4 hours. 3 hours lecture and 2 hours lab per week.
Physical Sciences for Middle School Teachers
Course Description
The course is intended for future middle school teachers to
understand basic physical sciences concepts. Course content
addresses the state Science Standards. The course covers both
physics and chemistry concepts, including matter, mechanics,
thermodynamics, waves, and E&M.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students: Graduate students will read selected chapters from “Physics and
Technology for Future Presidents: An Introduction to the
Essential Physics Every World Leader Needs to Know” by Richard
A. Muller from the University of California, Berkeley. The book
contains modern topics in physics “that students need in order
to understand today's core science and technology issues, and
to become the next generation of world leaders.” The content of
the book helps students make informed decisions and sound
arguments on a variety of critical social-scientific issues.
Specifically, graduate students will read the following
chapters: 1, 2, 6, 7 & 8. There will be extra questions in the
course quizzes related to the reading only for graduate
students so that their reading will be evaluated formally
(e.g., questions related to calculations of power of typical
kinds of alternative energy sources).
Athena Title
Phys Sci for Mid School Teach
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student Learning Outcomes
This course is intended to help preservice middle school teachers have a firm grasp of big ideas in physical sciences for teaching at middle school level.
The subjects cover both physics and chemistry content, including structure and properties of matter, force and motion, heat and temperature, sound and light, and electricity and magnetism, that are highlighted in the Georgia Performance Science Standards and the National Science Education Standards.
Students will be able to perform hands-on activities, inquiry-based investigations, computer modeling, and science content reading and comprehension.
Students will also be aware of popular middle school students’ misconceptions. With these experiences, students will be able to teach middle school physical sciences at a highly competent level.
Topical Outline
Structure and Properties of Matter: distinguish between atoms and molecules and between substances and mixtures; identify movement and characteristics of particles in solids, liquids, and gases; recognize physical changes and chemical changes.
Force and Motion: determine the relationship between position, time, velocity and acceleration; understand the effect of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object in one and two dimensions; demonstrate the effect of simple machines; apply Newton’s laws to different contexts; understand the concept of potential and kinetic energy and energy conservation and transformation.
Heat and Temperature: distinguish heat and temperature; understand the particle model of phases and phase change; apply ideal gas laws to different contexts.
Electricity and Magnetism: understand and construct basic series and parallel circuits; understand static electricity and electric field; understand the relationship among current, voltage, and resistance; represent magnetic field; understand electromagnetic induction.
Sound and Light: demonstrate geometric optics in terms of reflection and refraction; identify the characteristics of electromagnetic and mechanical waves; describe how the behavior of waves is affected by medium; understand the physics behind musical instruments.
