EDCUR 327.3 How to...

Download PDF version of Curriculum Guide Questions

1. Who is acknowledged as the writers of the Saskatchewan Bio 20/30 Curriculum Guide? How much input do you think each of these people had? How do you think they were chosen to be involved? Who else do you think was involved? When was the Bio 20/30 Curriculum Guide written? How often do you think a curriculum guide should be rewritten?

2. What is Core Curriculum? How does Bio 20/30 relate to Core Curriculum? What is the specific goal of science curricula as mentioned in the Preface to Bio 20/30? Is it important to read the Introduction to a curriculum guide? Why or why not? Do you think that direct instruction would be useful for accomplishing the specific goal of Saskatchewan science curricula?

3. “In an information-based society, with widespread public concerns relating to issues as complex as the protection of the environment, manipulation of genetic material, the proliferation of technologically advance weapons systems, and various other serious and often controversial issues, a scientifically literate society is needed more urgently than ever before. While solutions to these kinds of issues are indeed difficult to find, science provides a way in which these types of problems can be understood and approached. It offers one world view which, when taken in conjunction with other world views, empowers society to make informed, rational decisions based on diverse ways of thinking about problems.” (Science Program Philosophy, Aim, and Goals, Sask Bio 20/30 Curriculum Guide.)
Do you think that you can adequately prepare your Biology students to make decisions about such complex issues as are listed above? What sorts of skills and knowledge would your students need for this?

4. What is scientific literacy? How would you teach and what would you teach so that your high school students would be scientifically literate? Could there be such a thing as biological literacy? If so, how would it be defined? What and how would you teach for biological literacy?

5. Foundational objectives and learning objectives are to be treated differently by teachers, according to the Bio 20/30 Curriculum Guide. (To see examples of foundational and learning objectives, go to one of the units. The foundational objectives are listed in bold, and have a numeral in front of them. The learning objectives fall under the foundational objectives, and have the numeral and a sub-number in front of them.) What is the role of foundational objectives? What impression do you get about the teacher’s responsibility with regards to the foundational objectives? What impression do you get about the teacher’s responsibility with regards to the learning objectives? How will this affect your teaching?

6. How important is the specific content of Bio 20/30 compared to the Dimensions of Scientific Literacy? How will this affect your teaching? What are the Dimensions of Scientific Literacy? Do you think ever province and US state has defined scientific literacy in the same way? Who defines scientific literacy?

7. What is the Adaptive Dimension? Why is there such a thing? What is a “modified program” and how does this compare to the Adaptive Dimension? What can adapt under the Adaptive Dimension? Why would you adapt?

8. What does the curriculum guide say about resources? One of the supporting documents is “Resource Based Learning”. What resources could you draw upon if you are teaching – perhaps in a small northern community where the main method of transportation in and out is by airplane? - or perhaps in a large school in perhaps Saskatoon?

9. Both gender equity and Indian and Métis perspectives are specifically addressed in all SK curricula. What are these important in Saskatchewan? Where else might they be important? What sorts of gender issues do you expect in your classroom? If you are teaching in a small rural town with students who are all of European descent, do you need to address Indian and Métis perspectives? How would you go about including Indian and Métis perspectives in your biology classroom?

10. Comment on what takes place in each of the phases of evaluation: preparation, assessment, evaluation, reflection. How would you reduce your bias in your evaluation? How would your evaluation inform you that either your teaching or your evaluation are biased? What kinds of assessment strategies could you use? What is the primary focus/goal of the SK science curricula? How would you assess this goal? Other than student evaluation, what else must be evaluated for a complete evaluation?