Teaching STEM and NGSS at the Primary Level

(Grades K-2) / Flex Course

PDI Course Number: 2T02 / UCSD Course Number: EDUC40112

Course Description

Have you been wondering how to incorporate the Next Generation Science Standards into your STEM classroom? Do you want to learn how to create a more hands-on science structure in your classroom? This course takes K-2 teachers through a step-by-step explanation of the standards and includes examples and suggestions of how to incorporate them into your science classroom. The course also guides you through how to interpret the science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas at the K-2 level. Then, teachers are taken through each dimension with details provided for how to translate the standards into daily instruction. The 5Es of inquiry-based science are discussed, as well as how Universal Design for Learning, multiple intelligences, and STEM strategies all work together to connect the design and implementation of science lessons, labs, and stations. Specific strategies for connecting math and science are also shared. Additionally, teachers will be introduced to an overview of assessment and how it applies to the Next Generation Science standards, as well as a brief overview of how to manage an inquiry-based classroom. By the end of this course, teachers will have a solid understanding of the NGSS Standards and how to create engaging lessons to put them into practice and action in the classroom. This course is worth 3 ⅓ semester units/5 quarter units (50 hours of training) from University of California San Diego (UCSD) Division of Extended Studies. For detailed information on university credit, click here.

"I thought the content and resources were excellent. The course was developed with practicing teachers in mind." - Sylvan Taylor