Course Descriptions
ASTR 203
Exploration of the Universe (3 hrs)
An introductory astronomy course for students of any curriculum.
The solar system,
stars, galaxies, cosmology and the history of astronomy.
Observations with
telescopes are scheduled a few evenings each semester. ASTR
204 may be taken
concurrently with this course. Cannot be applied toward a physics major or minor.
ASTR 204
Astronomical Investigations (1 hr)
A laboratory course for the beginning astronomy student. The
techniques and
concepts of astronomy. Two hours of laboratory per week.
Prereq or
coreq: ASTR 203 or ASTR 205
ASTR 205
Principles of Astronomy (4 hrs)
An astronomy course for students desiring a comprehensive
introduction to astronomy.
Topics
discussed in ASTR 203 are covered in more detail, and additional topics are
introduced. Especially recommended for
science students. ASTR 204 may be taken
concurrently. Not open to students with credit in ASTR 203
ASTR 311 Astronomy
Projects for Elementary Teachers
A
hands-on course designed to provide elementary teachers with experience doing
projects,
in the elementary classroom, to teach astronomy. The course will integrate grade-level
appropriate
mathematics and writing to investigate
and solve astronomical problems.
Students also will study
human endeavors in space exploration and their impact on societal and
technological issues.
ASTR
477/478/479 Special Topics (
An exploration and study of topics not
covered in other departmental offerings. Students may
elect more than once, provided different
topics are studied.
Prereq:
department permission
BIOL 105
Introductory Biology for Non-majors (4 hrs)
A study of
the basic concepts of modern biology common to all organisms
with an emphasis on human systems and issues. Designed for
students
who are not majoring or minoring in biology. The course
consists of two
one-hour lectures, one one-hour recitation and three hours
of laboratory
each week. Not open to students with credit in BIOL 110
and/or
BIOL 120. Does not count toward the major or minor.
BIOL 205
Field Biology (4 hrs)
A lecture, laboratory and field course in the
behavior, ecology, and broad classification of
plants and animals, giving training in recognition of common plants and animals
of
Gives background material to the
non-specialist interested in outdoor life, and to the elementary
school teacher. Not open to students having credit in BIOL 110 and/or BIOL 120
except by
department permission. Does not count toward the biology
major or biology minor.
BIOL 303 Life
Science for Elementary Teachers (3 hrs)
Important biological concepts, especially
relating to the interrelationships of organisms within
their environment; the investigative or "discovery" approach;
methodology involved in the new
approaches to teaching science. One hour of lecture and four hours weekly
involving recitation,
laboratory or fieldwork. Concluding course in the elementary science sequence.
Prereq:
CURR 304
BOTN 215 Economic Botany (3 hrs)
A study of
plants useful to man, especially those that yield food, fibers, wood, rubber,
drugs and other products of value. It is a
lecture-demonstration course supplemented
by reading. Open to all students without prerequisite, though
previous training in biology,
botany or agriculture is desirable.
BOTN 221
General Botany (4 hrs)
The
structure and function of seed plants and of representative lower plants,
together
with the fundamentals of plant heredity, ecology and evolution.
Two one-hour lectures,
one one-hour recitation, plus four hours of laboratory
experience.
Prereq: BIOL
105 or VTP1
CHEM 101
Science for Elementary Teachers (3 hrs)
Designed for students who plan to teach in elementary school.
Lectures deal
with some basic principles of chemistry while the
laboratory work emphasizes the discovery approach as it may
be used in an elementary classroom. Simple equipment and
easily
obtained chemicals are used in the experiments. Does not
count
toward major or minor. Lecture: two hours per week.
Laboratory:
two hours per week.
CHEM 115
Chemistry and Society (3 hrs)
Examines the
relevance of chemistry to the problem of how humans
relate to the environment. It is designed for humanities and
other
nonscience majors. No previous mathematics or chemistry is
required.
CHEM 116 may
be taken concurrently to satisfy the laboratory science
requirement for general studies. Does not
count toward major or minor.
Lecture:
three hours per week.
