PHYSICS AND EARTH-SPACE SCIENCE
Fisher College of Science & Mathematics
Mission Statement
The Department of Physics, Astronomy & Geosciences is a multidisciplinary department comprised of several different, but related disciplines: Physics, Astronomy, Geosciences and Science Education. We offer undergraduate programs leading to a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree in Physics, Geology or Earth-Space Science, a Physics Secondary Education Program, a Dual Degree in Engineering Program leading to a bachelor's degree in Physics from Towson University and a bachelor's degree in Engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park, as well as a Physics or Geology minor. There is also a five-year program leading to a B.S. degree in Physics and an M.S. degree in Computer Science. These programs are designed to provide students with the knowledge and experience to pursue advanced studies and a wide variety of professional careers.
The Department faculty emphasize teaching and the involvement of undergraduates in research as primary goals. Faculty and students collaborate together to pursue basic and applied research, with the objective of enhancing and maintaining scholarly competence, promoting student learning, and addressing the needs of industries, schools, and the region. In addition, the Department serves the community through activities in teacher education, workshops and seminars, industrial collaboration programs, and research in areas of local concern.
Faculty
Barreto-Espino, Reizelie Ph.D.
Burks, Rachel Ph.D.
Filer, Jonathan Ph.D.
Bhavamian, Parviz Ph.D.
Ha, Phuoc Ph.D.
Hermann, Ronald Ed.D.
Kolagani, Rajewsari Ph.D.
Krause, Thomas Ph.D.
Lev, Steven Ph.D.
Lottero-Perdue, Pamela Ph.D.
Miranda, Rommel Ed.D.
Moore, Joel Ph.D.
Overduin, James Ph.D.
Sandifer, Cody Ph.D.
Schaefer, David Ph.D.
Scott, Jennifer Ph.D.
Sezen, Asli Ph.D.
Simpson, Jeffrey Ph.D.
Smolyaninova, Vera Ph.D.
Storrs, Alex Ph.D.
Yan, Jia-An Ph.D.
Requirements for the Major
General Education Requirements
All Physics (including those in the Secondary Education Track) and Earth-Space Science majors fulfill the University Core requirements specified for graduation from Towson State University.
Content Requirements
Physics. Physics majors who intend to become certified in secondary education complete all of their science and mathematics courses with majors in those fields. I.e. there are no content courses in these discipline areas designed only for preservice preparation of secondary science teachers. (See specific requirements listed below.)
Earth-space science. The Earth-Space Science major is for students who want a broad survey of the earth and space sciences, and is intended for students interested in secondary education. Once the earth-space science core courses are completed, the majors are expected to enroll in earth-space track in the secondary education program. As with the physics majors in the secondary track, earth-space science majors complete all of their science/mathematics courses with majors in those fields. (See specific requirements listed below.)
Professional Education Requirements
The professional education sequence for physics and earth-space majors with a secondary education track includes the required courses of the Department of Secondary Education, a methods course taught by the Science Education faculty (SCIE 380 - Teaching in the Secondary School, prior to student teaching), and a capstone internship experience (SCIE 393 - two experiences, one middle school and one high school) supervised by Science Education faculty from one of three departments: Biology, Chemistry and/or Physics, Astronomy and Geosciences.
Physics Major with Secondary Education Concentration
Physics Core Courses (35 units)
PHYS 185 Introductory Seminar in Physics (1)
PHYS 241, 242 General Physics I, II (4, 4)
Or
PHYS 251, 252 Honors General Physics I, II (4, 4)
PHYS 243 General Physics III (4)
PHYS 307 Introductory Mathematics Physics (3)
PHYS 311 Modern Physics (4)
PHYS 341 Intermediate Physics Laboratory I (3)
PHYS 342 Intermediate Physics Laboratory (3)
PHYS 351 Mechanics I (4)
PHYS 354 Electricity and Magnetism I (4)
PHYS 385 Physics Seminar (1)
Non-physics Requirements (29-30 units)
BIOL 201 Biology I (4)
CHEM 131 and 132 General Chemistry I, II (4, 4)
MATH 273-274 Calculus I, II (4, 4)
WRIT 312 History of Science (3)
One of the following earth science courses:
ASTR 161 General Astronomy I (4)
GEOL 121 Physical Geology (4)
GEOL 357 Physical Oceanography (3)
The Physics Secondary major also requires 44 units of education courses.
