Teaching Social Sciences/Multicultural Social Studies: Birth-8

TTE 317

Course Description

This course examines the teaching and learning of science in early childhood classrooms. A central goal of this course is to provide you with appropriate experiences for initial growth as a professional educator who will provide engaging and age-appropriate science experiences for young children, as well as the knowledge and tools to continue your professional development beyond this course. We will focus centrally on the role of the early childhood educator, but always with reference to the ways in which teachers interact with young children to create positive environments that foster inquiry and promote learning. We will touch on a range of topics, including planning science experiences that relate to children’s interests and backgrounds, determining and adapting appropriate teaching methods, promoting inquiry, motivating learning, fostering dialogue that supports meaningful learning, using materials during instruction, meeting state and national standards, integrating science with language arts, mathematics, social studies, and the arts to promote learning, inviting parents to participate in children’s science learning, and assessing children’s learning.

Course Overview

This course will actively engage you in thinking about the conditions that foster science learning and how to create those conditions in your early childhood classrooms.  Our work together will reflect the important role that all members of the learning community play in supporting learning.  The structure of the course will consist of small group and whole group discussions, collaborative work, independent activities and lectures.  You will have many opportunities to apply your growing understanding of teaching and learning science.  It is critical that you reflect on the day’s readings and your experiences in the field as we relate these experiences to teaching and learning science.

The semester is framed around the overarching question: How can I best promote the learning of science with young children? In addressing this question, we will actively engage in investigating scientific phenomena in much the same way that you will hopefully actively engage your young students.  We will discuss strategies that you will need to support students in exploring and making sense of the world around them.  In our discussions we will be quite conscious of the critical role of the early childhood educator in helping young students develop a positive disposition toward science. Understanding how children learn as well as the unique needs of children from linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds will be essential for addressing our driving question.

Course Objectives

At the end of the semester you will be able to:

♦       Demonstrate an understanding of the science concepts outlined in the Arizona Early Learning Standards as they relate to science, the Arizona Science Standards for Grades K-3, and  the National Science Education Standards

♦       Plan inquiry-based science lessons appropriate for young children based on state and national science standards

♦       Design and facilitate experiences that allow students to be actively involved in science learning

♦       Demonstrate effective classroom management techniques that will foster the learning of science

♦       Assess student understanding of science concepts in a variety of ways

♦       Identify ways to uncover misconceptions students have about science

♦       Identify opportunities for integrating science into the content areas of  math, language arts, and social studies, and the arts

Professional Standards

This course addresses the Arizona Professional Teaching Standards.

♦Standard 1: The teacher designs and plans instruction that develops students’ abilities to meet Arizona’s academic standards and the district’s assessment plan.

We will examine the National Science Education Standards, the Arizona Early Learning Standards, and the Arizona Science Standard to discover the essence of the expectations for early childhood education.

You will design and implement science instruction appropriate for young children.

♦Standard 2: The teacher creates and maintains a learning climate that supports the development of students’ abilities to meet Arizona’s academic standards.

As members of a community of learners, we will explore ways in which to create a learning climate that is orderly, comfortable, respectful, and geared towards motivating students to be actively engaged in science learning. You will practice strategies for fostering such an environment in your early childhood classroom.

♦Standard 3:  The teacher implements and manages instruction that develops students’ abilities to meet Arizona’s academic standards.

We will discuss instructional techniques and effective strategies that enhance student learning. You will have the opportunity to practice these strategies as we deliver lessons in the applications classroom and when presenting to peers.

♦Standard 4:  The teacher assesses learning and communicates results to parents, and other professionals with respect to students’ abilities to meet Arizona’s academic standards.

We will explore a variety of formal and informal assessment and evaluation techniques appropriate for young children.  You will have an opportunity to observe, document, and assess science learning in your early childhood classroom.

♦Standard 5:  The teacher collaborates with colleagues, parents, the community, and other agencies to design, implement, and support learning programs that develop students’ abilities to meet Arizona’s academic standards and transition from school to work or to post-secondary education.

We will explore community resources that provide authentic experiences for young children in the areas of science and health. You will identify effective ways to involve families in their children’s science learning.

♦Standard 6:  The teacher reviews and evaluates his or her overall performance and implements a professional development plan.

We will continuously reflect on our learning and teaching, and self-reflection is a component of each assignment. You will become proficient at stifling a reaction when an instructor utters the word “reflection”.

♦Standard 7:  The teacher has a general academic knowledge as demonstrated by the attainment of a bachelor’s degree.  The teacher also has specific academic knowledge in his or her subject area of areas sufficient to develop student knowledge and performance to meet Arizona’s academic standards.

