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SyllabusIntegrated Science II- NSCI 3002/7002 Spring 2006
314 Kell Hall 4:30-6:45 M W
Dr. Pamela Burnley (Geology), Ms. Anila Fiaz Gill (Chemistry), Dr. John Wilson (Physics), Dr. Barbara Baumstark (Biology), Dr. Nydia Hanna (Science Education)
Course Website: http://scied.gsu.edu/Hanna/nsci/
Course Description:
Foundation concepts in chemistry and geology with integrated laboratory. Emphasis on connections to physics, astronomy 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 five 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 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 Standards for Georgia Teachers in each of the three areas of middle school science: life, physical and earth science.Please see the Agenda for the Georgia Performance Standards associated with the course.
Required Textbooks:
Tarbuck and Lutgens, "Earth Science" 10th Edition (note that this not the latest edition. You should be able to buy it used on-line).
Science Explorers - Earth Science, Prentice Hall, 2002 (a copy will be provided)
$20 Lab fee card (purchase at GSU Bookstore)Course Requirements:
There are several aspects of the course that 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.
- Your "burning questions" about science and technology as we progress through the course are to be posted on the Bulletin Board of the website each week. You must post at least one burning question a week on the bulletin board. Please feel free to read other people's questions and post more questions if theirs make you think or become curious.
- Develop the Integrated Science Portfolio .
- Take the traditional assessments - two exams and a final.
- Complete the laboratory activities, assignments and Formative quizzes.
- Participate in online text discussions in the Textbook Forum
Grading and AssessmentsAssessment 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, homework assignments, quizzes 20% Integrated Science Portfolio 25% Midterm 1 15% Midterm 2 15% Final Exam 20% Class Participation/Professionalism 5% 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.The formative quizzes are only given at the beginning of class, and will not be given as a make-up. No extra time will be allowed for those arriving late.
Missed class periods cannot be made up. Make-up midterm exams will be allowed only if we are contacted before the midterm and only with a valid medical excuse which must consist of a legible, signed explanation from a physician including that physicians name, business address and phone number. The final exam cannot be made up.
Homework: Homework assignments are due at the start of class on their due date and become "late" as soon as class begins. The value of the assignment drops by 10% for each class meeting that it is late. In general, homework should be printed or typed. If handwritten sections are needed, they must be neat and legible. If you wish to turn in your homework early, you can give it to the Geology Department's receptionist in Rm. 340 Kell Hall; please requests that the receptionist write down the date and time of its arrival.
Policy on Disruptive Behavior: All members of the class are expected to treat each other in a respectful, civil manner. Students who exhibit behaviors that are considered to obstruct or disrupt this class or its learning activities will be considered under the Board of Regents Policy on Disruptive Behavior. Behaviors which are considered to be inappropriate in this classroom include but are not limited to the following: sleeping, eating, passing notes, coming in late, leaving early, interrupting others, talking out of turn, private conversations during lecture, inappropriate behavior during group work, verbal behavior that is disrespectful of other students or the instructor. Students who exhibit such behavior will be given a verbal warning. Continued violations will result in a written warning, and then will be subject to disciplinary procedures that may include withdrawal from the class.
Policy on Academic Honesty: In this class we will follow the University system policy on academic honesty that is published in On Campus: The Undergraduate Co-Curricular Affairs Handbook and is available to all members of the university community. The policy represents a core value of the university and all members of the university community are responsible for abiding by its tenets. Lack of knowledge of this policy is not an acceptable defense to any charge of academic dishonesty. All members of the academic community --students, faculty, and staff --are expected to report violations of these standards of academic conduct to the appropriate authorities. The minimal penalty for cheating in this class is the grade of F. Students are reminded that plagiarism (which includes cutting and pasting text from web sites) is a form of cheating and will not be tolerated.
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:
- All portfolio elements must be submitted to Turnitin.com.
- 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”.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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).
- 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. One element is required and the other three elements may be your choice of the listed options.
In addition to a hard copy of each portfolio element, the text from all elements must be submitted in electronic form to turnitin.com.
Due Dates: One element of your choice will be due on February 22.
A second element will be due on March 15
A third element will be due on March 29
The last element, and any revised elements, will be due on April 19.
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. Identify these 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.
Your element will include:
1. Burning question Log- a list of your questions that have been posted on the website. Print your postings.You are required to post at least one burning question a week, and to respond to at least one person's question each week.