Earth-Space Science Major
Required Core Courses (57 units)
GEOL 121 Physical Geology (4)
GEOL 123 Historical Geology (4)
GEOL 357 Physical Oceanography (3)
ASTR 161 General Astronomy I (4)
ASTR 162 General Astronomy II (4)
BIOL 120 The Principles of Biology (4)
CHEM 131 General Chemistry I (4)
CHEM 132 General Chemistry II (4)
MATH 115 Basic Mathematics for the Sciences(4)
PHYS 211 General Physics I (4)
PHYS 212 General Physics II (4)
GEOG 305 Environmental Geology (4)
GEOG 331 Mineralology (4)
GEOG 377 Descriptive Meteorology (4)
WRIT 312 History of Science (3)
Elective (3-4 units)
GEOL 321 Structural Geology (4)
GEOL 415 Hydrogeology (4)
GEOL 443 Sedimentology and Stratigraphy (4)
GEOG 315 Geomorphology (4)
GEOG 410 Environmental Geography (3)
GEOG 411 Studies in Natural Hazards (3)
GEOG 412 Introduction to Geographical Information Systems (3)
Once Earth-Space majors enroll in the secondary Earth-Space track, they are also required to take 44 units of education courses.
Content Standards
The National Science Teachers Association provides recommendations for content standards for the preparation of Physics and Earth-Space Science teachers. Current reform documents used to augment these recommendations can be found in the publications of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, especially Project 2061: Science for All Americans—Benchmarks and the National Academy of Science publication A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts and Core Ideas. Recommendations that guide our selection of material and experiences dealing with science teaching methodology are derived from that document as well as publications of the Association for the Education of Teachers in Science and the InTASC Principles; in our matrix, we have cross-referenced the InTASC Principles.
MATRICES: CONTENT/METHODS FOR PHYSICS, SECONDARY TRACK
NSTA STANDARD / Science Teaching Internship / Science Teaching Methods Course / Physics required content courses / Physics Lab and seminar courses / Biology and Chem / Earth-space Elective / Math and Comp Scie / History of ScienceI. Content Knowledge / X / X / X / X / X / X
II. Content Pedagogy / X / X
III. Learning Environments / X / X
IV. Safety / X / X / X / X / X / X
V. Impact on Student Learning / X / X
VI. Professional Knowledge and Skills / X / X / X / X / X / X
MATRICES: CONTENT/METHODS FOR EARTH-SPACE MAJORS
NSTA STANDARD / Science Teaching Internship / Science Teaching Methods Course / Physics / Geology / Biology and Chem / Astronomy / MathI. Content Knowledge / X / X / X / X / X
II. Content Pedagogy / X / X
III. Learning Environments / X / X
IV. Safety / X / X / X / X / X / X
V. Impact on Student Learning / X / X
VI. Professional Knowledge and Skills / X / X
NATIONAL SCIENCE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION
STANDARDS FOR PREPARATION
Standard l
In addition to meeting the core requirements for science teachers, students preparing to teach physics/earth-space should: Understand and develop the major concepts and principles of physics/earth-space science as identified below.
Physics, Secondary TrackNSTA Standard 1: Core Competencies / Physics Courses
241/251/351 / 242/252/354 / 243 / 341/42 / 311
Energy, Work, and Power / X / X / X / X / X
Force and motion / X / X / X / X / X
Newtonian principles / X / X / X / X / X
Conservation of mass, energy, momentum, and charge / X / X / X / X / X
Physical properties of matter / X / X / X / X / X
Kinetic-molecular motion and atomic models / X / X / X
Radioactivity, nuclear reactors, fission, and fusion / X / X / X
Wave theory, sound, light, the EM spectrum, and optics / X / X / X / X / X
Electricity and Magnetism / X / X / X
Fundamental processes of investigating / X / X / X / X / X
Applications of physics to environmental quality and community health
Physics, Secondary Track
NSTA Standard 1: Advanced Competencies / Physics Courses
241/251/351 / 242/252/354 / 243 / 341/342 / 311
Thermodynamics & energy-matter relationships / X
Nuclear physics, matter-energy duality and reactivity / X / X
Angular rotation & momentum; centripetal forces, vector analysis / X / X
Quantum mechanics, space-time relationships, special relativity / X / X
Models of nuclear and subatomic structures and behavior / X / X / X
Light behavior, including wave-particle duality and models / X / X
Electrical phenomena, vector analysis, capacitance, inductance, energy, potential / X
Issues related to physics such as disposal of nuclear waste, light pollution, shielding communication equipment and weapons development / X
Historical development and cosmological perspectives in physics including contributions of significant figures and underrepresented groups, and evolution of theories in physics / X / X
How to design,
conduct, and report research in physics / X
Applications of physics in society, business, industry, health fields
Supporting Competencies:
1. Biology – BIOL 201
2. Earth science – ASTR 161 OR GEOL 121 OR GEOL 357
3. Chemistry- CHEM 131/132
4. Mathematical and statistical concepts and skills including statistics and the use of differential equations and calculus – MATH 273 and MATH 274
Earth-Space ScienceNSTA Standard 1: Core Competencies / Courses meeting this standard
