Earth Science Education

Individuals interested in teaching in K-12 schools must complete a degree in the content area they want to teach plus the teacher preparation program through the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Individuals must complete the teaching major/teaching track within that degree program, which may contain different course requirements than the academic major since the sequence of courses is designed to meet state standards. Upon completion of the degree program with the teaching track and the secondary licensure program, one will be eligible for a standard Montana teaching license in this content area.

Bachelor of Science - Geosciences; Earth Science Education Option

College Humanities & Sciences

Catalog Year: 2014-2015

Degree Specific Credits: 54

Required Cumulative GPA: 2.0

Note: Students must be formally admitted to the Teacher Education Program and complete all of the professional education licensure requirements. See the Department of Curriculum & Instruction in the College of Education and Human Sciences for more information. A major GPA of 2.75 is required to be eligible for student teaching. This major does not qualify as a single field endorsement. Individuals must complete a second teaching major or minor in another content area.


Lower Division Core

Rule: Must complete all of the following courses

Note: .

Minimum Required Grade: C-
17 Total Credits Required

Geosciences Core

Rule: Must complete all of the following courses.

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description GEO 101N - Intro to Physical Geology
Offered autumn and spring. General geology including the work of wind, flowing water, glacial ice, gravity, earthquakes, volcanoes and plate tectonics in shaping the earth. 
3 Credits
Show Description GEO 102N - Intro to Physical Geology Lab
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq. or coreq., GEO 101N (preferred) or 105N or 108N. A series of laboratory and field experiences designed around basic geologic processes and materials. Familiarization with common minerals, rocks, land forms, and structures. Intended to provide laboratory experience primarily with GEO 101N, but can be taken with or following any of the other freshman GEO courses listed above.
1 Credits
Show Description GEO 200 - Historical Geology
Offered autumn. Traces the history of the earth since its inception 4.5 billion years ago. Presents scientific theories for the origin of the earth and the nature of important earth shaping events of the past, including the development of the oceans, atmosphere and climate.
2 Credits
Show Description GEO 225 - Earth Materials
Offered spring. Prereq., any geoscience 100 level lecture course, GEO 102N, CHMY 121N or 141N. Study of minerals and rocks utilizing an Earth Systems approach; mineral identification and paragenesis; survey of the distribution of minerals from the interior to the surfaces of planets and the processes that led to their formation.
4 Credits
Show Description GEO 228 - Earth Surface Processes
Spring semester. Prereq. GEO 101N-102N, M 121 and 122 or M 151. Introduction to the physical processes that affect the surface of the Earth, including global-scale energy distribution and balance, the hydrologic cycle, climate, weathering, transport mechanisms, and geomorphic processes. 
2 Credits
Show Description GEO 231 - Geosciences Field Methods
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq. GEO 101N-102N. This course introduces students to a variety of field methodologies routinely used in the collection, processing, and interpretation of geoscientific field data.
2 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 14 Total Credits Required

Environmental Geoscience Course

Rule: Must complete one of the following.

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description GEO 105N - Oceanography
Offered spring. The ocean covers 70 % of the globe, and yet vast regions remain unexplored. Interactions between the atmosphere and the sea moderate and control our climate. Nearly 40 % of the world’s population lives within 100 kilometers of the coast. The oceans are geographically, environmentally, culturally, and economically critical to society. This course introduces oceanography, including the origin of water and ocean basins; marine resources; atmospheric circulation; air-sea interaction; ocean-climate feedback; currents, tides, and coastal processes; marine ecology; and use and misuse of the oceans.
3 Credits
Show Description GEO 108N - Climate Change
Offered autumn.  The geoscience perspective on the earth’s climate system.  Climate processes and feedbacks, climate history from early earth to the ice ages, present and future changes due to natural processes and human activities.
3 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 3 Total Credits Required

Upper Division Geosciences

Minimum Required Grade: C-
9 Total Credits Required

Required Upper Division Geoscience

Rule: Complete all of the following.

