PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES IN SCIENCE EDUCATION
C&I 340 BE; Bioen 370 BE
Fall 1995
Professors: Bertram Bruce, Margery Osborne
Office: 387 Education; 386 Education
Office hours: By appointment
E-mail: chip@uiuc.edu; m-osbor@uiuc.edu
C&I phone: 244-8286Purpose
Children have a natural fascination with the world around them and with the workings of their own bodies. The purpose of this course is to acquaint you (a prospective elementary or middle school teacher) with instructional principles and practices for engaging children in learning science, so that they can develop in their abilities to explore and make sense of their world and themselves.
In the course, we will think about how we have come to understand how our bodies work. We will experiment with different techniques for learning about our bodies. We will learn about bioengineering tools that can be used to find out about the workings of the body, and how these tools shape what we think about our bodies' function. In the process, we will learn about the physical science needed to understand physiological functions in our bodies and the technologies used for obtaining this information.
We will also think together about ways that we can bring our explorations of biology and bioengineering to teaching children. We will experiment with doing this; during the second half of the semester we will be in classrooms actually trying out studies of human biology with children.Goals for the Course
- Address questions, such as:
- How does our body work?
- How do we find out how our body works?
- How are we able to affect how our body works?
- Develop an appreciation for the constructed nature of science, and feel an enhanced ability to understand scientific and technological ways of thinking;
- Think about ways we can bring these understandings to elementary school science teaching.
General Activities
- Develop an historical and cross-cultural understanding of concepts of the body
- Think about the political and ethical dimensions of that knowledge, asking "Who has shaped our understandings of our own biology? What did they think was important?"
- Explore the mechanisms of systems modeling, a central process in biological understanding;
- Think about the changing images of the body and the influences of technology on this;
- Think also about how images of the body shape technology;
- Try out some explorations of human biology in classrooms.
Meeting Times
Through October 6th, the class will meet on Tuesday and Thursday at 8:00-10:00 a.m., and on Friday at 8:00-9:00 a.m. in the Science Education Laboratory (Room 4). We will also meet for a two-hour laboratory session each Monday morning, 8:00-10:00 a.m. throughout the first half of the semester. (The two-hour laboratory session is one of the justifications for the additional credit hour.)
The Junior Practicum period begins on October 9. From then, until the last week of term, we will meet on the Fridays only. During the last week of term we will again meet Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.Structural Features
Cooperative learning groups. Each of you will be part of a small group of 3-5 students, providing a greater opportunity for more open sharing of ideas and cooperative efforts on projects. Your small group will remain constant throughout the semester, and you should sit together in class and work together in lab and in class each week.
Readings. Through a historical approach, we will learn that our image of our bodies has changed through time and that there is a link between that image (model) and how we can find out new things about our body and how we think to intervene in our bodies workings. This is all at the heart of bioengineering. We have assembled a packet of readings (available on reserve in the Education Library or for sale at Notes and Quotes) about this and also about ideas for science teaching.
Experts as Resources. You will be able to learn from and work with experts in the various components of the Bioengineering Program. During the process of your investigations, you can address questions to experts through both e-mail and face-to-face meetings. We will put the questions and answers together into a newsletter for the class.
Laboratory Tours. We will tour bioengineering labs to look at the ways engineers study the way the body works and how things can be done to help or harm bodily functions.
Computer Explorations. We will use the computer as a tool to learn about the body. We will explore image databases and simulations. We will also learn about biotechnology as a central thread in our modern approach to the body.
Experiments. We will do hands-on experiments to find out about how our bodies work. These will include measuring pulse and breathing rates, measuring our body parts, looking at hair under a microscope, studying digestion, watching an ultrasound being done, examining CAT scans and other forms of medical imaging.Expectations and Assignments
Much of your work will be with your small group on a project. This might involve investigation of an aspect of the body, looking at changing images through history, carrying out experiments and observations, and interacting with state-of-the-art bioengineering research or reading about current controversies. The final product might be a poster session, a physical device, a set of demonstrations, a "history of the ear", which can be shown at the "Science Fair".
Faithful attendance and participation in all classes and laboratories.
Careful and critical reading of all assigned readings. Further supplemental readings may be distributed as the class progresses. Weekly written summaries of these readings.
An inquiry notebook recording observations, experiments, questions, reflections, etc. These entries will be used by you in constructing your mid-term exam and your final portfolio.
A curriculum analysis paper examining different curriculum sources, including textbooks, tradebooks, and activity-based curriculum projects.
A midterm essay examination asking you to synthesize your experiences and learning over the semester.
During junior practicum, starting the second week, try out one activity/experiment each week with a small group of students (3-5). Keep careful records of what happens (a tape recorder is very helpful). Submit a brief written report outlining what happened, focusing on the children's thinking.
