Physical Science: Get Energized, PLED 550

    About this Course:

    Currently Scheduled (Live Courses)

    The Physical Science: Get Energized!Year-round teacher professional development series is designed to help teachers become more proficient in key physical science concepts related to energy. Through this intense and engaging five day program, teachers can increase their comfort level in teaching energy related topics such as light, mechanical, heat, sound and electrical. Each full day workshop focuses on a particular energy topic and explores how that topic can be brought back to the classroom in an engaging way. This program also explores how to further the interaction of inquiry based teaching methods into the classroom as well as multiple ways that an informal institution such as The Museum of Science and Industry, can be used to further the curriculum objectives established.

    Prerequisites:
    Certified 6 - 12 science teachers

    Who Should Attend:
    Secondary level science teachers

    Expected Outcomes:
    The workshop aims to achieve the following goals:

    • Teachers will become more knowledgeable about science concepts related to energy
    • Teachers will learn inquiry-based classroom strategies for teaching about mechanical, electrical, sound, thermal and light energies
    • Teachers will discover ways to integrate the field trip experiences into classroom curriculum, and learn strategies to continue their own as well as their students learning back in the classroom
    • Teachers will understand how Museum programs and resources address state science education standards, and learn to incorporate academic standards and curricular requirements in to field trips

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    Course Outline:
    Major Topics

    The Physical Science: Get Energized series explores concepts related to energy, such as mechanical energy, electricity, magnetism, solar energy and more. Teachers will discuss science content and practice inquiry-based classroom activities that address the following key ideas:

    • Energy transformation (Law of Conservation of Energy)
    • Potential and kinetic energy
    • Mechanical energy (force, work, gravitational potential energy, simple machines, elastic potential energy)
    • Electrical energy (charged particles, electrons, conductor, current, static, magnetic field, circuit)
    • Sound energy (vibration, pitch, volume, frequency, amplitude, sound waves)
    • Thermal energy (molecular vibration, temperature, heat flow/transfer)
    • Light energy (wave model, ray model, how light travels and interacts with objects)
    The Series will also expose teachers to resources of the Museum and engage them in strategies for planning more effective, educational and rewarding field trips for their students.
    • Field trip opportunities (including hands-on workshops, exhibit guides, demonstrations, theater shows)
    • Special workshops for teachers
    • Museum exhibits that address curriculum standards
    • "How to book" and plan a field trip

    Course Details:
    Methods for Evaluating Teacher Performance

    • Teachers will be assessed with a comfort and attitudinal scale. This will evaluate their comfort with content, pedagogy and museum skills.
    • Participants will complete a museum field trip planning sheet to assess how comfortable they are with using informal learning resources.
    • At the end of each workshop, participants will complete an open-ended reflection.
    • Teachers maintain a "portfolio" during the course of the school year in which they document the activities they try in their own classroom and their observations and reflections about those activities. These portfolios are turned in at the conclusion of the program.

    Credit:
    6 Graduate Credits

    Presented By:
    Dr. Judith Lederman – Associate Professor and Director of Teacher Education, Illinois Institute of Technology
    Nicole Kowrach - Director of Teaching and Learning
    Elsie Ovrahim - Manager, Institute for Quality Science Teaching and Learning
    Pam Barry- Senior Educator – Institute for Quality Science Teaching
    Patricia Messersmith- Senior Educator – Institute for Quality Science Teaching
    Laura Rico-Beck -Sr. Educator, Institute for Quality Science Teaching & Learning
    April Chancellor- Senior Educator – Institute for Quality Science Teaching
    Julie Lam-Senior Educator – Institute for Quality Science Teaching