Introduction to Weather and Climate, PLED 571
About this Course:
This online course addresses some of the most currently relevant and interesting areas of Earth System Science - weather and climate. Course content addresses how both of those affect people and are affected by people. The course material and interactions among course participants will lead to enhanced understanding of science concepts and inquiry-based instruction. Participants will leave the course with a greater appreciation of the many factors that affect the weather and climate, as well as awareness of resources from government agencies and other organizations that can be used for teaching concepts in these fields.
Prerequisites:
None
Who Should Attend:
Teachers K - 12.
This course is designed to provide a general introduction to the Earth Systems Science topic similar to what is covered in K-8 curricula.? However, the course is also useful to high school teachers who want a review of basic concepts and content and/or professional development in inquiry-based teaching using currently available online resources.
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