LRS 200L. Scientific Approaches for Future Teachers Lab (1)

Prerequisite: ITEP-Freshman Option students only. Corequisites: LRS 200 and LRS 210. How do scientists discover things, and how can we recreate that atmosphere in elementary science classrooms? We introduce the approach to science education articulated by the California Next Generation Science Standards: Students build on their prior knowledge (disciplinary core ideas), apply the practices of science and engineering, and use templates for thinking like scientists that cut across disciplinary boundaries (crosscutting concepts). Through hands-on science ‘exploriments’ in this course, future teachers advance their understanding of science concepts well beyond the elementary level but within an elementary context that also highlights science process and science education pedagogy. This lab meets 3 hours per week.