Middle Level Education: Science

A major in Middle Level Science is meant to prepare students for a career as highly qualified teacher education candidates skilled to teach any core subject at the 4th-6th grade level and skilled to teach Science content at the 7th-8th grade level. For state certification, students must meet all the competency standards set by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

To successfully complete the Middle Level Science Certification major, the following coursework is required:

• 45 credits of Major Requirements
• 47 credits of Education Requirements
• 37 CORE credits
• A minimum of 129 credits are required for degree, the last 30 of which must be completed at La Roche University. Developmental coursework does not count towards the minimum number of credits required for graduation.

Summary of Requirements

Education Requirements: 47 credits

• EDML2010

  ML TEACHING SCIENCE METHODS-LAB |

  EDML2010
  ML TEACHING SCIENCE METHODS-LAB |

  Credits (Min/Max): 1/1

  This course is required for all middle level education majors. The course will focus on how to use an inquiry approach to teach science in the 4th-6th grade levels, with an emphasis on how to address the Pennsylvania Academic Standards and Assessment Anchors for Science & Technology and Environment & Ecology. A field experience is a required component of this course.|

  PREREQUISITES:

  EDUC1010

• EDML2023

  ML TEACHING MATHEMATICS METHODS -LAB |

  EDML2023
  ML TEACHING MATHEMATICS METHODS -LAB |

  Credits (Min/Max): 1/1

  This course is required for all middle level education majors. The course will focus on how to use a learner based approach to teach math in the 4th-6th grade levels, with an emphasis on how to address the Pennsylvania Academic Standards and Assessment Anchors for Mathematics. A field experience is a required component of this course.|

  PREREQUISITES:

  EDUC1010

• EDML3013

  ML TEACHING SOCIAL STUDIES METHODS-LAB |

  EDML3013
  ML TEACHING SOCIAL STUDIES METHODS-LAB |

  Credits (Min/Max): 1/1

  This course is required for all middle level education majors. The course will focus on how to present social studies concepts in a hands-on manner to 4th-6th grade students, with an emphasis on how to address the Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Geography, History, Economics, and Civics & Government. A field experience is a required component of this course.|

  PREREQUISITES:

  EDUC1010

• EDML3050

  READING & WRITING ACROSS THE DISCIPLINES |

  EDML3050
  READING & WRITING ACROSS THE DISCIPLINES |

  Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

  Reading and Writing Across the Disciplines introduces a wide variety of effective instructional methods for middle level and secondary teachers to present reading and writing skills in any content area.|

  PREREQUISITES:

  ENGL1012 or ENGL1012H

• EDML4010

  ADVANCED TEACHING METHODS FOR MIDDLE LEVEL TEACHING CERTIFICATION|

  EDML4010
  ADVANCED TEACHING METHODS FOR MIDDLE LEVEL TEACHING CERTIFICATION|

  Credits (Min/Max): 2/2

  This course is required for all middle level education majors, in order to prepare for student teaching. Future middle level teachers will explore ways to engage students in the learning process, with a focus in the content areas at the 7th and 8th grade level. Future teachers will plan lessons and units based on content standards and assessment anchors. The use of technology will also be explored as a way to enhance instruction and assessment. A field experience is a required component of this course.|

  PREREQUISITES:

  EDUC1010

• EDML4050

  ML STUDENT TEACHING (GRADES 4-6) |

  EDML4050
  ML STUDENT TEACHING (GRADES 4-6) |

  Credits (Min/Max): 6/6

  During this portion of student teaching, middle level education majors will be placed in a 4th-6th grade setting, and may be expected to teach any subject area (science, mathematics, language arts, or social studies) for approximately seven weeks. Student teachers will be expected to demonstrate instructional strategies that capitalize on the developmental characteristics of young adolescents and to design successful interventions responsive to the needs of individual middle level students. Student teachers will be supervised by a cooperating teacher and a college supervisor, and will be expected to participate in collaborative team building opportunities. Part of the student teaching experience will also include an on campus student teaching seminar, where topics such as certification requirements, school law, and interviewing strategies will be presented. |

  PREREQUISITES:

  EDML4010

• EDML4055

  ML STUDENT TEACHING (GRADES 7-8) |

  EDML4055
  ML STUDENT TEACHING (GRADES 7-8) |

  Credits (Min/Max): 6/6

  During this portion of student teaching, middle level education majors will be placed in a 7th-8th grade setting within their content specialty (science, mathematics, language arts, or social studies) for approximately seven weeks. Student teachers will be expected to demonstrate their deep content knowledge as they apply instructional strategies that capitalize on the developmental characteristics of young adolescents and to design successful interventions responsive to the needs of individual middle level students. Student teachers will be supervised by a cooperating teacher and a college supervisor, and will be expected to participate in collaborative team building opportunities. Part of the student teaching experience will also include an on campus student teaching seminar, where topics such as certification requirements, school law, and interviewing strategies will be presented. |

  PREREQUISITES:

  EDML4010

• EDSP2015

  INTRO TO HIGH INCIDENCE DISABILITIES, ACCOMODATIONS, & ADAPTATIONS|

  EDSP2015
  INTRO TO HIGH INCIDENCE DISABILITIES, ACCOMODATIONS, & ADAPTATIONS|

  Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

  This course provides students an opportunity to explore foundations of special education in the United States including: characteristics of each disability category, legislation, over-representation of diverse students, academic and functional needs of students with disabilities, individual learning differences, least restrictive environment, implications for a Standards Aligned System, collaboration and transition. Students will develop an understanding of Accommodations and Adaptations for inclusive environments.|

  PREREQUISITES:

• EDSP2025

  LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS, CLASSROOM& BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT, ACCOMMODATIONS & ADAPTATIONS|

  EDSP2025
  LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS, CLASSROOM& BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT, ACCOMMODATIONS & ADAPTATIONS|

  Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

  This course will introduce students to behavior and misbehaviors of students in the school setting, types of misbehavior roles, establish a classroom management plan that will reflect their consideration of students with disabilities, problem solving, conflict resolution, assessing appropriate and problematic behaviors while establishing opportunities for students with diverse backgrounds to interact and share in cooperative learning groups, problem solving to achieve common goals. "Application Models" will be the framework used to demonstrate the approaches used by pioneers as well as 21st century researchers and educators.|

  PREREQUISITES:

  EDSP2015

• EDSP3010

  LITERACY INSTRUCTION & INTERVENTIONS FOR DIVERSE LEARNERS|

  EDSP3010
  LITERACY INSTRUCTION & INTERVENTIONS FOR DIVERSE LEARNERS|

  Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

  This course provides the foundation for teaching reading according to PA learning standards for students with a broad range of abilities and diverse cultural backgrounds. The course emphasizes research-based instructional approaches and interventions for Middle and Secondary level students including word level instruction, text level comprehension, reading-writing connection, and assessment. A field experience is a required component of this course.|

  PREREQUISITES:

• EDSP3040

  EVALUATION & AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT WITHIN A STANDARDS ALIGNED SYSTEM|

  EDSP3040
  EVALUATION & AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT WITHIN A STANDARDS ALIGNED SYSTEM|

  Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

  This required course for all education majors will explore the instructional purposes for a variety of assessment strategies, such as: authentic, screening, diagnostic, formative, benchmark, and summative assessments. Future teachers will learn how to interpret assessment data, such as standardized test scores and norms, and will practice how to communicate assessment results to educational stakeholders, while considering legal and ethical issues related to assessment data, such as maintaining confidentiality. Future teachers will also create sample assessments that target academic standards and assessment anchors within subject areas, in order to measure mastery of the curriculum in more than one way.|

  PREREQUISITES:

  EDUC1010

• EDSP4015

  DEVELOPMENT OF THE IEP & INCLUSION IN LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT|

  EDSP4015
  DEVELOPMENT OF THE IEP & INCLUSION IN LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT|

  Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

  The focus of this culminating course is to prepare the student teacher with a realistic overview of teaching special education in Pennsylvania. The student will create an IEP, become familiar with Inclusion and collaboration, write reflections based on current issues/trends in special education, participate in discussions, create useful artifacts, discuss significant court cases, and understand Transition. The student will also comprehend the special education continuum of services available to the identified student.|

  PREREQUISITES:

  EDSP2015

• EDUC1010

  INTRO TO EDUCATION & FIELD EXPERIENCE |

  EDUC1010
  INTRO TO EDUCATION & FIELD EXPERIENCE |

  Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

  The purpose of this course is to serve as an introduction to the teaching profession. Students will explore the qualifications for becoming an effective teacher, and will observe classroom teachers across grade levels. Current trends and conditions of education will also be studied. A field experience is a required component of the course.|

  PREREQUISITES:

