits…5 contact hours/week • BIO 101 General Biology…4 credits…6 contact hours/week

9. Nature of science Measurement Motion Simple machines Heat/temperature Sound Light and color Refraction and reflection Magnetism Currents and circuits Insulators and conductors Electrical nature of atoms Static electricity Characteristics of matter Types of matter Density Physical separations Chemical changes Physical states of matter Changes in state Acids and bases PSC 120 Chemistry/Physics

10. Nature of science and inquiry Rocks and minerals Weathering and erosion Simple hydrology Landform mapping Comparative surface planetology Coordinate systems Topographic maps Watersheds Rock record Plate tectonics Fossils and geologic time Earth-Moon-Sun system (seasons, phases, tides) Basic spectroscopy and star colors Star charts and planetaria Our atmosphere Weather and prediction Ocean and coastal systems PSC 121 Earth/Space

11. Support Materials • Guided-Inquiry Activity Manuals written by PGCC faculty (all three courses) • Conceptual Physical Science (PSC 120-121) as a textbook • Lab materials that are easily purchased, and inexpensive whenever possible

12. Assessment • Quizzes/exams on content which emphasize understanding rather than rote memory • Performance tasks which require solution of problem using lab materials • Portfolio with journals, activities, projects, concept maps

13. Final Exam for PSC 121 Students will be going on a trip lasting several days. The trip involves camping and hiking not too far from a coastal area. During the course of this trip (exam) they will be asked to do a number of tasks or determine specific information.

14. Determine best routes for travel and sleeping (using a topographic map) • Predict weather for several days (based on previous weather maps) • Determine what stars/constellations will be visible (using star charts or a planetarium) • Identify rock types picked up along the way (from actual samples) and comment on processes/environment that formed the rock • Determine tidal information and lunar information for a coastal visit (using tide graphs) • Explain the tectonic history of an area (given some information about the area)

15. Associate of Arts in Teaching (Elementary Level) at the Maryland Community Colleges • ~25% of future teachers begin at community colleges • During 1999, Statewide Teacher Education Articulation Committee (TEAC) established to facilitate transfer of teacher education students from two to four year institutions in Maryland

16. Associate of Arts in Teaching at the Maryland Community Colleges • TEAC established sub-committees to develop a set of outcomes and an outcomes document for the first 60 credits in a teacher education degree program. Document specifies outcomes, not courses, so institutions have significant freedom in deciding which courses cover specific outcomes.

17. Associate of Arts in Teaching at the Maryland Community Colleges • Since PGCC had science and math classes that match all standards in place before this process, theses courses have been considered as models. • PGCC received an NSF grant to work with all community colleges in Maryland to assist in establishing science and math courses for an AAT based on the outcomes document.

18. Associate of Arts in Teaching at the Maryland Community Colleges • 13 of 16 community colleges in Maryland have AAT programs approved and are accepting degree students • First AAT students from PGCC made a smooth transition to Towson University in Fall 2002 with the PSC courses on their transcripts!

19. Information/Questions PSC 120 or PSC 121: Barbara A. Gage bgage@pgcc.edu academic.pg.cc.md.us/~bgage A.A.T. in Education Patricia A. Basili pbasili@pgcc.edu