Why Study 6-12 Secondary Chemistry
Students who wish to combine their CoSTEM chemistry knowledge and skills with the COE pedagogy in education courses can learn best science practices that engage 6-12 students to conduct more of an inquiry-based approach in the classroom. Students will learn how to encourage 6-12 students to take a more active role in learning how living organisms function, evolve, and interact.
A student’s academic interests include a serious and sincere commitment to wanting to teach relevant everyday events as a basis of science instruction that will foster interest and curiosity. Academic interests include understanding the process of conducting hands-on science experiments in a 6-12 classroom. As a result, 6-12 students are encouraged to develop exploratory questions and hypotheses to explain events or science phenomena. Possible hobbies as a science teacher might include observing and making inferences about how living organisms interact with nature.
The chemistry program concentrates on investigating the application of the periodic table and how it is essential for meeting our basic needs of food, clothing, shelter, health, energy, and clean air, water, and soil. Chemistry is the “central science” for all other sciences such as biology, earth science, and physics that connect to each other. Chemistry helps 6-12 grade students to understand current events involving petroleum, product recalls, pollution, the environment and technological advances.
Today in Tennessee, over 7,000 teachers are already eligible to retire by 2024. A teacher shortage in math and science is a continued issue in the state and nation. The new streamlined undergraduate program allows the College of STEM students to complete the combined College of Education pedagogy courses in a four-year period with a bachelor’s of science degree.
Students will benefit from both the College of STEM sciences and the College of Education pedagogy in earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Education. The collaboration between both colleges provides unique expertise and practical insight for chemistry students to learn how to implement strategies that can engage 6-12 students to learn chemistry.
The chemistry program is an advanced degree appropriate for those seeking a teaching licensure with the completion of required science courses in their undergraduate degree program. The program will equip teachers to become proficient leaders in science education that align with state and Next Generation Science standards, as well as the national frameworks for chemistry education.
What will I learn
- Students will learn the 5E model of instruction-Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, & Evaluate.
- Students will learn how to write a lesson plan using the edTPA lesson plan template
- Students will learn the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
- Students will learn how to integrate core subjects such as math and reading with chemistry.
- Students will learn the required sciences in chemistry, geology, and chemistry to help them have a well-rounded understanding of chemistry