CHEM 116 Chemistry and Society Laboratory (1 hr)
Laboratory
experiments based on environmental problems such as water
and air pollution, drugs and pesticides. The laboratory may
be taken
concurrently with CHEM 115 to satisfy the Area II physical
science requirement.
Does not count toward major or minor. Laboratory: two hours
per week.
Prereq or
Coreq: CHEM 115
CHEM 117
Fundamentals of Chemistry--Lecture (3 hrs)
A rapidly moving introductory study of basic principles in general
chemistry. Includes
elements, compounds, periodic properties, atomic structure,
gas laws and stoichiometry.
Does not count toward major or minor. Can be used with CHEM
118 to satisfy the
chemistry prerequisite for CHEM 121. Will satisfy Area II
physical science requirement
when taken concurrently with CHEM 118. Lecture: three hours
per week.
Prereq: MATH
104, MATH 105, MATH 107, MATH 112, MATH 118, MATH 119,
MATH 120 or
Level 3 math placement; Coreq: CHEM 118
CHEM 118
Fundamentals of Chemistry Laboratory (1 hr)
Designed to accompany CHEM
117 lecture. Will provide an introduction to
scientific discovery
through experimentation and observation.
Experiments are drawn from topics presented in the chemistry
lectures in CHEM 117. Does
not count toward major or minor. Laboratory: two hours per week.
Coreq: CHEM 117
CHEM 120 Fundamentals of Organic and
Biochemistry (4 hrs)
A survey of organic chemistry and
biochemistry; completes the study of chemistry begun in
CHEM 117/118 and is a terminal course. Does not count toward
major or minor. Lecture: three
hours per week. Laboratory: two hours per week.
Prereq: high
school chemistry
CHEM 121 General Chemistry I (3 hrs)
The first
semester of a two-semester sequence covering the principles of chemistry for
science majors and others with an interest and background in
science. Lecture: three
hours per week.
Prereq: MATH
104, MATH 105, MATH 107, MATH 112, MATH 118, MATH 119,
MATH 120,
Level 4 math placement or Level 3 math placement with concurrent
registration in MATH 104; High school chemistry; Coreq: CHEM
122
CHEM 122
General Chemistry I Laboratory (1 hr)
The laboratory class to accompany CHEM 121. Students learn
basic techniques
employed in a chemistry laboratory, including use of analytical
balances, quantitative
glassware, spectrophotometry, and computers for data
acquisition and analysis.
Laboratory:
three hours per week.
Coreq: CHEM
121
ESSC 202
Earth Science for Elementary Teachers (3 hrs)
Lectures and
laboratory deal with earth science concepts and teaching methodology.
Nationally
used elementary science curricula acquaint the student with techniques of
teaching basic earth science concepts. Emphasis on
student-centered, process-oriented
approaches widely used in elementary classrooms. Lecture:
two hours per week.
Laboratory:
one two-hour period per week. Equivalent to ESSC 108.
ESSC 110 The Dynamic Earth
System (4 hrs)
Geological
concepts, processes, materials and surface features of the physical
earth; internal features such as heat and volcanism,
earthquakes and deformation,
and plate tectonics; and external processes that have shaped
the landscape.
Lecture:
three hours per week. Laboratory: one two-hour period per week.
Required for the geology and earth science majors and minors.
ESSC 111 The Earth System Through Time (4 hrs)
The origin,
development and succession of earth materials, surface and life forms,
culminating in one present scene and organic population.
Field trips and reports
may be required. Required for geology and
earth science majors and minors.
Lectures:
three hours per week. Laboratory: one two-hour period per week.
Prereq: ESSC
110.
ESSC 114
National Parks and Monuments (2 hrs)
This class,
geared towards non-majors, provides an overview of the geology of
national parks and monuments and the basic geologic
processes responsible for their formation.
ESSC 208 Natural Environmental Hazards (3 hrs)
Analysis of
devastating earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, violent storms, freezes
and other environmental catastrophes, emphasizing their
causes and human adjustments
to these events.
Prereq: ESSC
110 or ESSC 202
ESSC 229 Rocks and Minerals (3 hrs)
The
identification and classification of rocks and minerals with special emphasis
on
characteristics used in the field. Lecture: two hours per
week. Laboratory: one
two-hour period per week.
