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Syllabus Integrated Science I-Physical Science- NSCI 3001/7001 Fall 2005
222 Natural Science Center 4:30-6:40 M W
Dr. John Wilson (Physics and Astronomy), Dr. Pamela Burnley (Geology) Ms. Anila Gill (Chemistry) Dr. Barbara Baumstark (Biology), Dr. Nydia Hanna (Science Education)
Course Website: http://scied.gsu.edu/Hanna/nsci/
Course Description:Foundation concepts in physics and astronomy with integrated laboratory. Emphasis on connections to chemistry, geology and biology.
Course Focus: The Integrated Science Sequence is a collaborative effort between the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Education at Georgia State University and comprises the science concentration for middle school teachers with a major or minor in science. Science forms a seamless web of knowledge about the universe. An understanding of basic science concepts will be necessary in our scientific and technologically rich societies of the future. This three semester integrated sequence of courses for middle school teachers encompasses physics, astronomy, chemistry, geology, and biology while emphasizing the overarching principles of science and their application to real-world situations. Each semester highlights the main concepts of two disciplines of science, while incorporating examples and general principles of the whole of science through the study of the applied theme of science "in and around your home". The theme serves two important functions; first to make the relevance of science to the student's daily lives unmistakable and second to provide an alternative structure and context in which the science content can be integrated. The development of the theme has been an ongoing project for two years by the Science STEP committee consisting of representatives from Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Physics, Astronomy and Science Education. Science STEP is dedicated to designing a curriculum based on National Science Education Standards and that will align with the Georgia Performance Standards for Middle Grades.
Course Objectives: This course is designed to provide a substantial body of science background for middle school teachers. The course objectives are linked to the GPS for Georgia Teachers in each of the three areas of middle school science: life, physical and earth science.Please see the Agenda for the GPS associated with the course.
- How do you make measurements that give a clearer description of matter and energy?
- How can energy be used to do work and cause motion?
- Given a piece of matter, what kinds of things do you know are present if you were able to see it in a microscopic scale?
- What is the nature of the energy of heat and how is it transformed?
- How would you determine the properties that would allow you to distinguish between two materials?
- How is electrical energy transformed to do practical tasks in the home?
- What kind of measurements would you use to describe sound and light?
Required Textbook: Shipman, Wilson & Todd, An Introduction to Physical Science, Tenth or 11th Edition, 2002 or 2004.
Course Requirements:
There are several aspects of the course which will be required. These are as follows:
- Sign in to the course website at http://scied.gsu.edu/Hanna/nsci/ Go to the Bulletin Board and place an introductory greeting about yourself and what you find interesting in science.
- Take the survey on the website. It can be found in the WebCT portion of the course.
- Participate in the online discussions about science (Burning Questions) in the WebCT portion.
- Develop the Integrated Science Portfolio.
- Take the traditional assessments- quizzes and final.
- Complete the laboratory activities
- Participate in the Cosmic Ray project
- Optional: Attend fieldtrips to Hard Labor Creek Telescope, Fernbank Museum, Weimann Mineral Museum, Zoo Atlanta or other science museums. (One bonus point on total grade for each fieldtrip- maximum pts are 2) Hand in proof of visit to Dr. Hanna.
Grading and Assessments
Assessment of your performance in this course will be determined by a combination of methods. Your participation and products from assignments will be evaluated by the instructors. The overall assessment of your progress will also include an evaluation of your Integrated Science portfolio. Grade percentages as follows:
Laboratory activities and assignments
15%
Integrated Science Portfolio
20%
Quiz 1
15%
Quiz 2
15%
Final Exam
20%
Class Participation and Attendance
5%
Cosmic Ray Project
10%
7001 students will have additional test questions on quizzes and exams.
Attendance Policy Please refer to the University's statement on attendance. Because much learning in the field of science is experiential, good attendance is critical to understanding concepts presented in class. All proposed absences must be communicated to the instructor. The instructor reserves the right to deduct 5 points from the final grade for class absences.
Plagiarism Policy:
You may be wondering why we make such a big deal about plagiarism. One might be tempted to think of plagiarism as a harmless, “victimless” crime; since its only obvious impact is to allow a student to earn grades they do not “deserve”. However, it is not a victimless crime at all. The first victim of plagiarism is the student who plagiarizes in our class. We are here to help students learn to be better writers, thinkers, scholars and teachers. The student who plagiarizes, denies themselves the feedback that they need to learn and grow. The second group of victims is other students in the class who turn in original work that suffers in comparison to plagiarized material. As instructors we try hard not to compare one student’s work with another. However, if we allowed ourselves to unquestioningly accept plagiarized material as an authentic measure of our student’s capabilities there would be a tendency to raise our expectations. Finally, the most important and vulnerable victims are middle school students who could find themselves being taught by a substandard teacher – one who cannot write or think well enough to teach students how to think or write.