2. One burning question 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.Children's Book
Write and illustrate (no Web sites) a children's book (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
Volcanoes
Earthquakes
Soil
RocksMinerals
Rivers and Erosion
Plate Tectonics
The Oceans
Fossils and Ancient Life
The Atom
Periodic Table
Acids and BasesMust include a cover with title.
Text and illustrations must be your original materials. No downloaded drawings. No long essays, it is a children's book, not a textbook.Earth Science Scrapbook In order to demonstrate to your students that Earth Science is relevant to their lives, you will need to make connections between things that are familiar to your students and the concepts that you are going to teach them. One way to do this is to make your students aware of Earth Science in the news. Other ways to make these connections involve finding the "Earth science" in familiar objects.
Scrapbook Items:
Over the course of this semester, collect news articles, postcards, photos, advertisements and other images that illustrate one aspect or another of Earth science. The assignment is to find the "geology" in things that will be familiar to your students, things that will help your students see the connection between the outside world and their Earth Science lessons. For this reason, you must use materials outside of textbooks and other prepared curriculum materials including those found on government and university web sites. Some magazines, like Scientific American, National Geographic and Discover, have articles that look and sound very much like text books. They are nice resource materials, but for this assignment not more than 1 of your captioned items should be articles of this nature. To discourage the use of textbook photos, the back side of all clipped images must be accessible. Electronic images are not permitted, with the exception of those that are contained in news articles.Captions:
Each item must have a caption that contains: 1) Earth Science content (topic) information - pretend you are explaining what the item depicts to a colleague who does not know any Earth Science, 2) information about the source of the item. Figuring out what Earth science content belongs in the caption may seem difficult at first. However, it usually only requires a bit of brainstorming. For example, when looking at a picture, ask yourself: "what do I see?". If the answer is "a lake", then brainstorm on what you have learned about lakes in this class. You might remember that a lake represents an area where the water table is above the ground's surface. You could then incorporate this information into your caption. Newspaper articles already have headlines and consist of lots of words, but they often don't give much in the way of geologic background information. For example, they won't tell you where Turkey is relative to the plate boundaries and what tectonic process probably caused the recent large earthquake there. An article might focus on the plants and animals living in a swamp but it won't mention what type of geologic environment it is or what type of rock is forming there. The information regarding the source of the item should include the title of the publication, a volume and page number if appropriate, and a date. If a news item was found on the web, then you must include the web address, the name of the organization responsible for the web site and the date the item was downloaded.*Examples of topics: landforms, streams, soil, sedimentary rocks, metamorphic rocks, igneous rocks, volcanoes, minerals
*Examples of sources: magazine add, travel brochure, travel magazine article, educational magazine article, newspaper, worldwide web, personal travel photos, postcards, national park brochures
Weather on Not
One of the primary examples of everyday science is the weather. Your assignment will be to collect data based on the weather pages in the newspaper or on the internet. Your project must compare some aspect of the weather in 2 areas of the world and collect data over a period of at least 4 weeks. You must include an analysis of trends and an explanation of the differences in the 2 locations and the reasons for the trends. All data must be presented in chart form and analyzed using graphs and narratives.
You may use any aspect of weather except temperature. Look on the NOAA website for weather data that is being collected. Also check out these online weather maps and Weather Underground
Growing Crystals
This portfolio element involves observing crystals growing from a solution. One does not need exotic materials or to buy a crystal growing kit to grow crystals at home. In fact, many of the powders that we use in cooking and cleaning are composed of water-soluble crystalline solids that can be used to grow crystals large enough to see with your eyes. For this element you will make observations about the growth of crystals for 5 different compounds, and in consultation with the faculty, design and carry out a small experiment inspired by your initial observations.
The element has four parts:
1. Crystal growing exploration and observation
2. Consultation with instructors
3. Small experiment centered on a question you developed during the exploration
4. Write up.
Detailed instructions for this elementpH Chemistry This chemistry element is based on understanding the pH concept. You will be looking at various household items and measuring their pH. You will also get a chance to work with some household indicators and products with acidic or basic pH.
Astronomy Element
The Moon is a dark rocky object that is illuminated by reflected sunlight. It is this reflected light which we see as moonlight. Because the Moon orbits our Earth we cannot always see its illuminated face. .
This element includes taking digital pictures of each lunar phase, recording and measuring the altitude of the moon and arranging the series of photographs by lunar phase. The element also includes questions to be answered and a summary.
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