Characteristics of land, atmosphere, and ocean systems / GEOL 121, 357; GEOG 377
Properties, measurement, and classifications of Earth materials / GEOL 121, 123; PHYS 211, 212; GEOG 377
Changes in the Earth including land formation and erosion / GEOL 121, 123
Geochemical cycles / GEOL 121, 123, 357; BIOL 120;
CHEM 110, 111
Energy flow and transformation in Earth systems / GEOL 121, 357; CHEM 131, 131, PHYS 211, 212
Hydrological features of Earth / GEOL 121, 357; GEOG 377
Patterns and changes in atmosphere, weather, and climate / GEOL 123, 357; GEOG 377
Origin, evolution, and behavior of Earth / GEOL 121,123; ASTR 161, 162
Origin, evolution, and properties of universe / GEOL 123; ASTR 161, 162
Fundamental processes of investigating / GEOL 121, 123, 357; ASTR 161, 162; BIOL 110; CHEM 110, 111;GEOG 101, 373, 377
Sources and limits of natural resources / GEOL 121
Applications of physics to environmental quality and community health / GEOL 121, 305
Earth-Space Science
NSTA Standard 1: Advanced Competencies / Courses meeting this standard
Gradual and catastrophic changes in the Earth / GEOL 123, GEOL 305
Oceans & relationship to atmosphere and climate / GEOL 357, GEOL 305, GEOG 377
Hydrological cycles and problems of distribution and use of water / GEOL 121, GEOL 305, GEOL 357, GEOG 377
Dating of the Earth and other objects in the universe / GEOL 121, ASTR 161, ASTR 162
Energy-matter structures and functions in the universe / GEOL 121, ASTR 161, ASTR 162
Changes in the Earth and the evolution and distribution of living things / BIOL 120, GEOL 121, GEOL 123
Issues such as global climate change, mine subsidence, channeling of waterways / GEOL 305, GEOG 377
Historical development & perspectives, including contributions of significant figures and underrepresented groups, and the evolution of theories in earth and space sciences / GEOL 121, WRIT 312
How to design, conduct, and report research in the Earth and space sciences / GEOL 305
Supporting Competencies:
1. Biology – BIOL 120
2. Physics- PHYS 211/212
3. Chemistry- CHEM 131/132
4. Mathematical and statistical concepts and skills – MATH 119
Both the physics and earth-space secondary tracks require majors to take SCIE380 and SCIE393.
METHODS CONTENT / SCIE 380 / SCIE 393Nature of Science: (1*)
Inquiry/Model building / X / X
Goals for teaching science / X / X
Conceptual relationships within sciences and mathematics / X / X
Nature of the Learner:(1,2,3,4*)
Cognitive Development / X / X
Concept Development (naive conceptions, construction of knowledge) / X / X
Special needs/Diversity issues / X
Classroom Discourse: (1,2,3,4,6,8,10*)
Questioning/Responding / X / X
Cooperation/collaboration / X / X
Written and oral communication skills / X
Reflective practice / X / X
Planning: (1,2,5,6,9,10*)
Sequencing/Learning Cycle Models / X / X
Cross discipline/team planning / X
Objectives (Bloom Taxonomy: Cogn.) / X / X
Curriculum: (1,10*)
National Standards/AAAS Benchmarks / X
National/State/Local / X
Tools for enhancing science learning (1-10*) (research, use, and evaluate):
Laboratory experiences / X / X
Demonstrations / X / X
Field investigations / X / X
Computer assisted activities (MBL, simulations, internet resources) / X / X
Videos, et al. / X / X
Textbooks, trade books, etc. / X / X
Community contacts / X / X
Management: (1,2,6,10*)
Physical and social environment / X
Laboratory safety / X
Animals in the Classroom (ethical behavior)
Multiple models of assessment of learning and teaching (1,5,6,10*) (analyze/reflect/retry) / X / X
Professional Growth (1,8,9,10*)
Peer review, supervisory evaluations / X
Coaching/conferencing / X
Portfolio development / X
National, state, and local organizations / X
NOTES: All of the above are touched on in each of the courses. X’s indicate course in which the topic receives the greatest emphasis.
*numbers show cross reference to appropriate Essential Dimensions of Teaching, MSDE, 1994.
Alignment with Assessment System
The Physics and Earth-Space Secondary Education Teaching Concentration programs are aligned with the Unit Assessment System, and reflect the content standards of the National Science Teacher’s Association.
The Unit Assessment System provides for common assessment of all biology teacher candidates’ content knowledge through university standards for required GPA for admission to and continuation in the Secondary Physics and Earth-Space programs. Additional assessments of content knowledge that reflect the NSTA standards and/or Maryland’s performance criteria are assessed through program-specific assessments, documented in Section 2 of the SPA report, and include the following:
Grade Point Averages in Required Courses
Conducting and Designing Research Experiments
Performance on a Safety Module
Additionally, candidates’ content knowledge is assessed by mentor teachers and University supervisors during the required capstone internship using an NSTA-based formative and summative evaluation instrument. Finally, Praxis II data documents content knowledge for the Secondary Physics and Earth-Space majors.
Program data is used by the program to evaluate candidates, as well as program and unit performance.