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Dr. Stephen Marvel Office: Ulmer Room 317 Phone: 570-484-2524 e-mail: smarvel@lhup.edu Home Page: http://www.lhup.edu/smarvel Office Hours: T & Th 8-10; W 11-12 Class Hours: MW 8-10 |
Research shows that
elementary education majors are among the least scientifically literate groups
of college students. Consequently, most elementary teachers are not comfortable
teaching science because they do not understand scientific concepts, yet they
form the first formal tier of science education for children, and play a major
role in affecting student attitudes toward science.
Students do not learn scientific concepts by reading a text, memorizing
vocabulary, or by simply taking part in activities. Learners construct their
own understandings of science by participating in inquiry-based activities that
allow them to explore phenomena and attempt to find answers to questions for
themselves. From these explorations, conceptual understandings can be
developed. It is imperative to provide future elementary teachers with relevant
content knowledge, using the types of pedagogy that they will be expected to
employ, if we are to build a scientifically literate society for the 21st
century.
The course is intended for K-6 Elementary majors but would be relevant for other students seeking a laboratory-based, General Education course in biology for non-science majors. The approach taken is highly integrated, providing students with a comprehensive insight into the relationships between structure and function in cells and whole organisms, as well as an understanding of the role plants, animals and microbes play in human and natural environments. The basic unifying themes of biology such as evolution and energy transfer are stressed, enabling students to integrate information learned in the other science courses.
Stephen C. Marvel, Department Biological Sciences, Lock Haven University, Lock Haven, PA 17745 smarvel@.lhup.edu
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Updated 06/18/09