FALL SEMESTER - Graduate Course
ENTO/EIS 596a section 3 - Teaching Science with Insects
This is a special 3-credit course for graduate students to
strengthen their skills in teaching and communicating science.
During weekly
discussions, graduate students will learn techniques and strategies
to encourage active learning, and put these skills to work during
classroom visits to local elementary schools. The course will
meet each week for a one-hour of discussion (see Schedule
of Classes for
time and place) and practice teaching. Graduate students will
also spend a single 3 - 4 hour period per week visiting
a school and providing
classroom lessons.
The classroom visit activities focus on using live and preserved
insects to teach elementary school students basic scientific
concepts and skills. Activities can include handling and drawing
live insects,
observing and classifying pinned specimens, and conducting
simple insect behavior experiments. Many activities have
been developed
through the Insect Discovery Outreach program, but graduate
students will also develop and test new activities and
lesson plans. Students
will visit classrooms with the course instructor initially,
then individually or in pairs with another student.
In this course, you will
- Improve your lesson planning and teaching skills.
- Help strengthen elementary science education for Tucson's
children.
- Have fun and be appreciated.
Prerequisites - background in Entomology (General Entomology,
Insect Biology or equivalent).
For more information, please contact the course instructor, Kathleen
Walker (krwalker@ag.arizona.edu)
|
SPRING
SEMESTER – Undergraduate
Course
ECOL 497A Section 3 – Insect Discovery Preceptorship
Insect Discovery is a University of Arizona outreach program designed
for 1st, 2nd and 3rd graders. Elementary school classes come to the
university for a two-hour workshop that uses live and preserved insects
to teach concepts in biology using inquiry-based methods. Each workshop
includes four activity stations that teach about such topics as biological
diversity, animal behavior, and adaptation. The activities are designed
to meet state science education standards for the second and third
grades.
The success of Insect Discovery depends on the undergraduate
preceptors. Each station is staffed by one or two preceptors
enrolled in ECOL
497A. The goal of ECOL 497A is to expose undergraduates to concepts
in both insect biology and inquiry-based teaching methods, thus
strengthening their own teaching abilities. In addition
to the weekly workshop,
undergraduates attend lecture/discussions to prepare them to
run the stations. Preceptors also participate in one or
two field trips
to learn more about insects. As a final project, the preceptors
develop and test-run a new activity station.
This is a 3-credit course that meets Tues - Thurs 9:30 – 11:30
for the first 5 weeks. For the remainder of the semester, each
preceptor will participate in
ONE workshop per week, either on Tuesday OR Thursday, from 9:00
to 11.30 and attend a weekly 1-hour discussion section (time
options
TBA). Students who enroll for 4 credits must participate in TWO
workshops per week and attend a weekly discussion section.
Course Requirements:
- Participate in weekly workshops.
- Attend and participate in lectures and discussions.
- Create and test a new activity station (group project).
- Provide partner with a written teaching evaluation.
- Participate in one field trip.
In this course, you will
- Improve your lesson planning and teaching skills.
- Help strengthen elementary science education for Tucson's
children.
- Have fun and be appreciated.
Prerequisites - background in Biology.
For more information, please contact the course instructor,
Kathleen Walker (krwalker@ag.arizona.edu)
|
