Southern Utah University

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Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Spring Semester 2026

Methods of Science, Physical Education, and Health (Online)

ELED 3480-30I

Course: ELED 3480-30I
Credits: 3
Term: Spring Semester 2026
Department: TED
CRN: 10757

Course Description

This course is designed to explore the significance and importance of science, physical education, and health education in the elementary school. It provides the philosophies and methodologies to help successfully teach a hands-on dynamic science program and how to effectively teach the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. (Elementary Block) (Fall, Spring) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Registration Restriction(s): Admission to Education Department required

Required Texts

There are no required readings for this course.

Learning Outcomes

  • 1. Explain the basic structure of Utah's SEEd standards for teaching science in the elementary grades and effectively break down provided standards into concrete learning experiences for children
  • 2. Plan high-quality, engaging science instruction using the 5E lesson plan model
  • 3. Analyze and apply Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) into science instruction
  • 4. Describe the components of effective science instruction as described by SEEd and the NSTA
  • 5. Become familiar with the standards for science and physical education instruction in the elementary grades

Course Requirements

Science Specific Assignments:

Intro to Science Assignment
You will create a 5E style lesson plan outline to teach one of the Principles of Scientific Literacy or Principles of Science Learning.
Integrated Unit Plan
You will plan a 3D science unit which integrates ELA or math content with science curriculum. You will present one of your lessons in class. 
Physical Education Resources
You will curate resources that could be used to support physical education in the classroom.
Science Specific Lesson Plan
You will create a science lesson on a provided standard and will review the application of each dimension of science learning for the standard.

Block Assignments:

Block Expectations Quiz
Students will take a short quiz to assess their understanding of the expectations for all 5 Block courses taken during their practicum.
Lesson Plan Expectations Quiz
Students will take a short quiz to assess their understanding of the expectations for the weekly lesson plans they will submit to their 5 Block courses.
Weekly Lesson Plans
To effectively teach children, teachers must intentionally plan and show professionalism by being prepared. This assignment needs to be turned in as a PDF. Using the SUU lesson plan template, students will submit a minimum of two lesson plans that they will teach each week in their practicum placement. Lesson plans will be submitted to a different Block class each week (see the provided schedule). Lesson plans must include a measurable objective and an assessment that aligns with the objective. Plans must be broken down into detailed 5-minute increments. The lesson plans need to be detailed enough for someone else to follow who cannot see the teacher’s manual and who does not know the learning needs of the students in your class. The same lesson plans will be counted in all 5 Block courses at the end of the semester. Adjustments are accepted if resubmitted for a better score in a timely manner (within one week).
Dispositions
Being professional, prepared, and having a positive attitude are important attributes of an effective teacher. A minimum of 1 disposition evaluation will be filled out during the semester by the student and/or the professors. If concerns arise, a conversation with the block professors will occur and further disposition evaluations will be filled out before being recommended to move forward in the program.
*Scores are subject to change throughout the semester based on student disposition. For this assignment, you will download the reflection form and honestly reflect on your dispositions this semester.
PLC Attendance
For this assignment, you will work with your mentor teacher in your practicum placement to attend and participate in a grade-level Professional Learning Community (PLC). You are required to attend at least one PLC with your grade-level team and to fill out a reflection form about your experience.
Video Self-Reflection
You will record yourself teaching a lesson and then reflect and analyze your pedagogy. Block instructors will also view the video to evaluate your teaching effectiveness.
Video Observation
You will record yourself teaching and then schedule a time to debrief on Zoom with your assigned professor. You will turn in your video, lesson plan, and reflection form.
Mentor Feedback
Arrange for your mentor teacher to observe you teaching two separate lessons to the whole class (no small group instruction). You must provide a typed lesson plan (in the SUU Daily Lesson plan format) to your mentor teacher before you teach each lesson. After teaching each lesson, both you and your mentor will provide a written reflection of your lesson. You will submit both the observation/reflection forms and the lesson plans to Canvas. The score for the assignment will be based on the observation forms and the mentor's evaluation of your professionalism and disposition.
EL ED Block Professor Observations
As Block professors, we will observe each of you during practicum experiences. We do these observations to help you gain new strategies and to learn how you can become a more effective teacher. Multiple professors will perform observations during practicum experiences. Observations will take place during each practicum experience (Iron County School District, George Washington Academy, and Canyons School District). A debrief will occur and professors will give feedback after each practicum. The observation forms must include your reflection each time you are observed by a Block professor. While the professors will arrange the time they observe you in the two practicums that take place away from Iron County School District, you will need to arrange a time for one of the Block professors to come to observe you in your Iron County School District placement. You must provide a typed lesson plan (in the SUU Daily Lesson Plan format) at least 24 hours before you teach the lesson. Email is preferred, but you can also turn in a hard copy. You must have a minimum score of 15 to pass this assignment. If there are concerns, the Block professor will discuss setting up another observation time.
Practicum Time Log
The purpose of this assignment is to complete the required hours in all three practicum placements to effectively prepare for student teaching and to eventually lead your own classroom. It is your responsibility to successfully complete the time required in all three practicum experiences. Keep track of your time daily on the practicum time log and have your cooperating teacher/mentor teacher initial each day. Scan or take a clear picture of your completed practicum time log with your mentor’s signature and upload it to all 5 Block courses.
Final Block Reflection Paper
The purpose of this assignment is to reflect on the instruction you observed and taught during your practicum experience and to reflect on your overall practicum experiences. There are three parts to the Block service-learning practicum reflection paper. Use the template provided and complete all sections.
Part 1) Create a reflection paper about your practicum experiences, comparing and contrasting the different instructional strategies you observed during your three practicum experiences. Make sure you include strategies for ELA instruction observed or used along with curriculum practices. You also need to include the notes you took on the different approaches to each component of the Big 5. Observe student engagement during learning time and how teachers manage different behaviors and learning styles during ELA. Reflect on your teaching time in ELA, what went well, what you need to work on, how you solved problems or changed how you taught and/or managed to teach each content area in your assigned classrooms. At the end of the three practicum experiences, you will write a compare/contrast reflection paper, which will include observations and experiences teaching ELA.
Part 2) Reflect on how you changed your instructional strategies based on students' needs, demographics, or the school culture of your practicum experiences.
Part 3) Explain how you will use what you learned about yourself during your block practicum experiences to improve your instruction moving forward.
Competencies Document
The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate that you have successfully met the competencies for teaching effectiveness. To complete this assignment you must demonstrate each competency indicated in the provided document and have a mentor signature.