Prereq: ESSC
110
ESSC 307 Essentials of Oceanography for Elementary
Teachers (effective Winter 2003)
A course designed to prepare Elementary
Education majors to conduct classes using marine-related
materials. Ocean processes including marine geology, sediments, seawater
properties, currents,
waves, tides, coastal environments and marine organisms will be discussed.
Students will receive |
hands-on activities created to directly engage K-6 pupils in the scientific
method of investigation.
ESSC 312 Plate Tectonics for Elementary Teachers
This
course, specifically designed for Elementary Education majors, is an introductory
through
intermediate-level examination of plate tectonics; the dynamic process that
causes earthquakes,
volcanoes, and mountain building.
Prereq: ESSC 108 or ESSC 110 or ESSC 202
ESSC 315 Water and the
Environment for Elementary Teachers
This course, designed for Elementary Education majors, is an
introductory through intermediate-level
examination of earth science, emphasizing fresh water environments, supply and
demand, and their
relationship to the depletion of natural resources. Students will receive
hands-on training designed
to directly engage K-6 pupils in the scientific method of investigation. Prereq: ESSC 202
ESSC 414 Teaching Science with Dinosaurs
This
course provides pre-and in-service teachers with the content and skills necessary
to use
dinosaurs as a focus group to teach the scientific method (i.e. “science”) at
the K-12 level.
Students will receive hands-on training in numerous dinosaur-based activities
designed to
directly engage K-12 pupils in all aspects of the scientific method, including
data collection,
hypothesis formulation, and hypothesis testing.
ESSC 477/478/479 Special Topics (
An
exploration and study of topics not covered in other departmental offerings.
Students
may elect more than once, provided different topics are
studied.
PHY 100
Physics for Elementary Teachers (3 hrs)
Designed to
stimulate interest in physics by the use of simple and
inexpensive equipment to demonstrate scientific principles.
Motion,
forces, sound, light, heat, electricity and magnetism.
Does not
count toward a physics major or minor.
Open only to
students pursuing any curriculum for elementary teachers.
PHY 101
Physical Science in the Arts (4 hrs)
This course
is designed to give students a general background in the
basic principles of physics, as applied to art, music and
dance, with an
emphasis on exploring the nature of music and its
production.
Laboratory
experiments complement the lecture by providing hands-on
experiences to verify and demonstrate those principles.
Three
lecture hours and one two-hour laboratory per week.
Does not
count toward a physics major or minor.
PHY 110
Physical Science (4 hrs)
Designed for
the non-science major with little or no background in
science or mathematics. Provides a more perceptive view of
physical
reality by introducing central ideas, principles and
relationships of
physical science that relate to one's everyday environment.
Students in
science, medicine or engineering should take
physics courses PHY 221 and PHY 222, or PHY 223 and PHY 224.
Does not
count toward a physics major or minor.
PHY 311 Teaching Elementary Physical Science (3 hrs)
Designed particularly for teachers in elementary science. An
elementary study of
motion, forces, energy, matter, heat, sound, light,
magnetism and electricity.
Focus is on
simple experimental projects, followed by class discussions.
Most of the
apparatus will be made from materials available in the home or
at a variety store. Does not count toward a
physics major or minor.
Prereq: PHY
100
A
practical course designed to help elementary teachers learn the basics of
electricity
and electrical safety. Students will use
grade-level appropriate mathematics, equipment
and measurement devices to investigate simple circuits. Electrical energy production, use,
and conservation will be discussed with reference to
PHY 477/478/479 Special Topics (
This special
topics course will be used to teach aspects of physics at an
advanced level that would not regularly be offered.
Prereq: see
department for prerequisites
ZOOL 222 General Zoology (4 hrs)
A general
survey of the groups of invertebrate and vertebrate animals according to the
evolutionary sequence. Emphasis is placed upon the
classification and structures,
also on such aspects as physiology, life histories, habits,
distribution and economic
relations. Two one-hour lectures, one one-hour recitation,
and four hours
of laboratory.
Prereq: BIOL
105 or VTP1