The foundation of science literacy, in terms of content and practice, is laid during the elementary school years. This foundation, which underlies life, Earth, and physical science, is often taught by K-8 teachers' whose preparation and training does not match the responsibility they face. We designed a course for elementary and middle school preservice teachers (non-science majors) based on three foundational big ideas (matter conservation, energy conservation, and the interaction between matter and energy). These ideas are then used to build a coherent framework for learning and teaching any topic in the K-8 science curriculum. We supported students' learning with consistent teaching strategies and instructional activities, including physical models for matter and energy. Students' ability to apply these foundational big ideas to new contexts and to integrate them across disciplines will be discussed. The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the NSF (DUE 0941820) for this project.

Integrating science for preservice elementary teachers through foundational big ideas

244th National Meeting (2012)

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