Using turnitin as a technical helper, we will work with students so that they understand what plagiarism is and how not to commit it. In all but the most extreme cases (see below), we will use grades rather than campus disciplinary measures to discourage students from plagiarizing. An understanding of what plagiarism is and how to identify it are considered part of the content of this course; this knowledge may be tested on an exam.
Our plagiarism policy:
1. All portfolio elements must be submitted to Turnitin.com.
2. Turnitin reports are evaluated by instructors but not given to students. We are not interested in educating committed cheaters on how to “game the system”.
3. An element containing plagiarized material will receive a zero along with feedback on the type of revision needed to fix the problem. Students will be given every chance to revise their work as long as it is turned in before the final portfolio deadline.
4. An element that contains borderline plagiarism (paraphrasing that is too close to a source etc.) may receive a reduced grade for failure to demonstrate comprehension of the topic matter.
5. An element that consists in large part of quoted material may receive a reduced grade for failure to demonstrate comprehension even though the material is properly quoted and cited (see rubrics).
6. Any element that has earmarks of severe and deliberate plagiarism (falsified citations, element is totally plagiarized etc.) will be grounds for disciplinary measures as described in the academic honesty policy.This syllabus provides a general plan for the course. Deviations may be necessary.
Integrated Science Portfolio- Portfolio assessment has become a widely cited technique for obtaining a rich demonstration of the skills that students have acquired, and it is often implied that portfolio assessment provides different types of information from that obtained from standardized tests. In Science Education, portfolios have been applied in student assessment, prospective science teacher education programs, and the assessment of practicing science teachers.The portfolio will synthesize all work you have accomplished in the course. You will choose the elements from the list of approved projects or activities that will either focus on a single discipline in science, or address the integrated aspect of the sciences. You will be required to choose two single discipline projects in addition to the required Burning Question element and the Science Concepts in the Home element for a total of 4 elements.The best grades go to students who demonstrate comprehension through writing in their own words.
All elements of the portfolio must have the text portion submitted to Turn It In. Instructions will be given in class and on the website.
Due Dates: One element of your choice will be due for feedback and initial grade on October 5.
A second element will be due for feedback and initial grade on November 16
All other elements, and revised elements, will be due on December 7.
7001 sudents must complete an additional element-due on December 7.
Portfolio elements are graded with a Portfolio Rubric
Element
Description
Burning Questions
(required element)
Keep a log of "burning questions" about science and science topics as we go through the course. These may include questions you think of when out of class or at home. They may involve observations you make about scientific or technological items in your home. In addition, take the challenge and find out the answer to a burning question that was not answered in class or the book. Then find activities and information resources (internet included) about the topic that you think will help you teach the topic to students in the future.
Your element will include all 3 of these pieces:
1. Burning question Log- a list of your burning questions throughout the semester. You are required to compose at least one burning question a week. You may choose to post your burning questions on the Bulletin board of the website. The purpose of the online posting is to stimulate discussion about science among the class members. When posting your question- place the topic of the question in the subject line.
2. One of your burning questions answered in your own words and at the college level, with references correctly cited. This answer must be in depth and be more than 2-3 pages of text.
3. Annotated list of resources for when you teach about this question/topic. Identify content resources and then annotate the entry with a short paragraph summarizing what is in the resource and how you would use the resource in your classroom.Science Concepts in the Home
(required integrated element)
Identify 5 concepts about science that were introduced in class and explain each one by using a photograph and multiple examples in your home for each concept. In addition to the explanation of the concept, you may use drawings, concept maps, or multimedia to further show your understanding of the concept. You may use a different method of explanation for each concept. Example- the concept of Convection- how many places can you identify where convection is used in a home? Explain.
Sense and Nonsense
(single discipline)
Choose four of the ten brief scenarios and take a position on whether it is sense or nonsense. Your defense of your position should invoke principles or laws of nature, and explain how these principles bear on the question of sense versus nonsense. Your defense can include sketches or other illustration, text, or calculations. It should include clear references to your sources. A very dim view will be taken of just downloading some propaganda piece from the web.
The first three are statements about microwaves quoted from printed sources by David S. Saxon in an article titled "The place of science and technology in the liberal arts curriculum", American Journal of Physics 51, January 1983, p12.
