It's about the Content

One of the questions that has been running through my head since being accepted into the program is what content will I be covering. As of this morning, I have told the areas (see below).

• 4 energy
  4.1 different forms of energy
  4.2 energy changes
  4.3 fuels
  4.4 generating electricity
  4.5 energy and us
  5 water
  5.1 water purification
  5.2 further treatment of water
  5.3 the water cycle
  5.4 water conservation and pollution
  5.5 dissolving
  5.6 growing crystals
  5.7 solvents other than water
  6 matter
  6.1 states of matter
  6.2 particle theory of matter
  6.3 the particle model
  6.4 gas pressure
  6.5 density
  6.6 expansion and contraction
  
  7 living things and air
  7.1 what is air made up of?
  7.2 burning
  7.3 how does man obtain energy?
  7.4 how do green plants obtain energy?
  7.5 gaseous exchange in animals and plants
  7.6 balance of carbon dioxide and oxygen in nature
  7.7 effects of smoking and polluted air on our respiratory system
  8 making use of electricity
  8.1 closed circuit
  8.2 electrical conductors and insulators
  8.3 electric current
  8.4 voltage
  8.5 resistance
  8.6 circuit symbols
  8.7 series and parallel circuits
  8.8 fuses
  8.9 household electricity
  8.10 power of an electrical appliance
  8.11 cost of electricity
  8.12 the magnetic effect of an electric current
  8.13 working principles of common electrical appliances

Now it really gets exciting! I will do some reading on the topics in preparation for building lesson plans. I will then develop the lesson plans when in Xi'an since I don't have access to the texts that are being used. The text is Secondary Living Science by Peter Doyle, John Ma and Benjamin Yung published by the Foreign language Teaching and Research press along with Pearson Education Asia, Beijing.

The challenge I will face is to teach in an ESL environment. So, in order to prepare for the lesson plans, I will also be seeking out ESL tools.

Jan. 15

Well, here we go!
I want to offer this journal as a way to share this tremendous, exciting adventure!

Last spring, education students were asked if anyone would be interested in student teaching in China. (By the way, the school is Shawnee State University (SSU) )
Not being one to turn down a challenge, I volunteered. Initially there were many students interested, but it ends up with 4 of us going.

This journey is important because we are the first students from the US who are doing their student teaching in China. No pressure!

Prior to today's date, we have been meeting to prepare for the transition, to discuss ESL type teaching and to learn some 'survival' skills .

So, jeff, do you speak Chinese? Boy, never heard that one before. Actually none of the student teachers speak Chinese. We are all teaching at English language intensive middle and high schools.

My personal assignment will be at Shaan-Xi Normal University High School where I will be teaching sections of both 7th and 8th grades Science. I will be living on the campus of Xi'an Foreign Languages University and walking to my school.