Astronomy for K-8 Preservice Teachers: Role in the Program

A discussion of the design and implementation of an earth science content course serving pre-service teachers at Grand Valley State University , created by Steve Mattox, Ph.D.

A description of this course and its goals is available.

1. Increase content knowledge about the solar system, galaxy, and universe to solve problems and describe systems.
2. Demonstrate confidence in presenting science in the classroom.
3. Utilize different of methods used to teach science and assess learning.
4. Compile existing teaching resources and construct new inquiry-based classroom activities.
5. Demonstrate fluency in Michigan science standards and familiar with the MI Educational Assessment Program.

1. Examination of content through problems, labs, discussion and development of age appropriate lessons introducing students to space science and astronomy concepts in the solar system and wider universe.
2. Student confidence in classroom presentations is developed through design and peer review of age appropriate K-8 lessons by classmates in course presentations.
3. Various models and activities designed to teach space science content are addressed through the development and demonstration of age-appropriate lessons targeting K-8 populations.
4. The inquiry-based lessons developed by students are shared throughout the program and assembled into a portfolio of teaching resources.
5. Course and student lesson outcomes are tied directly to the MI science standards and education assessment program.

1. Content Coverage
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   The breadth and depth of Earth Science content that must to be covered to fulfill Michigan's integrated science model requires a great deal of academic time and effort. In addition, the time demands needed to model and utilize a hands-on, inquiry-based approach adds to the overall time demands on the program. These challenges have been met via requiring five courses in this sequence. Each course also contains a six-hour mix of lab and lecture which roughly breaks into two to three hours of lecture, two hours of hands-on activity and one to two hours of inquiry-based investigation. The net effect of this approach gives students nearly the equivalent of a double major in science and education.
2. Timing of Field Trips
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   Michigan winter weather places some limitations on the timing of field trips. Since courses can be taken by students in any order, all courses need to be available in all semesters. This requires some reworking of the order of course topics between the Fall and Spring semesters to accomodate the snowier parts of winter.
3. Staffing
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   The large number of courses needing to be offered by this program each semester places strain on departmental staffing resource,s given the goal of maintaining a maximum class size of 24. Although two of the ten faculty members in the department are dedicated to science education, staffing still limits the number of sections which can be offered.