Curriculum and Instruction in Elementary Education: Science

Introduction:

The climate crisis is increasing the demand for a comprehensive and adaptable approach to science education that prepares humanity to make sense of the causes, impacts, and potential solutions to climate change. Many stakeholders and scholars claim that sustainable solutions for the social and environmental issues related to the climate crisis must be inclusive of and beneficial to diverse groups, thus requiring us to unsettle assumptions related to the dominant or widely accepted scientific ideas that drive decision-making (Cajete, Ditlhake, Kiewitt, Keibl, Lutz, &  Schirilla, 2023; Petzold, Andrews, Ford, Hedemann, & Postigo 2020).

In the context of education, broadening the scope of Western or Eurocentric science education to include historically marginalized perspectives and practices is not only important for its potential for advancing scientific understanding and promoting sustainable practices, but it also allows us to recognize and in some cases challenge and decentralize the dominant paradigms that often marginalize or suppress non-dominant perspectives for more inclusive and equitable learning  (Boisselle, 2016; Snively & Corsiglia, 2001).

 Indigenous Knowledges and perspectives in particular, have been shown to offer valuable insights for maintaining balance with and within the environment, promoting community well-being, and ensuring sustainable futures (Hill et al., 2012; Johnson et al., 2016; Nelson & Shilling, 2018; Roland et al., 2018).  This course explores ways that the integration of Indigenous approaches to knowledge systems may be infused into the science education materials and practices traditionally dominated by Western and/or Eurocentric worldviews and the subsequent impact on student and teacher perceptions of ecology and sustainability. There is a strong emphasis on enhancing capacity-building efforts for inclusive environmental literacy, sustainability, and climate change education by supporting pre-service teachers to foster student competencies in conservation, sustainability, and stewardship identities through the integration of culturally responsive pedagogies into NGSS-based curriculum

Diamondback Terrapins:

As a member of the Terrapin Education Research Partnership, each year we raise Diamondback Terrapin hatchlings each year. They are featured as part of our study of the ecology, conservation, and cultural significance of species native to the Chesapeake Bay. 

Course Description: 

   Course Driving Questions:

• How are individual communities using science ideas to protect the Earth’s ecosystems and environment?
• What is the NGSS “new vision” for science teaching?
• How can we design and facilitate culturally responsive science learning experiences for all students? 
• How can we leverage technology to support science learning and foster computational thinking?
• What distinguishes Indigenous Knowledges and Perspectives from Western and Eurocentric approaches to science? How might these alternative viewpoints influence our worldviews and approaches to making sense of and responding to climate change?

Welcome to Elementary Science Methods! This course has been designed to support the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP) standards as part of the elementary education teacher certification program at UMD. AAQEP promotes excellent, effective, and innovative educator preparation that is committed to evidence-based improvement and enjoys a high degree of community engagement and public confidence. Class activities have also been developed to support the Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) Model Core Teaching Standards I am looking forward to an engaging and productive semester!  

Course Themes: 

Theme 1: Culturally Responsive Science Teaching: To ensure an equitable and inclusive education for all students, the University of Maryland College of Education Elementary Education program has adopted the Learning for Justice Critical Practices for an Anti-Bias Education. The Critical Practices offer practical strategies for creating a space where academic and social-emotional goals are accomplished side by side. The Critical Practices are incorporated in all elementary methods courses across the program ensuring that teacher candidates receive explicit instruction for implementing culturally responsive pedagogy and modeling how teachers can elevate anti-bias values. This course will use the Critical Practices for Anti-bias Education for culturally responsive approaches to learning and teaching Next Generation Science.  

Theme 4: Environmental Literacy, Sustainability, and Climate Science

The course will enhance capacity-building efforts for environmental literacy, sustainability, and climate change education in the Chesapeake region by fostering teacher and student competencies in conservation, sustainability, and stewardship identities. We will collaborate with a variety of content partners including Maryland Sea Grant College, Accokeek Foundation at Piscataway Park, and The Terrapin Education Research Partnership to explore a distinctive approach to environmental literacy, incorporating Indigenous perspectives. While vast and highly diverse, Indigenous views place humans at the center of complex relationships with the natural world, guided by non-human relatives in their ecosystems. These relationships are deeply examined through place-based experiences to determine the multitude of effects of any one human action seven generations into the future.

Theme 3: Integrated Technology, Computing, and Computational Thinking

This course focuses on effectively using technology to enhance science learning, promote digital citizenship, and develop computational thinking in students. The University of Maryland College of Education follows the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards to guide and evaluate how teacher candidates use technology. The Elementary Program has refined these standards into practical archetypes that reflect the tasks of beginning teachers. Teacher candidates will receive support from cohort coordinators in creating an online portfolio to showcase artifacts demonstrating their competency in these standards and to provide evidence of their proficiency. 

Cajete, G., Ditlhake, K., Kiewitt, K., Keibl, T., Lutz, R., & Schirilla, N. (2023). Indigenous Knowledge–Indigenous Science. Geteiltes Wissen–Wissensentwicklung in Disziplin und Profession Sozialer Arbeit, 91.

Petzold, J., Andrews, N., Ford, J. D., Hedemann, C., & Postigo, J. C. (2020). Indigenous knowledge on climate change adaptation: A global evidence map of academic literature. Environmental Research Letters, 15(11), 113007.