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description GEO 304E - Science and Society
Offered autumn.  Role of scientific knowledge in human societies from the pre–Classical to the present.  Discussion of tools for integrating science into ethical, political, and social decisions, including analyses of modern case studies from physical sciences.
3 Credits
Show Description GEO 311 - Paleobiology
Offered autumn. Prereq. GEO 101N or equiv. level Biology. Survey of the major groups of organisms in the geologic record and hands-on study of fossils; application of geologic and biologic data and principles to solve problems in geoscience and bioscience.
3 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 6 Total Credits Required

Elective Upper Division Geoscience

Rule: Complete one additional GEO course at the 300- or 400-level

Note: GEO 320 Global Water is recommended to complete the upper division writing requirement in Geosciences but students may also select from the university-approved list of upper division writing courses to fulfill this requirement.


Physics

Rule: Must complete 1 of the following sequences

10 Total Credits Required

Physics

Rule: May complete the following sequence

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description PHSX 205N - College Physics I
Offered autumn and spring.  Prereq., M 122 or 151 or equivalent, and prereq. or coreq. PHSX 206N.  Mechanics, sound, and heat.  For non-physical science majors.  This course satisfies the lecture portion of medical school requirements in general physics.  Credit not allowed for both PHSX 205N-207N and 215N-217N.
4 Credits
Show Description PHSX 206N - College Physics I Laboratory
Offered autumn and spring.  Prereq. or coreq., PHSX 205N.  Mechanics, sound, and heat.  For non-physical science majors.  This course satisfies the laboratory portion of medical school requirements in general physics.  Credit not allowed for both PHSX 206N-208N and 216N-218N.
1 Credits
Show Description PHSX 207N - College Physics II
Offered autumn and spring.  Prereq. PHSX 205N and prereq. or coreq., PHSX 208N.  Electricity, magnetism, light, and modern physics.  For non-physical science majors.  This course satisfies the lecture portion of medical school requirements in general physics.  Credit not allowed for both PHSX 205N-207N and 215N-217N.
4 Credits
Show Description PHSX 208N - College Physics II Laboratory
Offered autumn and spring.  Prereq., PHSX 206N, prereq, or coreq., PHSX 207N.  Electricity, magnetism, light and modern physics.  For non-physical science majors.  This course satisfies the laboratory portion of medical school requirements in general physics.  Credit not allowed for both PHSX 206N-208N and 216N-218N.
1 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 10 Total Credits Required

Physics with Calculus

Rule: May complete the following sequence

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description PHSX 215N - Fund of Physics w/Calc I
Offered autumn. Prereq. or coreq., PHSX 216N and M 171 or equiv. This course satisfies the lecture portion of medical and technical school requirements in general physics. Mechanics, fluids, waves and sound. Credit not allowed for both PHSX 215N-216N-217N-218N and 205N-206N-207N-208N.
4 Credits
Show Description PHSX 216N - Physics Laboratory I w/Calc
Offered autumn. Coreq., PHSX 215N. This course satisfies the laboratory portion of medical and technical school requirements in general physics. Mechanics, fluids, waves, and sound. Credit not allowed for both PHSX 215N-216N-217N-218N and 205N-206N-207N-208N.
1 Credits
Show Description PHSX 217N - Fund of Physics w/Calc II
Offered spring. Prereq., PHSX 215N, and prereq. or coreq. PHSX 218, and prereq. or coreq., M 172 or equivalent. This course satisfies the lecture portion of medical and technical school requirements in general physics. Heat, electricity, magnetism, and light. Credit not allowed for both PHSX 215N-216N-217N-218N and 205N-206N-207N-208N.
4 Credits
Show Description PHSX 218N - Physics Laboratory II w/Calc
Offered spring. Prereq., PHSX 215N, coreq., PHSX 217N. This course satisfies the laboratory portion of medical and technical school requirements in general physics. Heat, electricity, magnetism, and light. Credit not allowed for both PHSX 215N-216N-217N-218N and 205N-206N-207N-208N.
1 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 10 Total Credits Required