We will deepen our knowledge of science content as we plan, participate in, and observe science lessons.  We will learn about the nature of science learning and inquiry. You will learn ways to engage children in age-appropriate science activity.

♦Standard 8:  The teacher demonstrates current professional knowledge sufficient to effectively design and plan instruction, implement and manage instruction, create and maintain an appropriate learning environment, and assess student learning.

We will apply science content knowledge and professional knowledge from previous coursework such as lesson planning, lesson delivery, classroom management, assessment, and differentiation of instruction.

Textbook and required materials

Social Studies for the Preschool/Primary Child, 8^th edition IBSN:  978-0-13-715284-1, Prentice Hall/Pearson Ed

Class Notes

The main text for the course is available from the University Bookstore

Recommended/Optional materials

Website Links to Professional Standards

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC): http://www.naeyc.org/faculty/pdf/2001.pdf

Arizona Early Learning Standards: http://www.ade.state.az.us/earlychildhood/downloads/EarlyLearningStandards.pdf

Arizona Professional Teacher Standards:  http://www.ade.state.az.us/certification/downloads/Teacherstandards.pdf

Expectations/Course Policies

Attendance and Participation: This is a professional course.  Therefore, students are expected to be professional.  Students are expected to be attentive and contributing members of the class.  Class begins promptly. You must sign in at the beginning of each class.  If you arrive more than 5 minutes late or leave more than 5 minutes early, this will be noted.  Three or more late arrivals
or early departures constitute an absence.  
If you are unavoidably late or absent, please come to the next available office hour to discuss what was missed.  Bathroom breaks are taken as needed but please avoid leaving during inappropriate times.  
Attendance is mandatory.  Each student is allowed 1 excused absence.  In order for an absence to be excused, you must: a) Notify me before class or on the day of the absence. b) The reason for the absence must be justifiable, for example: serious illness, family emergencies, or religious obligations.  If you have more than one absence, the highest grade you can earn is a B.  As per university policy, "EXCESSIVE OR EXTENDED ABSENCES from class is sufficient reason for the instructor to recommend that the student be administratively dropped from the course." Absences or special events observed by organized religions will be honored for those students who show affiliation with that particular religion.  Absences pre-approved by the UA Dean of Students (Dean's designee) will be honored. .

Please turn off all cell phones, pagers, ipods, and other electronic devices. Leave extracurricular readings for breaks outside of class time. If you use a lap top, please turn off email and the internet unless you are asked to use it for an immediate class purpose.

Readings: Course readings are important resources for class discussions and written assignments. Please keep up with the readings, and come to class having read the assigned material and ready to discuss it. Read to understand, not to memorize. You are expected to have a copy of the reading (textbook, hard or electronic copy) in class on the day the reading is scheduled in the course calendar.

Assignments: Assignments are designed to encourage you to think and apply the course material. You are encouraged to work with classmates on all requirements for the class. However, you must write your own lesson plans and papers, with proper citations (APA or similar), unless the guidelines for an assignment call for joint work.

Paper Format: All assignments must be typed and submitted electronically via D2L. Please use the following format for file names: yourlastname.assignment.doc Example: Andersonl.LP1.doc. Also, please sure to include your name, date, and assignment name on each assignment. Unless otherwise noted, assignments should be double-spaced in 12-pt font and 1” margins. Characteristics of quality work include assignments turned in on time, accurate spelling, grammatically correct sentences, and proper punctuation. Each paper written for this course should include citations using APA or similar format ((author, year), Reference List at the end of the paper) http://www.library.arizona.edu/search/reference/citation-apa.html.

Specific formatting requirements will be discussed in class for each written assignment.

Submitting Assignments & Late Policy: Unless otherwise noted, all assignments are due at midnight (11:59:59 p.m.) on the date specified on the course calendar in the appropriate D2L dropbox. If you know in advance that you will not be able to turn in an assignment on the due date, then please let me know. If extended time is needed, then please make prior arrangements with me.  Late assignments will receive a deduction (based on how late the assignment is) unless you have made arrangements with me in advance. .

Grading: Your work will be graded according to the criteria set for success on each assignment. Rubrics will be provided when the assignment is introduced in class.

Scoring for assignments is based on a point system.  Your final grade will be based on the percentage of total possible points earned:

90%+ = A                          80-89% = B    70-79% = C    60-69% = D                               59- = F

You must receive a C or above to continue on to student teaching.

Course Assignments and Evaluation

Final grades will be awarded using a point system. The highest possible number of point for the course is 100.  Your final grade will be based on the number of points you earn.

