This document provides information about a teacher education course called "All About You!" which focuses on life science topics over 6 days. The course covers fundamentals of life science, structure and function of cells, DNA and genetics, variation in life, evidence of evolution, evolution in our lives, and the nature of science. Examples are given of how scientific ideas are subject to change and how students and teachers can think like scientists through inquiry-based learning and modifying theories based on new evidence.

1. All About You!
Teacher Education Course
2016-2017

2. Teacher Education Courses
Expedition:
Green
•Environmental
science
Get Re-
Energized
•Physical
science
Our Place in
Space
•Space science
and engineering
Great Lakes
Rocks
•Earth systems
science
All About
You!
•Life Science

3. All Content Topics
 Day 1: Fundamentals of Life Science
 Day 2: Structure and Function of Cells
 Day 3: DNA, the Genetic Basis of Life
 Day 4: A Little Variation Goes a Long Way
 Day 5: Evidence for Evolution
 Day 6: Evolution in Our Lives

4. Themesof
AllAboutYou!
Fundamentals of Life
Science
Today’s lessons
NGSS
Disciplinary core
ideas
Science and
engineering practices
Crosscutting
concepts
Nature of Science What is it?

5. The Nature of Science
 Scientific world view
• The world is understandable
• Ideas are subject to change
• Knowledge is durable
• Cannot provide complete answers to all questions
 Scientific inquiry
• Demands evidence
• Blend of logic and imagination
• Science explains and predicts
• Identifies and avoids bias
• Is not authoritarian

6. Examples
 In the classroom, I welcome students to open their
minds to the fact that "science is durable and we can
modify ideas and challenge new theories". With my
students, if we are completing an activity and a student
wants to attempt to complete it in a different way, I
challenge the idea. I encourage students to think outside
the box and to test modifications they want to make
within their activities. For example, last week my
students were making goop. One student asked if it
mattered whether we used clear glue or white glue. I
challenged her to test it out and to make a batch of both.
She did this successfully and we compared the two. It
was amazing to see how excited the class was. I will
continue to do this as the school year unfolds.

7. Examples
 Scientific Ideas are Subject to Change: Teaching in itself is
something of a science. Since I have been teaching, there
have been many new ideas and methodologies presented in
the last decade. Part of the reading suggested that scientists
make careful observations and invent theories for making
sense of those observations. That is similar to what I have
done as an educator. I make observations about my student
progress, understandings, and my own instructional
delivery. I then make theories based upon those
observations and perhaps try new methods. The methods
are then studied and observations are made and conclusions
formed in order to make improvements or changes as
needed in the classroom to help all students succeed. This
type of informed change happens continually in my
classroom.

8. We are all Scientists!
 We ask questions
 We make observations
 We make predictions
 We are wrong
 We incorporate other peoples’ ideas
 We are open to new ideas
 Not just in a science classroom!

9. Inquiry Cube Activity
 Look at the cube on your table.
 Do not pick it up or touch it
 Work together to decide what is
on the bottom.

10. Exhibit Exploration