Current through Register Vol. 42, No. 5, February 29, 2024
Rationale. The middle-level General Science
program prepares teachers to use the Alabama Course of Study:
Science and other guides to provide instruction in science. The
standards build upon the Alabama Core Teaching Standards and are guided by
tenets of the Association for Middle Level Education.
Program Curriculum. In addition to meeting Rules
290-3-3-.03(6)(a)1.-4.,
290-3-.03(6)(e)1. and 2.(i)-(ii),
290-3-3-.04,
290-3-3-.05,
and
290-3-3-.09(1),
the program shall prepare prospective middle-level general science teachers who
demonstrate knowledge of scientific and engineering practices; the crosscutting
concepts of science; the disciplinary core ideas of physical sciences, life
sciences, and Earth and space sciences; engineering, technology, and
applications of science; the history and nature of science; and science
safety.
(a)
Content
Knowledge. Effective teachers of science understand and articulate the
knowledge and practices of contemporary science and engineering. They connect
important disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and science and
engineering practices to include knowledge of physical sciences, life sciences,
and Earth and space sciences to be taught according to the Alabama
Course of Study: Science. Candidates will:
1. Use and apply the major concepts,
principles, theories, laws, and interrelationships of general science and
supporting fields.
2. Explain the
nature of science and the cultural norms and values inherent to the current and
historical development of scientific knowledge.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of crosscutting
concepts, disciplinary core ideas, practices of science and engineering, the
supporting role of science-specific technologies, and contributions of diverse
populations to science.
4.
Demonstrate knowledge of how to implement science standards, learning
progressions, and sequencing of science content for teaching their middle-level
students.
(b)
Content Pedagogy. Effective teachers of science plan learning
units of study and equitable, culturally-responsive opportunities for
all students based upon their understanding of how student
learn and develop science knowledge, skills, and habits of mind. Effective
teachers also include appropriate connections to science and engineering
practices and crosscutting concepts in their instructional planning. Candidates
will design lessons:
1. Using the
Alabama Course of Study: Science, science standards and a
variety of appropriate, student-centered, and culturally-relevant science
disciplinary-based instructional approaches that follow safety procedures and
incorporate science and engineering practices, disciplinary core ideas, and
crosscutting concepts.
2.
Incorporating appropriate differentiation strategies, wherein
all students develop conceptual knowledge and an understanding
of the nature of science. Lessons should engage students in applying science
practices, clarifying relationships, and identifying natural patterns from
empirical experiences.
3. Using
engineering practices in support of science learning wherein
all students design, construct, test and optimize possible
solutions to a problem.
4. Aligning
instruction and assessment strategies to support instructional decision making
that identifies and addresses student misunderstanding, prior knowledge, and
naïve conceptions.
5.
Integrating science-specific technologies to support all
students' conceptual understanding of science and engineering.
(c)
Learning
Environments. Effective teachers of science are able to plan for
engaging all students in science learning by identifying
appropriate learning goals that are consistent with knowledge of how students
learn science and are aligned with standards. Plans reflect the selection of
phenomena appropriate to the social context of the classroom and community, and
safety considerations, to engage students in the nature of science and science
and engineering practices. Effective teachers create an anti-bias,
multicultural, and social justice learning environment to achieve these goals.
Candidates will:
1. Plan a variety of lesson
plans based on science standards that employ strategies that demonstrate their
knowledge and understanding of how to select appropriate teaching and
motivating learning activities that foster an inclusive, equitable, and
anti-bias environment.
2. Plan
learning experiences for all students in a variety of
environments (e.g., the laboratory, field, and community).
3. Plan lessons in which all
students have a variety of opportunities to investigate, collaborate,
communicate, evaluate, learn from mistakes, and defend their own explanations
of scientific phenomena, observations, and data.
(d)
Safety. Effective teachers
of science demonstrate biological, chemical, and physical safety protocols in
their classrooms and workspace. They also implement ethical treatment of living
organisms and maintain equipment and chemicals. Candidates will:
1. Implement activities appropriate for the
abilities of all students that demonstrate safe techniques for
the procurement, preparation, use, storage, dispensing, supervision, and
disposal of all chemicals/materials/equipment used.
2. Demonstrate an ability to: recognize
hazardous situations including overcrowding; implement emergency procedures;
maintain safety equipment; provide adequate student instruction and
supervision; and follow policies and procedures that comply with established
state and national guidelines, appropriate legal state and national safety
standards (e.g., OSHA, NFPA, EPA), and best professional practices (e.g., NSTA,
NSELA).
3. Demonstrate ethical
decision-making with respect to safe and humane treatment of all living
organisms in and out of the classroom and comply with the legal restrictions
and best professional practices on the collection, care, and use of living
organisms.
(e)
Impact on Student Learning. Effective teachers of science provide
evidence that students have learned and can apply disciplinary core ideas,
crosscutting concepts, and science and engineering practices as a result of
instruction. Effective teachers analyze learning gains for individual students,
the class as a whole, and subgroups of students disaggregated by demographic
categories, and use these to inform planning and teaching. Preservice teachers
will:
1. Implement assessments that show
all students have learned and can apply disciplinary
knowledge, nature of science, science and engineering practices, and
crosscutting concepts in practical, authentic, and real-world
situations.
2. Collect, organize,
analyze, and reflect on formative and summative evidence and use those data to
inform future planning and teaching.
3. Analyze science-specific assessment data
based upon student demographics, categorizing the levels of learner knowledge,
and reflect on results for subsequent lesson plans.
(f)
Professional Knowledge and
Skills. Effective teachers of science strive to continuously improve
their knowledge of both science content and pedagogy, including approaches for
addressing inequities and inclusion for all students in
science. They identify with and conduct themselves as part of the science
education community. Candidates will:
1.
Engage in critical reflection on their own science teaching to continually
improve their instructional effectiveness.
2. Participate in professional development
opportunities to deepen their science content knowledge and
practices.
3. Participate in
professional development opportunities to expand their science-specific
pedagogical knowledge.
Previous Rule.07.03 was renumbered.12 per certification
published August 31, 2021; effective October 15,
2021.
Author: Dr. Eric G. Mackey
Statutory Authority:
Code of Ala.
1975, §§
16-3-16,
16-23-14.
