Teaching Physics Minor

Offered autumn. Prereq., PHSX 301, M 311. Topics in classical mechanics at the intermediate level, emphasizing Lagrangian and Hamiltonian dynamics.

Offered spring. Prereq., PHSX 311. Intermediate level study of light and optics, including geometrical optics, wave optics, optical instruments, coherence, polarization, and special topics.

Offered spring even-numbered years. Prereq., PHSX 217N-218N or PHSX 207N-208N. Oral and written communication skills in physics, to include teaching high school and college physics, presenting seminars, and writing technical and non-technical physics articles.

Offered autumn. Prereq., one year of college physics; coreq., M 273. Includes historical background for development of modern physics and an introduction to quantum mechanics, atomic and nuclear physics. Credit not allowed for graduate degree in physics.

Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., M 122 or 151 or ALEKS placement >= 5.  Differential calculus, including limits, continuous functions, Intermediate Value Theorem, tangents, linear approximation, inverse functions, implicit differentiation, extreme values and the Mean Value Theorem.  Integral Calculus including antiderivatives, definite integrals, and the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus.

Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., M 171 or 181. Techniques of Integration. Area computations. Improper integrals. Infinite series and various convergence tests. Power series. Taylor's Formula. Polar coordinates. Parametric curves.

Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., M 172 or 182. Calculus of functions of several variables; differentiation and elementary integration. Vectors in the plane and space.

Offered autumn. Prereq., M 273. Ordinary differential equations. Systems of linear differential equations from a matrix viewpoint.  Series solutions. Existence and uniqueness for initial value problems.  Numerical methods. Stability and selected topics. M 317 computer lab recommended.

Offered autumn and spring. This course covers basic programming concepts such as variables, data types, iteration, flow of control, input/output, functions, and objects. The course will also cover programming ideas such as data structures, algorithms, modularity, and debugging. Students will learn about the role computation can play in solving problems by writing interesting programs to solve useful goals. No prior programming experience is expected. (Two hours independent lab per week.) Credit not allowed for both CSCI 100 and CSCI 110.

Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., computer programming experience in a language such as BASIC, Pascal, C, etc.; CSCI 104 highly recommended as prereq. or coreq. Fundamental computer science concepts using the high level structured programming language, Java.

Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., M 115 (preferred), or one of M 121, 132, 151, 162 or 171, or ALEKS placement >= 4. Introduction to major ideas of statistical inference. Emphasis is on statistical reasoning and uses of statistics.

Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., one of M 162, 172 or 182. Probability, probability models and simulation, random variables, density functions, special distributions, and a brief survey of estimation and hypothesis testing. Computer use integrated throughout.

(R-15) Offered autumn and/or spring. Prerequisite: Admission to the Teacher Education Program. This course number is used for multiple elementary and secondary methods courses. Check the class schedule or with your advisor regarding appropriate sections. 5-8 Mathematics: 3 cr. Offered autumn and spring. This class must be taken concurrently with Level 3 courses and is restricted to students who have completed coursework in Levels 1 & 2. Methods of teaching, assessing, and evaluating mathematics in the 5-8 middle grades including number and operations, rational numbers, ratio and proportion, measurement, algebra, expressions and equations, geometry, probability, statistics, and functions. K-8 Social Studies: 3 cr. Offered autumn and spring. This class must be taken concurrently with Level 3 courses and is restricted to students who have completed coursework in Levels 1 & 2. Emphasis on developing teaching and assessing social studies teaching/learning opportunities that incorporate literature, primary sources and other developmentally appropriate activities. Overarching themes address diversity, integration across the curriculum and understanding state and national curriculum standards. K-8 Science: 3 cr. Offered autumn and spring. This class must be taken concurrently with Level 3 courses and is restricted to students who have completed coursework in Levels 1 & 2. Emphasis on developing, teaching, and assessing science teaching/learning opportunities that are inquiry-based, developmentally appropriate, integrated across the curriculum, and aligned with state and national curriculum standards. 4-8 Reading: 3 cr. Offered autumn and spring. This class must be taken concurrently with Level 3 courses and is restricted to students who have completed coursework in Levels 1 & 2. Preparation for teaching reading in a 4-8 setting so that all students are successful. Emphasis on reading to learn. Focus on using assessment to guide instruction, learning from trade books, textbooks, and electronic texts, activating prior knowledge, studying texts, and developing student enthusiasm for reading. 5-12 Science: 3 cr. Offered autumn. Methods of teaching science in the middle and secondary school. This course emphasizes the use of inquiry, problem-solving, appropriate use of technology, and assessment techniques that align with state and national curriculum standards. 5-12 Social Studies: 3 cr. Offered autumn. Foundations and purpose of the middle and secondary social studies curriculum. Elements of curricular design, including instructional methods, materials and assessment. 5-12 Mathematics: 4 cr. Offered autumn. Methods for teaching mathematics in grades 5-12 focusing on presentation of mathematics concepts and procedures through models, problem solving, and technology. Development of instructional strategies and classroom organizational models, discourse in the classroom, and multiple means for assessing student progress. 5-12 Business Subjects: 4 cr. Offered autumn. Methods for teaching business subjects in grades 5-12 focusing on content-specific topics in business, marketing, and information technology to include: instructional planning; effective teaching strategies (F2F & online); multiple means for assessing student progress; classroom management; and the relationship of the content area to standards-based curricula.