Science Education in Urban Schools

This course is intended for concentrators in education, urban studies, science, or math. National science education standards assert that all students deserve and must have the opportunity to become scientifically literate, but opportunities for students in many urban schools to become scientifically literate are severely limited. These schools may have high teacher turnover, limited laboratory facilities, dated textbooks, and few teachers who are interested in science or math. To provide students with the skills and concepts they need to become active participants in their own education, they need hands-on experiences, time to write and reflect, and chances to build academic skills they may lack. Students in this class will work with innovative ways to teach subjects like biology, earth science, or physics with inexpensive or easy to obtain materials. They will work in teams to help plan and teach workshops at Girls Day in the Lab and, if schedules allow, in an urban after-school program.