Resources for Teaching Introductory Courses
Various projects across SERC contain useful information to provide information and inspiration for teaching introductory-level courses. A collection of these sites is listed below and includes
examples activities and courses for intro-level students as well as
course and pedagogical information and
tips for teaching intro courses. While many of these resources are geared towards the geoscience community, they can be modified to fit other science disciplines. Also, see a list of
related site guides.
Jump down to Example Introductory Level Activities and Courses | Course Design, Pedagogical Approaches and Collections | Tips for Teaching Introductory Courses | Related Site Guides
Example Introductory Level Activities and Courses
Introductory Level Course Collection - An extensive collection of over 500
introductory-level courses across all disciplines including geoscience, biology, education, environmental science, and geography and others. Course descriptions typically include course goals, syllabi, and contextual information and can help you design your own course.
Introductory Level Activity Collection - Browse over 2500
classroom and lab activities aimed at intro-level audiences across all disciplines including biology, economics, education, environmental science, math, physics, and many others. Activity descriptions typically include a description of the activity, learning goals, necessary documents, and other teaching tips.
Course Design, Pedagogical Approaches and Collections
Introductory Courses Bookshelf - A list of
popular books used by faculty in introductory
geoscience courses. This list was compiled by participants in the
2008 On the Cutting Edge: Introductory Courses Workshop.
Strategies for Introducing Quantitative Skills in Intro Geoscience Courses - This page compiles
pedagogic approaches to introducing quantitative information in
geoscience classes. While focused on the geosciences, approaches on this page can be easily adapted to classes in other disciplines. A similar page for
tips on teaching quantitative skills is also available.
Motivating Students - Students who are taking a required science course may not have a high degree of motivation. This page discusses
various types of motivation and the
factors that can enhance motivationfor students in a variety of
introductory courses. Find teaching tips, presentations from the Affective Domain workshop and a summary of useful websites and journal articles.
Environmental Geology - This web collection will help undergraduate faculty and students apply
new approaches to teaching and learningenvironmental geology, including use of tested
pedagogical methods and
strategies and use of
emerging scientific advances(e.g. use of models, datasets and visualizations including Google Earth).
GeoMapApp Learning Activities: Using Geoscience Data in the Classroom -
Ready-to-use, data-driven geoscience learning modules aimed at the K-12, community college and introductory university levels, these activities allow students to access, explore, and visualize geoscience data using the GeoMapApp data discovery and exploration tool.
Tips For Teaching Introductory Courses
Cutting Edge - Teaching Introductory Courses - This web module is for those who teach introductory courses, aimed specifically at Earth science educators, but with ideas applicable to many disciplines. Here you will find ideas for designing a new course, spicing up an existing
course design, or adding innovative
activities or
teaching methods.
Starting Point - Teaching Entry-Level Geoscience - This SERC project contains over 20 modules built around
pedagogic approaches for introductory courses, plus hundreds of
example activities.
Preparing Teachers to Teach Earth Science - A special section aimed at
preparing K-12 teachers for teaching Earth science courses. This site also has a section for
preparing pre-service teachers to teach introductory courses.
Common Misconceptions in Science - A page on
misconceptions often held by intro-level general and Earth science students.
First Day of Class - This module contains
tips and videos for
how to engage students on the first day of class and lab.
Related Site Guides
