Frederick Nelson Carol Fry Bohlin Mara Brady California State University, Fresno

California State University, Fresno

Frederick NelsonCarol Fry Bohlin

Mara BradyCalifornia State University, Fresno

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AAC&U Conference – Transforming STEM Education: Inquiry, Innovation, Inclusion, and Evidence

1 November 2013 • San Diego, CA

Connecting Science Learning for Future Elementary Teachers

The Fresno State Liberal Studies STEM team gratefully acknowledges the support of the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation and the CSU Chancellor’s Office.


Who is here?

A. STEM FacultyB. AdministratorsC. Student Support ServicesD. Faculty Teaching and Learning E. K-12 Personnel


Preparing Preservice Teachers for Tomorrow’s Classrooms


An Integrated Approach to Instruction

“The [CCSS] call for a more integrated approach to delivering instruction across all subjects. The CCSS are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world... They require student collaboration; ...and the development of strong complex reasoning, problem solving, and communication skills.” – California Department of Education – January 2013


Liberal Studies STEM ConcentrationInterdisciplinary Partnership

Education • Engineering • Science and Mathematics

Karl Runde

Fred Nelson

Don Williams

Mara BradyFariborz Tehrani Nell Papavasiliou

Carol Fry Bohlin

LloydCrask

Campus CO/MSTI


Bechtel Grant via the CSU Chancellor’s Office


New Liberal Studies STEM Concentration• Liberal Studies major Future K-8 teacher• 120-semester-unit Liberal Studies major at

Fresno State includes 9 sem. units of math + 12-13 sem. units of science

• Concentration: 12 upper division sem. units • Approved (5/1/13) 4-course STEM Concentration:– “Environmental Earth and Life Sciences” (NCSI 115-Revised)

– “Energy, Technology, and Society” (NSCI 116-Revised)

– “Physics Pedagogy and Outreach” (Physics 168S-Revised)

– “Engineering Literacy” (ENGR 191T-New)


Common Course Purposes

1. Increasing interest in and generating excitement for teaching and learning science

2. Providing coherent and connected science learning opportunities

3. Modeling research based and inquiry‐ ‐oriented science pedagogy

4. Facilitating awareness of the science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas of the Next Generation Science Standards


Features of the STEM Concentration• Foundation: CCSS-M, CCSS-ELA, Framework

for K-12 Science Education, NGSS• Crosscutting Concepts used as themes for

making connections across courses• Integration of Practices with

Disciplinary Core Ideas• Inquiry-based instruction, PBL,

integrated labs• Service-learning and outreach• Cohort model


(MSTI): Promoting Professional Identity & Involvement(Mathematics and Science Teacher Initiative Funds from the CSU Chancellor’s Office)

• Facilitate connections with national, state, and local professional communities

• Support participation in STEM workshops and conferences, as well as coursework

• Support success in K-8 STEM teacher pathways• Celebrate STEM accomplishments


$800 Liberal Studies STEM Fellowship!• Receive $200 of the $800 Fellowship when you take

Physics Pedagogy and Outreach. Receive $200 when you take Environmental Earth and Life Science this fall or in a future semester.

• Receive a total of $400 ($200 each) when you take Engineering Literacy and Energy, Technology, and Society.

• Bonus! Students who pass the two content tests that lead to a credential in Foundational-Level General Science or Foundational-Level Mathematics will not only receive reimbursement for the tests, but an additional $200 stipend!


Faculty Professional Development

• Workshop for STEM Concentration faculty

• Maker Faire• Tinkering• Propeller car• Project-based learning• NGSS foundations


Building


Collaboration


What is your familiarity with the Next Generation Science Standards?

A. Never heard of themB. Have heard of them but not really familiarC. Somewhat familiar—I can describe themD. Highly familiar—I can give the elevator talk


COURSE EVOLUTION


Earth & Environmental Life Science

• Explores environmental issues, sustainability, and interactions among earth’s systems

• GE course, taken by all Liberal Studies majors• Two 75-minute lecture meetings per week• High enrollment course (~50 students)• Multiple instructors, departments


Earth & Environmental Life Science

• Explores environmental issues, sustainability, and interactions among earth’s systems

• GE course, taken by all Liberal Studies majors• Two 75-minute lecture meetings per week• High enrollment course (~50 students)• Multiple instructors, departments

RE-DESIGN = new textbook, re-organized syllabus topics, learner-centered activities


CROSS-CUTTING CONCEPTS

Patterns, Cause & Effect, Scale,

Systems, Flows & Cycles, Structure &

Function, Stability & Change

NSCI 115 COURSE CONTENT

DISCIPLINARY CORE IDEAS

Earth’s Place in the Universe,

Earth’s Systems,Earth & Human

Activity

SMALL GROUP ACTIVITIES: Students, Classmates, Instructor


Old Syllabus Topics


NEW Revised Syllabus Topics


Thinking like a scientistCROSS-CUTTING CONCEPTS

PatternsSystems & Systems Models

Flows, cycles, and conservationTracking fluxes of energy and matter into, out of, and within systems helps

one understand the systems’ possibilities and limitations


Thinking like a scientistCROSS-CUTTING CONCEPTS

PatternsSystems & Systems Models

Flows, cycles, and conservation

Scale, Proportion & QuantityIt is critical to recognize what is relevant at different measures of size, time, and

energy to recognize how changes in scale, proportion, or quantity affect a

system’s structure or performance


SAMPLE ASSESSMENTLearning Log (Reflection)

Learning Objectives:1.Identify the processes (flows) and components (stocks) within a system.2.Identify the relationships among the system's components.3.Consider the complexity of dynamic interactions that create the behavior of the systems in which we live4.Organize processes and components within a visual and written framework.



