9354042 Wyckoff A project-oriented, curriculum-integrated laboratory science course, Patterns in Nature (3 credit hours), tailored for elementary education majors and in-service teachers, is being developed at Arizona State University in collaboration with Navajo Community College. The course integrates the disciplines of mathematics, chemistry, astronomy, physics, and engineering. A focus of the course is on inquiry based pedagogy utilizing research instruments (e.g., electron microscopes, scanning tunneling microscopes, telescopes equipped with charge-coupled devices), state-of-the-art computer simulations, and interactive pedagogical software. Different versions of the course are being developed in parallel and in collaboration at ASU and NCC. The objective is to develop a course in physical science intended as a sequel to the normal basic science courses required for elementary school teachers, so that the teachers will have an in-depth knowledge of the physical laws they teach and the science modules and kits used in the Arizona and Navajo school systems. The courses are suitable as general studies undergraduate courses at both institutions. The aim is to improve the science and mathematics curricula offered to elementary pre-service teachers in the Phoenix area and the Navajo Nation. Course contents are cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural, and taught in student-centered, laboratory-integrated, Socratic dialogue, critical inquiry environments equipped with state-of-the- art software and hardware. Nationally recognized science educators in biology, chemistry, engineering, and physics will collaborate in the curriculum development. ***y