Chemistry

Rule: Must complete the following courses

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description CHMY 121N - Intro to General Chemistry
Offered autumn and spring. First semester of an introduction to general, inorganic, organic and biological chemistry.
3 Credits
Show Description CHMY 123 - Intro to Organic & Biochem
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., "C-" or equiv. in CHMY 121N or consent of instr. Second semester of an introduction to general, inorganic, organic and biological chemistry.
3 Credits
Show Description CHMY 485 - Laboratory Safety
Offered autumn. Prereq., one year of college chemistry. Awareness of and methods of control of hazards encountered in laboratory work. Awareness of legal constraints on work with chemicals. Sources of information regarding chemical hazards.
1 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 7 Total Credits Required

Math

Rule: Must complete the following courses

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description M 151 - Precalculus
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., ALEKS placement >= 4. A one semester preparation for calculus (as an alternative to M 121-122. Functions of one real variable are introduced in general and then applied to the usual elementary functions, namely polynomial and rational functions, exponential and logarithmic functions, trigonometric functions, and miscellaneous others. Inverse functions, polar coordinates and trigonometric identities are included. Credit not allowed for both M 151 and M 121 or 122.
4 Credits
Show Description STAT 216 - Introduction to Statistics
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., M 115 (preferred), or one of M 121, 135, 151, 162 or 171, or ALEKS placement >= 4. Introduction to major ideas of statistical inference. Emphasis is on statistical reasoning and uses of statistics.
4 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 8 Total Credits Required

Astronomy

Rule: Must complete the following course

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description ASTR 131N - Elementary Astronomy I
Offered autumn. Prereq., high school algebra and geometry. An introduction to historical and solar system astronomy.
3 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 3 Total Credits Required

Teaching Methods Course

Rule: Must complete the following course.

Note: The EDU 497 course number is used for multiple courses. Students should register for EDU 497 Methods: 5-12 Science.

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description EDU 497 - Teaching and Assessing
(R-15) Offered autumn and/or spring. Prereq. 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. Prereq., EDU 222; M 135 and 136. Special note: Refer to Program Description. This class must be taken concurrently with Level 3 Block 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. Prereq., HSTA 255, GPHY 121 or 141. Special note: Refer to Program Description. This class must be taken concurrently with Level 3 Block 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 every fall and spring. Pre-req., SCI 225, SCI 226;SCI 350, M135, M136, HHP 223, HHP 339, ARTZ 302A, DANC 346, THTR 339, MUSE 397, EDU 222, EDU 331, EDU 345, EDU 395, EDU 370, EDU 397, EDU 407 and all general education/content/specialty courses. Coreq., EDU 450/451, 497, 497, 497, 497, 340. 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. Prereq. EDU 397, EDU 395, Coreq., 497 block, EDU 340, EDU 451. 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. Prereq., EDU 221 (C&I 303), a science teaching major or minor. Methods and materials to teach science in grades 5-12. Techniques of evaluation. 5-12 Social Studies: 3 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., EDU 221 (C&I 303). Foundations and purpose of the middle and secondary social studies curriculum. Elements of lesson design, including instructional methods, materials and assessment. 5-12 Mathematics: 4 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., EDU 202 and 221 (C&I 200 and 303), and at least two-thirds of the teaching major or minor in mathematics. 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. Prereq., EDU 221 (C&I 303), business teaching experience. Methods of unit and lesson planning methods of instruction and presentation including learning theory computer applications student assessment micro teaching test design and evaluation of business courses and students.
0 To 4 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 3 Total Credits Required

Languages

Rule: Must complete 1 of the following courses

Note: Students graduating in Geosciences may substitute one of these courses in place of the Modern and Classical Language requirement.

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description M 162 - Applied Calculus
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., ALEKS placement >= 5 or one of M 121, 122 or 151. Introductory course surveying the principal ideas of differential and integral calculus with emphasis on applications and computer software. Mathematical modeling in discrete and continuous settings. Intended primarily for students who do not plan to take higher calculus.
4 Credits
Show Description M 171 - Calculus I
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.
4 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 3 Total Credits Required