90 + points + = A                     80-89 points = B                      70-79 points = C                      60-69 points = D

Assignments: Details and assessment criteria for each assignment will be provided in more detail when assignments are introduced.

Environment Observation and Evaluation Assignment: Getting to know the community is an important part of a teacher job.  Observe the environment around the Emily Meschter center and the Flowing Wells School District.  What did you expect and what have you observed?  How does this environment promote the goals of social studies:  developing informed citizens?  Rubric will be provided in class.

Field Experiences class lesson. You are expected to complete one Social Studies lesson.  The lesson should relate to one of the 6 social sciences: Social/Emotional, U.S. history, World history, Geography, Civics/Government or Economics and should be an extension to a read aloud lesson. You will write the lesson using the format I give you. All lesson plans must be reviewed by me in form of a rough draft for constructive changes prior to teaching it.  Once the lesson is taught, you will revise the lesson with the changes you made and write a reflection.  You will also collect an evaluation form from your applications teacher

Field Trip: Working in small groups of 3-4, you will select a field trip site in Tucson and visit the site.  You will complete an information sheet and develop a Parent/Child Home Activity Folder that could be used either before or after the fieldtrip day.  The “Before” the fieldtrip folder would introduce the fieldtrip and include fieldtrip site information.  It should include an activity that would prepare the students for what they will see and learn and possibly give them some background information.  The “After” the fieldtrip will include fieldtrip site information and activity that will help your student recall what they learned and saw.  You will share your work to your colleagues in a class presentation.

Reflection Paper: Becoming a culturally responsive teacher. Read at least 3 journal articles that discuss what it means to be a culturally responsive teacher.  Write a 3-4 page paper that asks you to reflect on each of the following areas:

1. a. What do you think it means to be a culturally responsive teacher?  Why is becoming more culturally responsive a critical component of my own teacher development?
2. b. What can I do to make any curriculum more culturally responsive?
3. c. What can I do to be more culturally responsive to my students’ social needs?
4. d. What can I do to make my classroom more culturally responsive?
5. e. What can I do professionally to become a more culturally responsive teacher?  In what areas do I need to grow?
6. f. A bibliography of the articles you read and/or cited needs to be included.

Social Studies Unit Plan: This in an integrated, 2 week unit focused on a Social Studies topic/theme and trade books related to that topic/theme.  Your project must include the following:

1. A detailed planning calendar that maps out related activities and lessons for a 2-week thematic unit that is integrated with the other subjects.
2. All materials used in teaching this unit (both original and “borrowed”)
3. A 1-2 page explanation of your unit, including its relevance and importance to students.
4. A creative, interactive Social Studies lesson plan incorporating a variety of hands-on activities, and technology
5. A bibliography for at least 10 fiction and nonfiction trade books, websites, videos, music and/or any other “borrowed” resources used in your plan
6. Presentation of your unit plan, demonstrating one of the hands-on activities that you found.  For example, you might show us a PowerPoint game you found for a geography lesson.

Field experience observation: You will need to sign up for me to come and observe you teach and/or interact with children.  It can be small group, whole group, read aloud, calendar, or art project.  We will discuss this more in class.

Family Literacy Backpack: You will be required to share a literacy experience with one child/and family in your field experiences classroom.  Rubric and guidelines will be handed out in class. 

Other Important Information

Accommodations: Students who need special accommodation or services while at the University of Arizona should contact the Disability Resources Center, 12224 East Lowell Street, Tucson, AZ 85721 (621.3268). Should you need any accommodation for this class, please converse with me during the first week of classes.

Academic Integrity:  The University of Arizona provides resources for students to educate themselves about academic integrity and avoid plagiarism:  http://dos.web.arizona.edu/uapolicies/ AND   http://www.library.arizona.edu/help/tutorials/plagiarism/index.html

Promoting a safe environment for learning: The University of Arizona seeks to promote a safe academic environment for students and faculty:  http://policy.web.arizona.edu/~policy/threaten.shtml

Citing Sources: You may find the following website to be helpful with APA documentation procedures: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r apa.html

Writing Consultation: The UA Writing Center offers one-on-one conversation with a writing consultant to assist you in your writing at any stage in the writing process:  http://english.arizona.edu/index_site.php?id=287

Course Schedule

This schedule is tentative and maybe changed as needed to respond to students’ learning experiences.

Unless otherwise noted, assignments must be submitted to the appropriate drop box on D2L by 11:59:59 p.m. (midnight) on the day that the assignment is due. Please see course expectations section for other directions regarding formats for submitting assignments.

Calendar

The Arizona Department of Education Standards can be found online and can be downloaded in PDF or MSWord formats at:  http://www.ade.state.az.us/standards/science/articulated.asp