1 / 7

Unified Science Teaching

Unified Science Teaching. Integrated versus Interdisciplinary? Is there a meaningful difference? An instructional or curricular problem? How is unified teaching done? Why is unified teaching done?. Definition of Terms. Interdisciplinary Curriculum (‘70s-‘80s approach)

mollylang
Download Presentation

Unified Science Teaching

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Unified Science Teaching • Integrated versus Interdisciplinary? • Is there a meaningful difference? • An instructional or curricular problem? • How is unified teaching done? • Why is unified teaching done?

  2. Definition of Terms • Interdisciplinary Curriculum (‘70s-‘80s approach) • consisting of things or parts (like vegetable soup) • disciplines remain distinct and clear (using multiple teachers) • Science/Technology/Society structure typical (frequently failed because students lacked adequate STS knowledge) • Integrated Curriculum (approach of the 1990s) • combined or undivided whole (like tomato soup) • no clear distinction within math and the sciences • organized around realworld problems • Thematic or Topical Curriculum (often physics) • discipline-based curriculum • uses selected themes or topics as organizers

  3. Why Use Unified Science Teaching Approaches? • To engage more students in science. • science seen as uninteresting as students do not see science as a career possibility • science seen as dull as it lacks personal and/or social context • To prepare students to use science • engages students in science • aids in transfer and retention • To help students develop skills sythesizing information, viewing problems holistically, and looking at interrelated dimensions of a problem. • To help deal with artifical fragmentation of the disciplines by the school schedule.

  4. Concept-based Physics Curricula • Active Physics (sports, health & medicine, home, predicting the future, transportation, communications & information) • Principles of Technology (force, work, rate, resistance, energy, power, force transformers)

  5. Object-based Physics Curricula • Physics of Technology Series (AIP/AAPT): • the bicycle • the camera • the pressure cooker • the Geiger counter • the multimeter • the incandescent bulb • the photosensor • Amusement Park Physics • The Technology of the Automobile (indep.)

  6. Designing a Unified Unit • Consider first the metacurricular design. • What is worth knowing? • What do students need to know? • What is the real curriculum? • Steps of curriculum design: • select an organizing center • brainstorm associations • establish guiding questions to limit scope and organize sequence • select activities for implementation • Follow with instructional development.

  7. Example of an Integrated Lesson: Physics/Biology/Chemistry • Organizing Topic -- Vision • Object - The Eye • Elements: • biology of the physical system • physics of the optical components • chemistry of light-nerve reactions • Steps: • dissect eye cubes and identify parts • explain workings of cornea, lens, iris, and retina • discuss the chemical workings of the eye • work with eye lab models

More Related