• PSYC1021

  INTRO TO PSYCHOLOGY |

  PSYC1021
  INTRO TO PSYCHOLOGY |

  Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

  This survey course introduces students to several critical areas of psychology. Throughout the course, there is an emphasis on the scientific method, its application to psychology, and the insights gained from scientific research. The interactions among biological processes, cognitive and emotional responses, sociocultural forces, and behavior are examined. Included are such diverse topics as: health, stress, and coping; consciousness, sleep and dreams; effects of psychoactive drugs on behavior and health; psychological disorders; social psychology; types of learning and behavior management, information processing approaches including memory, encoding and retrieval; and the relationship of the nervous system to thought, feelings, and behaviors.|

  PREREQUISITES:

• PSYC2040

  ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT |

  PSYC2040
  ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT |

  Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

  This course is designed to provide an overview of the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional developmental changes occurring during adolescence. Attention will be given to the contexts in which development occurs: the family, school, and peer group-as well as psychological changes in identity, autonomy, and intimacy. Psychological disorders that manifest during adolescence will be examined. |

  PREREQUISITES:

  PSYC1021 or PSYC1021H

• PSYC2061

  EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY |

  PSYC2061
  EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY |

  Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

  This course provides an introduction to educational psychology, the science of learning and teaching. Students will be exposed to the research methods used in psychological science, theoretical approaches to cognitive development and learning, and applications of those theories to understanding student behavior in the context of the school environment.|

  PREREQUISITES:

  PSYC1021 or PSYC1021H

Major Requirements: 45 credits

• ADMG1005

  MACROECONOMICS |

  ADMG1005
  MACROECONOMICS |

  Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

  An introductory economics course focusing on the field of macroeconomics, including government spending, money, inflation, unemployment and taxes. Also included are brief sections on microeconomic and economic systems.|

  PREREQUISITES:

• BIOL1003

  GENERAL BIOLOGY I |

  BIOL1003
  GENERAL BIOLOGY I |

  Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

  A presentation of a comprehensive survey of the major area within modern biology with emphasis placed on unsolved problems and the nature of scientific evidence. The course explores the properties of living matter on the molecular, cellular and organismic level. Open to all science majors and non-science majors with a strong interest in biology or a professional need.|

  PREREQUISITES:

  Concurrent: BIOL1005

• BIOL1004

  GENERAL BIOLOGY II |

  BIOL1004
  GENERAL BIOLOGY II |

  Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

  A presentation of a comprehensive survey of the major area within modern biology with emphasis placed on unsolved problems and the nature of scientific evidence. The course explores the properties of living matter on the molecular, cellular and organismic level. Open to all science majors and non-science majors with a strong interest in biology or a professional need.|

  PREREQUISITES:

  BIOL1003 & BIOL1005, Concurrent: BIOL1006

• BIOL1005

  GENERAL BIOLOGY I-LAB |

  BIOL1005
  GENERAL BIOLOGY I-LAB |

  Credits (Min/Max): 1/1

  Selected experiments chosen to emphasize principles presented in the General Biology lecture courses.|

  PREREQUISITES:

  coreg: BIOL1003

• BIOL1006

  GENERAL BIOLOGY II-LAB |

  BIOL1006
  GENERAL BIOLOGY II-LAB |

  Credits (Min/Max): 1/1

  Selected experiments chosen to emphasize principles presented in the General Biology lecture courses.|

  PREREQUISITES:

• BIOL3015

  GENERAL ECOLOGY |

  BIOL3015
  GENERAL ECOLOGY |

  Credits (Min/Max): 4/4

  A general ecology course studying ecosystem and population dynamics. Application of these concepts is made to aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems including current environmental problems. Fieldwork is an integral part of this course. Lecture and laboratory course.|

  PREREQUISITES:

  BIOL1004

• BIOL3015L

  GENERAL ECOLOGY-LAB |

  BIOL3015L
  GENERAL ECOLOGY-LAB |

  Credits (Min/Max): 0/0

  Laboratory for BIOL3015 General Ecology|

  PREREQUISITES:

• CHEM1007

  PRINCIPLES OF CHEM I(SLSC1008) |

  CHEM1007
  PRINCIPLES OF CHEM I(SLSC1008) |

  Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

  An introduction to the basic principles of general, organic and biochemistry. The principles are related to living systems including the properties and metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and nucleic acids. Lecture and laboratory course. Cross-listed with SLSC1008|

