Introduction to Fossils, PLED 570
About this Course:
Introduction to Fossils is an interactive online course designed specifically for K - 12 teachers who have limited background in paleontology and historical geology and would like to learn both the basic concepts of these subjects and inquiry based approaches to teaching them. Participants will also learn about the wide array of online resources and hands-on activities that are available to support instruction about fossils, Earth history and evolution.
Prerequisites:
None.
Who Should Attend:
K - 12 teachers.
Course Details:
There will be 12 online sessions that can be done by participants asynchronously. Two sessions will be posted weekly. Each "session" will guide the participant through various resources (including course texts, Websites and other materials) which will help them build knowledge of the stubject matter content, nature of science and instructionsl considerations related to the course topics. Participants may choose to interact with others or the instructor at assigned times. There will be ongoing interaction with the instructor and other participating teachers thoughout the course via online discussions. Some of these postings will be about specific topics that the group is considering together (which can, therefore, be considered assignments) while others will be more open-ended responses and sharing of ideas. Participation will be one of the criteria for grading, with the expectation of several postings across several days each week.
Grading Policy:
| I. | Pre-test (required, but does not contribute to grade |
| II. | Participation (regular and thoughtful posts to online discussions) |
| III. | Focus Paper (a somewhat detailed consideration of how basic course concepts apply to a specific subject or event relevant to the course) |
| IV. | Curriculum Project (a detailed outline of a curriculum sequence of at least three inquiry-based teaching episodes) |
| V. | Post-test (score does contribute to grade - approximately equally divided between content and instructional knowledge) |
Credit:
3 Graduate Credits
Presented By:
Dr. Edward Robeck, American Geological Institute
Dr. Andrea Mueller, American Geological Institute
Dr. Norman Lederman, Professor of Science Education