A final portfolio highlighting your own work which you think best indicates your engagement in scientific investigations during the semester.Evaluation
There are 100 possible points from the various activities, distributed as follows:
- 1-page summary of the readings, due each week in the first half of term - 10 points
- Curriculum analysis paper - 20 points
- Mid-term examination - 20 points
- Reports from Junior Practicum activities - 5 points
- Science Fair - 5 points
- Portfolio - 30 points
- Attendance and participation - 10 points
- Since both class and lab are experientially based, faithful attendance at both is essential. Points will be subtracted for unexcused absences or tardiness.
- Grades will be determined from the following point ranges: 90-100, A; 80-89, B; 70-79, C; 60-69, D; below 60, E.
Class Outline and Assignments
Week 1: Introduction--What do we know about our bodies? How do we know?Thursday: Introduction and discussion of syllabus. What is science? What has been our experience of science? What do we know about how our body works? How do we find out?
Friday: A reading on children's ideas about the body?
Week 2: What can we find out about our bodies using our hands? A historical and experimental exploration.Monday lab: Siphons, fluid flow, oxidation
Tuesday: Pulse, metabolism, organs by touch; exploring our bodies with our hands; readings about how ideas about how our bodies work have changed over time; Aristotle
Thursday: More exploring how our bodies work by touch; readings on how the body works as a system rather than discrete organs
Friday: Creating an environment for science in the classroom; "messing about" as a way of learning in science,
Inquiry notebook entry
Reading summary
Week 3: What can we find out about our bodies through tools of measurement?Monday lab: First computer lab--norms and statistics
Tuesday: Measuring body parts and graphing with comparison to norms; Da Vinci drawings
Thursday: Proportions; historical/philosophical readings about Renaissance search for/imposition of the ideal
Friday: Constructivist theories of science learning
Inquiry notebook entry
Reading summary
Week 4: What can we find out about our bodies by looking inside (dissection)?Monday lab: Simple machines
Tuesday: Readings on dissection; differentiation--race, sex, intelligence, the preoccupation with finding a biological basis for human classification
Thursday: Dissection of chicken wings
Friday: Collaborative science learning
Inquiry notebook entry
Reading summary
Week 5: What can we find out about our bodies by looking inside?Monday lab: Field trip to Franklin Science Center
Tuesday: A reading juxtaposing acupuncture, homeopathic medicine, holistic medicine, mainstream medicine?
Thursday: Thinking about ourselves as a system, rather than as discrete parts
Friday: Extending science work: Teacher as facilitator
Inquiry notebook entry
Reading summary
Week 6: What can we find out about our bodies through imaging technologies?Monday lab: Wave table lab
Tuesday: What we gain through imaging technologies
Thursday: Field trip to see an ultrasound demonstration
Friday: Interpreting children's work
Inquiry notebook entry
Reading summary
Week 7: What can we find out about our bodies by systems modeling?Monday lab: Computer work
Tuesday: What is systems modeling? Computer work.
Thursday: Computer work.
Friday: Science learning in the larger curriculum
Curriculum analysis paper
Mid-term handed out
Week 8: Junior Practicum TeachingIntroduction to Computer Measurements using the Microcomputer-Based Lab
Description of Explorer MBL Probes and software (LOGAL Software, Inc.)
Friday: Discussion of Junior Practicum
Week 9: Junior Practicum TeachingPhysical Measurements using Explorer MBL Probes
LED/Light sensor
Microphone/Speaker
Temperature Probe
pH Measurements
Friday: Computer work
Week 10: Junior Practicum TeachingPhysiological Measurements using Explorer MBL Probes
Pulse Rate Probe: Measures blood pressure and pulse rate
Respiration Probe: Measures breathing rate and volume
Friday: Discussion of Junior Practicum
Week 11: Junior Practicum TeachingElectrical Measurements using Explorer MBL Probes
Ammeter
Voltmeter
Friday: Computer work
Week 12: Junior Practicum TeachingPhysiological Measurements using Explorer MBL Probes
Electrocardiogram (ECG): Measures heart activity
Friday: Computer work
Week 13: Junior Practicum TeachingPhysiological Measurements using Explorer MBL Probes
Electroencephalogram (EEG): Measures electrical activity of the brain
Friday: Computer work
Week 14: Junior Practicum TeachingPhysiological Measurements using Explorer MBL Probes
Electromyogram (EMG): Measures electrical activity in muscle
Friday: Discussion of Junior Practicum
Week 15: Junior Practicum TeachingPhysiological Measurements using Explorer MBL Probes
Galvanic Skin Reaction(GSR): Measures skin’s electrical resistance
Friday: Computer work.
Week 16: Science Fair