Sample Statements from Written Responses:When excess nitrogen makes it’s way into water the aquatic algae and plants…flourish due to the boost in nutrients. Algae blooms can deplete the oxygen…killing fish and other life affecting our economy…

These mechanisms are the way carbon gets cycled between the atmosphere and ocean, which is the main storage site of carbon, which contributes to the circle of life that we are involved in, where things don’t just go to waste or disappear, they get recycled for other organisms to use as energy.



Sample Statements from Written Responses:Humans have impacted the water cycle…When parts of the water cycle change we see an impact on [ecosystem] services. Many of these various services feed directly back into the water cycle increasing the dynamics of change within the water cycle…



Sample Statements from Written Responses:Humans have impacted the water cycle…When parts of the water cycle change we see an impact on [ecosystem] services. Many of these various services feed directly back into the water cycle increasing the dynamics of change within the water cycle…

CHALLENGE: Developing criteria to assess student’s level of understanding of and ability to

apply cross-cutting concept to course content


Physics Pedagogy & Outreach

• Physics majors• Repeat enrollment• Service learning

• "Describe the basic laws in precise, concise, and simple languages to educate the general public”

• "Stimulate the interest in physical science in the communities”

• "This program allows for exposure of physics, highlighting the various aspects of physics and the many opportunities that the major offers"


Outreach Apparatus

• Ball & ring• Bed of nails• Liquid nitrogen• Newton's cradle• Piano stool• Pipe wrench• Suction cups• Teeter-totter


The Re-Visioned Course

• Recruitment of teaching credential students

• Recruitment of Liberal Studies majors

• Pedagogy emphasis• Student writing

assignments


The New Class


Curriculum Changes

• Conceptual change• Constructivism• Disciplinary literacy• Discrepant events• Misconceptions• Teacher theorizing• Service learning

• Patterns• Cause and Effect• Scale, Proportion, and

Quantity• Systems and System

Models• Energy and Matter:

Flows, Cycles, and Conservation

• Structure and Function• Stability and Change


Pressure


Which crosscutting concept relates best to pressure?

A. Stability and changeB. Flows, cycles, and conservationC. Scale, proportion, and quantityD. Patterns


Crosscutting Concepts in Rotational Momentum

Patterns“Students should be able to notice that when they bring their arms in while holding the weights, they begin to spin faster. They should also be able to notice that when you put your arms out, you begin to slow down.” “If rotational inertia goes down, the speed must increase. If the speed is decreased the rotational inertia must go up. This pattern represents an inverse relationship.”


Crosscutting Concepts in States of Matter

Scale, proportion, and quantity“100 degrees Celsius is a lot and can cause some quick changes... until you see the effect of 2000 degrees and the speed at which things change when exposed to that temperature compared to our standard 20.”


Engineering Literacy

• History of engineering• Engineering philosophy and psychology• Engineering trends and implications• Consequences of engineering projects• Engineering resources• Engineering design process• Engineering documentation• Engineering evaluations• Sustainability and resilience


Energy, Technology, & Society

• Energy transformations• Traditional & alternative

sources• Evaluating alternatives• Explicit connections to

Engineering Literacy activities

• Student-constructed text


SUCCESS!

• Faculty relationships– Regular meetings– Ongoing collaboration

• Administrative enthusiasm• Explicit NGSS integration• Ongoing research• Expanded campus connections and

integration for other projects


Challenges

• Course scheduling• Multiple instructors• Student perceptions• Faculty perceptions• Validation of faculty effort• Marketing/recruiting


Moving Forward

• Faculty professional development workshops– Earth science– Math Common Core– ELA Common Core

• Curriculum module development• Collaboration with other campuses• Research potential– Crosscutting concepts instrument– Dynamics of interdisciplinary collaboration


You will....1.Learn how to integrate science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in a K-8 class!2.Experience ways to bring science and math to life in the classroom!3.Learn many ways to answer the question, "When and how will I ever use this?" 4.Have some of Fresno State's best science and engineering instructors!5.Take 4 terrific courses that incorporate the new Next Generation Science Standards and the Common Core State Standards!6.Receive membership in mathematics and science education organizations!7.Receive travel support to attend math and science education conferences!8.Develop a love and passion for science that you'll be eager to share with your students!9.Visit lots of schools (and TV stations!) to do science demonstrations!10.Deepen your content knowledge so that you'll be a highly confident and competent teacher of science in grades K-8


Questions?Comments?


Bechtel Grant via the CSU Chancellor’s Office

Frederick Nelson Carol Fry Bohlin Mara Brady California State University, Fresno

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