Grade Range

A  100 % to 94.0%
A-  < 94.0 % to 90.0%
B+  < 90.0 % to 87.0%
B  < 87.0 % to 84.0%
B-  < 84.0 % to 80.0%
C+  < 80.0 % to 77.0%
C  < 77.0 % to 74.0%
C-  < 74.0 % to 70.0%
D+  < 70.0 % to 67.0%
D  < 67.0 % to 64.0%
D-  < 64.0 % to 61.0%
F  < 61.0 % to 0.0%

***Please note that if the practicum experiences are not passed, the highest grade the student can attain in this course is a C-, regardless of the coursework completed in the class.***

***Please also note that a grade of a B or higher is required to pass the Block and to be recommended for student teaching.***

Course Outline


*This is subject to change.

Module 1
  • Course Introduction
  • Practicum Expectations
  • Block Expectations Quiz 
  • Block Zoom meeting due

Module 2 

  • 5E Lesson Planning
  • Introduction to Science Assignment 

Module 3 

  • Week-long practicum experience

Module 4

  • 3 Dimensions of Science Learning
  • Video Observation Assignment

Module 5

  • Earth and Space Sciences
  • Weekly Lesson Plans due

Module 6

  • Physical Sciences
  • Dispositions 

Module 7 

  • Life Sciences

Module 8 

  • Week-long Practicum Experience

Module 9 

  • Engineering
  • PLC Attendance Assignment
  • Video Self-Reflection Assignment

Module 10 

  • Physical Education
  • Physical Education Resources
  • Weekly lesson plans

Module 11

  • Unit planning

Module 12

  • Integrated unit planning
  • Science Integrated Plan Assignment

Module 13 

  • Emotional wellbeing, coding, and robots
  • Mentor Observations due
  • Practicum Time Log due
  • Science specific lesson plan due
  • Final practicum reflection paper due
  • *Competencies Document

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

All assignments are due on the due date. The assignments will be accepted for up to 10 days after the due date at a 10% per day penalty. The assignment will be closed and no points given after 10 days.

Make-up Work/Extra Credit: There are no extra credit opportunities for this course.

Attendance Policy

Your participation in this class is essential for your success. Each module is a week in length and it is your responsibility to ensure that all assignments are completed by the end of each module.

Registration Restriction(s)

Admission to Education Department required

Service Learning

Practicum Experience/ Service Learning Project:

A significant university-wide focus for SUU students is to become actively involved in service-learning experiences that will enhance their career choices and provide service to the community. This class will provide pre-service teachers with the opportunity to serve schools in your area by taking over classrooms that will, in turn, allow classroom teachers to take part in professional development within their school districts or schools. SUU students will be allowed to put into practice many of the strategies and skills that have been addressed as part of their methods courses.  As part of this course, students will participate in weekly practicum hours at an elementary school. Students will also participate in two separate week-long practicum experiences where they will be in the schools for full contract hours during the designated week.

Upon completion of your practicum experiences, students will also be required to complete a written reflection of their practicum experience. Class discussions will also reflect on the valuable service to the communities. Students will also reflect on the teaching profession as a career choice based on these classroom experiences.

Service-Learning Liability Statement: 

This service‐learning designated course will incorporate civic engagement and community‐based learning components. By enrolling in this class, you have chosen to participate in service learning.  Students assume full responsibility for any injuries or damages sustained as a result of participating in service-learning-related activities, including while traveling to or from a service activity. The University assumes no responsibility for damage incurred while engaging in a service‐learning project, nor will the University defend any damage students may cause as a result of service. Southern Utah University insurance only extends to liability-related claims for students. Students are responsible for having their own health and accident insurance should they wish to have coverage. By remaining enrolled in this course, students agree to the aforementioned terms and conditions.

Statement of risk: All requirements to participate in a practicum experience must be met.  Students are responsible to know what is required of teachers in the school district where the practicum experience is being completed.  Going into a practicum experience without knowing what is required and understanding acceptable behavior could be risky.  Read all information and ask questions if you have them before entering a practicum setting.



AI Usage

AI Statement: As with any other tool, artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to generate initial ideas. AI doesn’t know the children in your classes, what happened yesterday, who is struggling, if a specific challenge is needed for your class or individuals, etc. AI can be used on approved assignments only, and permission must be given before the assignment is turned in. Technology does not take the place of human observation, evaluation, intentional planning, and skills and knowledge needed by a teacher in order to be successful. Unapproved use of AI is considered academic dishonesty and will be treated accordingly.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.