Students who complete a sustained research project in physics education may be invited to do Honors Research. Students must first complete 4 credit hours of PHYSICS 3000 Undergraduate Research in Physicsand then 1 credit hour of PHYSICS 4990 Senior Thesis.
Physics - Teaching B.A.
Physics - teaching Major
The B.A. Physics major in teaching requires a minimum of 120 total hours to graduate. This total includes UNIFI/General Education requirements, the Professional Experiences requirements, Educator Essentials requirements, and the following specified major requirements, to complete the minimum of 120 hours.
This major leads to endorsement #156: 5-12 Physics.
| Required | ||
| Mathematics: | ||
| MATH 1420 | Calculus I | 4 |
| MATH 1421 | Calculus II | 4 |
| Physics: | ||
| PHYSICS 1100 | First-Year Projects in Physics | 1 |
| PHYSICS 1701 | Physics I for Science and Engineering | 4 |
| PHYSICS 1702 | Physics II for Science and Engineering | 4 |
| PHYSICS 2300 | Physics III: Theory and Simulation | 3 |
| PHYSICS 4080/5080 | Resources for Teaching Physics | 2 |
| PHYSICS 4100/5100 | Modern Physics | 4 |
| PHYSICS 4110/5110 | Modern Physics Laboratory | 2 |
| Electives | ||
| Physics: all 3000+ level courses | 6 | |
| Mathematics or non-physics science courses from the College of Humanities, Arts and Sciences * | 4 | |
| Total Hours | 38 | |
- *
Excluding all 820:xxx and mathematics below MATH 1420.
Professional Experiences
| Required: | ||
| EDUC 2385 | Teaching Methods l: Secondary Science *, ** | 3 |
| EDUC 2485 | Teaching Internship l: Secondary Science | 3 |
| EDUC 3585/5585 | Teaching Methods ll: Secondary Science * | 3 |
| EDUC 3685/5685 | Teaching Internship ll: Secondary Science | 3 |
| EDUC 4138 | Secondary School Teaching | 12 |
| Total Hours | 24 | |
- *
A grade of C (2.00) or higher is required for all Methods courses.
- **
Physics Teaching majors can count EDUC 2385 Teaching Methods l: Secondary Science for category 5 of Educator Essentials.
It is recommended that sufficient work including current curricula should be taken for licensure approval in a second area. Common teaching combinations are physics-chemistry or physics-mathematics.
Educator Essentials
| Required: * | ||
| Select one of the following in each category: | ||
| Category 1: The Learner | 3 | |
| Reflections on Learning | ||
| Development and Learning in Sociocultural Contexts | ||
| Creativity and Higher Order Thinking in the Classroom | ||
| Rethinking the Learning Society: Education and Its Future(s) | ||
| Category 2: Social Contexts of Learning | 3 | |
| Social & Cultural Foundations of Education | ||
| A Modern History of Education in the United States | ||
| Education Policy and Politics of Education | ||
| Language Today | ||
| Category 3: Education for All | 3 | |
| Adapted Physical Education | ||
| Education, Power, and Change | ||
| Social Movements and Education | ||
| Interdisciplinary and Intersectional Study of Education for All | ||
| Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners in Classrooms | ||
| Content Area Strategies for English Language Learners | ||
| Category 4: The Classroom Environment | 3 | |
| Deeper Motivation and the Highly Engaged Classroom | ||
| Level Up: Gamified Learning Environments | ||
| Early Childhood Curriculum Development and Organization | ||
| Playful Learning and Project-Based Experiences: Techniques for Ed and Recreational Environments | ||
| Critical Perspectives on Technology and Education | ||
| Category 5: Effective Pedagogy | 3 | |
| Expressive Learning Assessment | ||
| Technology, Pedagogy, and Learning in the Digital Age | ||
| Assessment for Learning | ||
| Effective Teaching through Differentiation, Technology and Assessment | ||
| Category 6: The Professional Educator | 3 | |
| Child, Family, School and Community Relationships | ||
| Teacher Leadership & Educational Change | ||
| Collaborative Partnerships for Educators | ||
| Total Hours | 18 | |
- *
A grade of C (2.00) or higher is required in each Educator Essentials course.
Honors Research
Four-Year Plan
Physics Teaching, B.A.
This is a sample plan of study with a suggested sequencing of classes for the major. University electives may be applied to earn additional academic majors, minors, or certificates. Students should regularly meet with their academic advisor to plan their specific semester schedule to include UNIFI/General Education program and/or university elective hours required.
| Freshman | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hour | |
| MATH 1420 | Calculus I (satisfies UNIFI: Quantitative Reasoning) | 4 |
| PHYSICS 1100 | First-Year Projects in Physics | 1 |
| PHYSICS 1701 | Physics I for Science and Engineering (satisfies UNIFI: Scientific Reasoning) | 4 |
| UNIFI: Written Communication | 3 | |
| UNIFI: Human Condition (Global) | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| MATH 1421 | Calculus II | 4 |
| PHYSICS 1702 | Physics II for Science and Engineering | 4 |
| UNIFI: Oral Communication | 3 | |
| University Electives | 6 | |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Sophomore | ||
| Fall | ||
| Educator Essentials Courses | 6 | |
| PHYSICS 2300 | Physics III: Theory and Simulation | 3 |
| UNIFI: Responsibility | 3 | |
| University Electives | 4 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| Educator Essentials Courses | 6 | |
| PHYSICS 4100/5100 | Modern Physics | 4 |
| PHYSICS 4110/5110 | Modern Physics Laboratory | 2 |
| UNIFI: Human Expression | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Junior | ||
| Fall | ||
| Educator Essentials Course | 3 | |
| EDUC 2385 | Teaching Methods l: Secondary Science | 3 |
| EDUC 2485 | Teaching Internship l: Secondary Science | 3 |
| UNIFI: Connect | 3 | |
| Physics Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| PHYSICS 4080/5080 | Resources for Teaching Physics | 2 |
| Physics Elective | 3 | |
| UNIFI: Connect | 3 | |
| University Electives | 9 | |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Senior | ||
| Fall | ||
| EDUC 3585/5585 | Teaching Methods ll: Secondary Science | 3 |
| EDUC 3685/5685 | Teaching Internship ll: Secondary Science | 3 |
| UNIFI: Connect | 3 | |
| Natural Science or Math Elective | 4 | |
| Hours | 13 | |
| Spring | ||
| EDUC 4138 | Secondary School Teaching | 12 |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
Learning Outcomes
Physics Teaching, B.A.
- Apply Techniques of Experimental Physics
- Understand Principles of Theoretical Physics
- Apply Techniques of Computational Physics
- Understand and Practice Modern Physics Pedagogy
A student who has earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Northern Iowa must demonstrate competence at the introductory (second-year) level in all three content areas (experimental, theoretical, and computational) through course-level outcomes aligned with each branch. A successful B.A. Physics Teaching student must also demonstrate knowledge and understanding of physics pedagogy. Competence in both content and pedagogy are necessary for the successful practice of high-school physics teaching.