Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education - Middle Level Science and English

Elementary school teachers instruct classes of children in several subjects. Often they work as part of a team with other teachers who are jointly responsible for a group of students in at least one subject. The BS in Elementary Education uses university-wide resources to prepare fully qualified teachers at the primary education levels. Students in the School of Education participate in one six-month cooperative education (co-op) experience in a professional position related to their area of certification. This certification option within the BS in Elementary Education enables to teachers to work with students in grades 4-6 across subjects, and with students in grades 7-8 in the core academic subjects of science and English. This program addresses the complexities of adolescent development, through discussion of theories. It explores the middle school environment, developmentally appropriate middle school programs, strategies for supporting students through the transition to middle school, and the impact of peer pressure on the middle school child. In addition, this certification area provides: (1) training and methodology for teaching physical and life sciences (including using an inquiry-based model of learning, developing authentic assessments, drawing upon a variety of tools, creating and maintaining a safe laboratory) as well as other skills necessary to meet the needs of diverse learners in science education; (2) courses devoted to teaching age-appropriate reading skills, how to teach and assess writing effectively, as well as a specialized course in the genre of young adult fiction.