1. From a report on the possibility of using microwaves as an energy source:
"The purpose of this report is to call attention to the possible great social benefit that would be derived from the use of microwave radiant energy to provide directly the warmth needed by numan beings and other living creatures. A strong motivation for this proposal at this time, in spite of growing concern about possible dangers, is the view that such use could contribute importantly toward alleviating the world energy crisis."
2. From a book on the impact of microwaves on health:
"Microwave radiation can blind you, alter your behavior, cause genetic damage, even kill you. The risks have been hidden from you by the Pentagon, the State Department, and the electronics industry."
3. From a story that appeared in the press:
"It was proposed that the United States launch space stations that would orbit the Earth, collect solar energy, and beam it back to the Earth, using microwaves. Such a project, its proponents argued, would largely solve the worlds energy problems. "
4. A full page commentary in the Atlanta Journal discusses the possibility that the use of cell phones could cause brain tumors.
5. Many people wear magnetic devices or magnetic sheets to combat the pain of arthritis.6. From the advertisement of a product which has been actively marketed in the Atlanta area.
"The 'Magnetizer' fuel energizer is a safe, simple, patented breakthrough that can improve your gas mileage by as much as 25%. Fastened around your Corvette's fuel line, "The Magnetizer" changes the molecular structure of the fuel going to your engine. "The Magnetizer" is the result of years of research and development based on simple physics: the fuel energizer creates an electron flow, called the "Magnetic Effect", which increases the oxidation between hydrocarbon fuel and oxygen prior to ignition. This "effect" is caused by the charged realignment of the molecules (polarization) resulting in a more complete mixture of fuel and oxygen. This results in increased burning efficiency and tremendous fuel and money savings."
7. A school system in Texas was successfully sued because it put a part of the school facility under a large electric transmission line. The suit claimed that the power line represented increased risk of cancer.
8. A national television program and numerous print articles covered the development of a special motor by a man named Neumann in Mississippi. Neumann claimed that his machine was able to capture energy from the earth and other energy available in nature and as a result could run continuously after being started without adding further energy.
9. Articles about missions like the Galileo Mission to Jupiter involve "slingshot" or "gravity assist" maneuvers in which they fly close to a planet without hitting it. A description claims that they can actually gain energy in this encounter, providing a boost in their exploratory mission and enabling them to go further.
10. It is claimed by the medical community that high doses of radiation can reduce or even destroy a cancerous tumor. Yet other sources point to the risk that ionizing radiation can cause cancer.
Map your Concepts
(single discipline)
Draw an original concept map of one of these areas:
The Nature of Science
Energy
Light
Sound
Heat
Electricity/Magnetism
Classification of Matter
Cosmology
The Sun
The Solar System
Periodic Table
Chemical BondingYour concept map must include the concepts in circles and linking words to make the map read like a sentence in any direction. Please see this very simple map as an example http://www.gsu.edu/~mstnrhx/maps.htm.
Your maps should be more in depth than this sample map with many linking words and crosslinks (lines that link across the map for connections)
In addition, define words in a column on the side of your concept map.
Children's Book
(single discipline)
Write and illustrate (no Web sites) a children's book (elementary or middle school level) on one of the following:
Phases of the Moon
The Seasons
Eclipses
Creation of the Earth and Moon
Creation of the Universe
Life Cycle of a Star
States of Matter
The Atom
Periodic Table
Light
Sound
Motion
Nature of Science
Electricity/Magnetism
Heat
Chemical Bonding
Must include a cover with title.
Text and illustrations must be your original materials. No downloaded drawings. Correctness of scientific facts is important. There must be a story- it is a children's book, not a textbook.Chemistry in the Home
(single discipline)
Take a picture of all the items under your kitchen sink- or in your bathroom- and then list all of them by product. You will then look at each product and identify the ingredients in each and also list the elements that comprise those ingredients.
Then categorize them according to the tables below:
The final portfolio element should have more than one table listing all of the below and any other information you would like to include. Also include a discussion. Here is an example of the tables. You may also want to include other data or different ways of showing the data (graphs).
Product Table
Product
Picture
Use
List the ingredients
Physical properties
Chemical properties
List Elements
In this product
Element Table:
Element
% of products that have this element
Place on periodic table
Physical Properties of this element
Chemical properties of this element
Then discuss what you found. Are there reasons that some elements are seen in more products? Does the physical/chemical properties of an element change when it is combined with other elements? Why? Give examples.
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