  PREREQUISITES:

  Concurrent: CHEM1008

• CHEM1008

  PRINCIPLES OF CHEM I-LAB |

  CHEM1008
  PRINCIPLES OF CHEM I-LAB |

  Credits (Min/Max): 1/1

  Laboratory for CHEM1007 Principles of Chemistry I|

  PREREQUISITES:

• CHEM1017

  PRINCIPLES OF CHEMISTRY II |

  CHEM1017
  PRINCIPLES OF CHEMISTRY II |

  Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

  This course provides an introductory survey of biochemistry, along with biomedical applications. Important biomolecules such as hemoglobin will be discussed, with an emphasis on correlating structure with function. A discussion of intermediary metabolism follows, including an introduction to inborn errors of metabolism. The course concludes with a discussion of molecular including potential biomedical application.|

  PREREQUISITES:

  CHEM1007 or SLSO1008 & Concurrent: CHEM1018

• CHEM1018

  PRINCIPLES OF CHEMISTRY II-LAB |

  CHEM1018
  PRINCIPLES OF CHEMISTRY II-LAB |

  Credits (Min/Max): 1/1

  Laboratory for CHEM1017 Principles of Chemistry II|

  PREREQUISITES:

  CHEM1008

• GEOG3013

  GEOGRAPHY & WORLD AFFAIRS (INST3013) |

  GEOG3013
  GEOGRAPHY & WORLD AFFAIRS (INST3013) |

  Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

  An overview of various regions of the world and the environmental conditions to which people adapt. Racial, linguistic, religious and economic groupings of people will be stressed. Current world events are examined to develop knowledge about historical, geographic, climatic, political and religious environments which people inhabit. Cross-listed with INST3013 |

  PREREQUISITES:

• MATH1040

  PROBABILITY & STATISTICS |

  MATH1040
  PROBABILITY & STATISTICS |

  Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

  The study of the fundamentals of probability theory with applications to natural and social sciences as well as to mathematics. Discrete and continuous distributions, sampling theory, linear correlation, regression, statistical inference, estimation and analysis of variance are included.|

  PREREQUISITES:

  MATH1010

• MATH2000

  MATHEMATICS FOR LIBERAL ARTS |

  MATH2000
  MATHEMATICS FOR LIBERAL ARTS |

  Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

  As in-depth exploration of the applications of various types of mathematics, with an emphasis on problem solving skills. Writing skills are an integral part of this course. The connecting of mathematical ideas with other subject areas will be emphasized. These areas will include: art, biology, chemistry, coding, computers, demographics, fiction, genetics, logic, management, marketing, music, philosophy, physics, politics, psychology, and social planning. The discussion of original source documents will be an integral part of this course.|

  PREREQUISITES:

  MATH1010

• MATH2023

  GEOMETRY & MEASUREMENT |

  MATH2023
  GEOMETRY & MEASUREMENT |

  Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

  An overview of the Euclidian and non-Euclidian geometries required for teaching mathematics, particularly middle school mathematics, focusing on geometrical shapes and their properties, spatial reasoning, geometrical shapes in nature and art, and application of measurements. |

  PREREQUISITES:

  MATH1010

• NSCI2045

  GEOLOGY |

  NSCI2045
  GEOLOGY |

  Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

  PREREQUISITES:

• PHYS1010

  PHYSICS FOR HEALTH SCIENCE |

  PHYS1010
  PHYSICS FOR HEALTH SCIENCE |

  Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

  This course is designed to provide a broad background in physics for those who will enter the allied health professions. Applications will be made to the biological and physiological sciences, as well as to the various types of equipment. Lecture and laboratory course.|

  PREREQUISITES:

  MATH1010 Coreq: PHYS1010L

• PHYS1010L

  PHYSICS FOR HEALTH SCIENCE-LAB |

  PHYS1010L
  PHYSICS FOR HEALTH SCIENCE-LAB |

  Credits (Min/Max): 1/1

  Laboratory for PHYS1010 Physics for Health Science|

  PREREQUISITES:

• POLI1022

  AMERICAN GOVERNMENT |

  POLI1022
  AMERICAN GOVERNMENT |

  Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

  This course introduces students to the major American political institutions, the way in which the houses of Congress function, and the Presidency while also analyzing civil liberties, constitutional rights, policy-making, social policy issues, the role of political parties, the electoral process, the political role of the media, and foreign policy debates.|

  PREREQUISITES: