Physical Science 183 – Earth Science For Elementary Teachers

Fall 2006	Instructor: Sonjia Leyva

Lecture: M & W: 2:05 – 3:45 pm	Office: PS 221, 323-343-2149

Activity: M or W: 4:30 – 5:40 pm	Office Hours: M. 2:30 – 3:00 pm

Room: PS 211	Webpage: www.calstatela.edu/faculty/sleyva

Email: sleyva@calstatela.edu

Course Description: Primarily for students preparing for the Multiple Subjects credentials. Basic concepts in earth science correlated with the California science standards for the Multiple Subjects credential. Topics illustrated by demonstrations and activities. Lecture 3 hours, activity 2 hours per week.

Course Objectives: This class is an introduction to various Earth Science topics, including minerals, rocks, plate tectonics, oceans, weather, and the solar system. Lectures are used to provide the background necessary for teaching Earth Science; these concepts are reinforced through weekly activities. By the end of the quarter, students will have a basic understanding of the Earth Sciences, and be able to apply this knowledge by creating standards based lessons for their classrooms.

Text & Materials:

You will need to bring the following to every class session.

•	Foundations of Earth Science, 4th edition, by Lutgens and Tarbuck, Prentice Hall 2002.

•	Earth Science for Teachers Activity Manual, complied by Sonjia Leyva (download at www.calstatela.edu/faculty/sleyva)

•	a calculator, color pencils, a ruler (combination metric/standard scale), plus any other supplies required for the activities

Week	Date	Lecture Topic	Textbook	Activity	Week Due
1	09/25

09/27	Introduction, Plate Tectonics & Minerals	Ch. 5 & 1	Plate Tectonics	2
2	10/02

10/04	Igneous Activity & Rocks	Ch. 7 & 2	Mineral Identification	3
3	10/09

10/11	Sedimentary Environments & Rocks	Ch. 2 - 4	Volcanoes & Igneous Rocks	4
4	10/18

10/20	Metamorphic Environments & Rocks	Ch. 6 & 2	Sedimentary Environments & Rocks	5
5	10/23

10/25	Geologic Time

Lecture Midterm Exam	Ch. 8

Activity Midterm Exam
6	10/30

11/01	Oceans	Ch. 9	Metamorphic Environments & Rocks	7
7	11/06

11/08	Oceans - extra credit EQ kits due	Ch. 10	Geologic Time	8
8	11/13

11/15	Atmosphere & Weather	Ch. 11 & 12	Weather	9
9	11/20

1122	Atmosphere & Weather	Ch. 13 & 14	Presentations	10
10	11/27

11/29	Solar System - extra credit due	Ch. 15 & 16	Activity Final Exam
11	Lecture Final Exam - Monday, December 4 from 1:30 - 4:00 pm

REQUIREMENTS

Class Attendance: Students are expected to attend each class session and to arrive on time. It will be difficult to make up missed class sessions. However, if you miss a class session of valid reasons (illness), it will up to you to make arrangements to complete the lab exercise. You will receive 2 points per lecture session AND 2 points per lecture session for attendance.

Exams: There are a total of four exams scheduled between the lecture and activity portions of the class: two equally weighted exams are scheduled for the lecture (one midterm and one final) and two exams are scheduled for the activity (one midterm and one final). Each lecture exam is worth 100 points; each activity exam is worth 50 points.

Make-up exams will be given only to those who can verify a valid excuse for missing an exam. The make-up will be given at a time that is mutually agreeable to both the student and myself, but must be arranged prior to the initial exam. Failure to take the make-up will result in the missed exam counting in as a zero. In addition, the exam question sheet must be returned to me after the exam and after the exam review. Failure to do so will result in a ten (10)-point reduction in the student's grade for that exam. Your grades will be available on the class website, www.calstatela.edu/faculty/sleyva/grades/index.html.

Science Statement (20 points) - As educators, our own views, comfort zones, and referred subjects do affect the way and manner in which we teach. Studies have shown that there is a great range in comfort with science topics among elementary educators. Please take a moment to reflect on your own thoughts about science – from your experiences in school and college to how science is or is not a part of your life as an adult. Paper is due on the day of the LECTURE midterm exam. Late submissions will not be accepted.

Earth Science Lesson Plan & Presentation (100 points) – Each student will participate in a group presentation to be given to the class during the semester. Placement into groups will be done by a lottery. The assignment is to develop a relevant age-appropriate unit of study that addresses one of more of the major content areas of Earth Science; this will include preparing a lesson plan and a 10 - 15 minute presentation for your unit of study. Guidelines for these presentation are outlined on the attached pages. Presentations are due on the last week of lecture. Late submissions will not be accepted

Activities (15 points per lab) – Students will participate in a variety of laboratory experiments/exercises designed to introduce you to various aspects of Earth Science. The assignments will be due the following week at the beginning of class. Students are encouraged to work together in completing the laboratory work. However, each student should be sure to understand the techniques and concepts involved because midterm and final exam test problems will be very similar to laboratory problems. Labs are due the following week. Late submissions will not be accepted.

Internet Access - Internet access is required for this class because much of the course content will be posted on the class web site. Access at home or work is fine as long as you can view the web pages regularly and have a reasonably fast connection. If you don't have access at home or work, you can get free access through an account here at Cal State LA. To get a computer account at Cal State LA, go to the Academic Technology Support (ATS) Office in (basement) King Hall D140.

METHODS OF EVALUATION	Points	Total points possible	% of grade
Exams Lecture

Activity	2 tests @ 100 points each

2 tests @ 50 points each	300	50%
Activities	15 points each	120	10%
Science Statement	20 points	20	3%
Earth Science Lesson Plan & Presentation	100 points	100	17%
Attendance	2 points per class session	60	5%
600	100%

You may do up to 15 points of extra credit work to raise your total points earned. All extra credit with the exception of the EQ kit is due the last day of class - not the day of the final! Your grade is based on your percentage score out of 600 points. Grades will be assigned using + and - (i.e., B+, B or B-). our grades will be available on the class website, www.calstatela.edu/faculty/sleyva/grades/index.html.

Lab Grade	Points	Want to get a good grade? Here's how:

1. Attend every class.

2. Take notes & review them after class & before exams.

3. Read your textbook.

4. Ask questions. You are responsible for studying.
A = >90%	> 540.0 points
B = 80 - 89%	480.0 - 539.9 points
C = 70 - 79%	420.0 - 479.9 points
D = 60 - 69%	360.0 - 419.9 points
F = < 60%	< 360.0 points
IMPORTANT POLICIES (a.k.a. the "fine print")

•	Statement of Reasonable Accommodation:

◦	The Department of Geological Sciences faculty members fully support the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The members of the faculty will provide reasonable accommodation to any student with a disability who is registered with the Office of Students with Disabilities (OSD) who needs and requests accommodation. The faculty may wish to contact the OSD to verify the presence of a disability and confirm that accommodation is necessary. The OSD will arrange and provide for the accommodation.

◦	Reasonable accommodation may involve allowing a student to use an interpreter, note taker, or reader; accommodation may be needed during class sessions and for administration of examinations. The intent of the ADA in requiring consideration of reasonable accommodation is not to give a particular student an unfair advantage over other students, but simply to allow a student with disability to have an equal opportunity to be successful.

•	Student Conduct:

◦	Student conduct is viewed as a serious matter by the faculty members of the Department of Geological Sciences. The Department faculty members assume that all students will conduct themselves as mature citizens of the campus community and will conduct themselves in a manner congruent with university policies and regulations. Inappropriate conduct is subject to discipline as provided for in Title 5, California Code of Regulations (see student conduct: rights and responsibilities, and student discipline, CSULA General Catalog). Academic honesty is expected of all students in the Department, in accordance with University policy. There are established university reporting procedures if a student is suspected of committing an academically dishonest act.

◦	The University has a clearly defined policy on Academic Honesty. This policy will be enforced in this class. Cheating and plagiarizing will not be tolerated. Students caught plagiarizing and/or cheating will be subject to the consequences and set forth in the University Catalog, Appendix D - Academic Honesty. You can access it online at: http://catalog.calstatela.edu

•	Make-up exams: Make-up exams will be given only to those who can verify a valid excuse for missing a quiz. The make-up will given at a time that is mutually agreeable to both the student and myself. Failure to take the make-up will result in the missed exam counting in as a zero.

•	Grading:

◦	University policy allows a grade of incomplete to be given only to those who have been sick, injured, or have a similar valid excuse. A grade of "incomplete" will not be given after poor performance in the course.

◦	If you are repeating any Cal State L.A. course in order to remove a D or an F from your transcript, you must file an academic renewal petition in Administration 101 no later than the last day to add a class. Instructions for doing this may be found under "Academic Renewal" in your Schedule of Classes.

◦	University policy requires that all students shall be graded in exactly the same fashion. What does this mean? You may not ask for extra assignments or to repeat an exam to improve your grade, or additional assignments after the course is completed.

•	Avoid the hassles. Take the Writing Proficiency Examination (WPE) after you have completed your English Composition and prior to the completion of 135 units in order to avoid a registration hold. The dates for the WPE are published in the Schedule of Classes. Enroll by registering in UNIV 400 and paying the $15 exam fee. Do it now!!!

Science Statement

As educators, our views, comfort zones, and preferred subjects affect the way and manner in which we teach. There is a great range of comfort levels regarding teaching science topics among elementary educators. Please reflect on your experiences with science – both as a child and as an adult – and provide your present perspective on how science currently affects your life. To what extent do you utilize science in your daily life? How comfortable are you in teaching science? Paper is due on the day of the first LECTURE exam (exam #1). Late submissions will not be accepted.

Possible Points

Format and Layout: (5 points)
Typing and margin instructions followed
10 to 12 point Arial or Times Roman (or similar) font	1 point
1 ½ line spacing
1" margins on all sides
Format
Introduction	1 point
Summary of experiences (may be more than one paragraph as needed)	2 points
Conclusion	1 point
Length (1 ½ pages)	1 point
Spell check / Typos	1 point
Discussion of Experiences: (10 points)
Understanding of assignment	4 points
Appropriate discussion of experiences	5 points
Avoiding clichés, jargon, and generalities	1 point
Narrative and Writing Style: (5 points)
Connection of thoughts / Transitions (sentences and paragraphs)	1 point
Verb & subject agreement	1 point
Grammar / spelling	1 point
Punctuation / Run on sentences / Sentence fragments	1 point
Development of ideas	1 point
TOTAL SCORE:	20 points

Student Presentations

Scoring:

Good (all criteria met or exceeded)	= full points

Fair (most criteria met, a few mistakes)	= ½ of possible points

Poor (few criteria met, lots of mistakes)	= 1/4 of possible points

None (not done)	= no points

Points possible
Lesson Plan (see attached sheet)	25 points
Accuracy of content (30 points)
Understanding of material being presented	10 points
Quality of research	5 points
Accuracy of material being presented	5 points
Addresses State Standards	10 points
Quality of presentation (25 points)
Quality of images, props and text	5 points
Logical flow of ideas	5 points
Stays within time limits (-½ point for each minute over/under )	5 points
Delivery (speaks clearly, not rushed, pronounces words correctly)	5 points
Material relevant to topic	5 points
"Self Grades" - see attached evaluations (20 points)
Total: 100 points

=================================================================================

Student Presentation Co-Evaluation

Name of Evaluee: _____________________________	Role: __________________________

Presentation:	____________________________________________________________________

On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 is the worst, 5 is the best), rate the following:

_________	Participation (to what extent did the individual participate?)

_________	Quality of involvement (how valuable was the person's involvement in the project?

=================================================================================

Student Presentation Co-Evaluation

Name of Evaluee: _____________________________	Role: __________________________

Presentation:	____________________________________________________________________

On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 is the worst, 5 is the best), rate the following:

_________	Participation (to what extent did the individual participate?)

_________	Quality of involvement (how valuable was the person's involvement in the project?

Science Lesson Plan

(25 points possible)

You will need to develop a relevant age-appropriate unit of study that addresses one of more of the major content areas of Earth Science. The lesson plan should include the following: Materials used; who the unit is directed to (grade level); content standard(s) addressed; adaptations and/or modifications for special education classes, higher/lower level learners, English Language Learner (ELL), Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) students, etc; references; uses of technology; charts and graphs (if needed); evaluation criteria and scoring. The lesson plan is due the day of the ACTIVITY MIDTERM. Late submissions will not be accepted

Points Awarded
Typing and margin instructions followed
10 to 12 point Arial or Times Roman (or similar) font	1 point
1 ½ line spacing
1" margins on all sides
Format (15 points total)
Materials used	1 point
Who the unit is directed to (grade level)	1 point
Content standard(s) addressed	1 point
Quality of Lesson Plan
Originality	5 points
Accuracy of content
Understanding of material
Logical flow of ideas
Development of ideas
Adaptations and/or modifications for:
Special education classes	2 points
Higher/lower level learners
English Language Learner (ELL)
Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) students
References	3 points
Uses of technology	2 point
Evaluation criteria and scoring	2 points
Spell check / Typos	2 points
Total possible points	20 points