Course Title
MATH 528: Models of Curriculum Design in Mathematics & Science

Course Overview
The course will introduce you to research issues in the areas of curriculum design, standards, and the related history of mathematics and science education in the 20th century.

Course Goal and Objectives
• Realize the political nature of curriculum.
• Gain perspective on the history of mathematics and science curricula in the last century and the forces driving change and stasis.
• Examine curriculum decision making at the standards level and at the teacher level.
• Critically examine literature on curriculum issues.
• Design curriculum according to standards and other stakeholder expectations.
• Develop a research perspective on pertinent aspects of curriculum.

Course Content
Unit 1. Should Creationism be taught in school science programs?
Unit 2. The Cascading benefits of a Common Curriculum
Unit 3. Culturally relevant curriculum in the context of high-stakes testing and calls for a national curriculum.
Unit 4. History of math and science curriculum in the 20th Century
Unit 5. The topography of curriculum design and decision making
Unit 5. The art of designing curriculum
Unit 6. Curriculum Design as a research endeavor

Expectations for Students
This course integrates reading and reflection, reaction and discussion, individual research on curriculum issues, and the use of a popular method of curriculum design.
Discussion: You are expected to bring your expertise to peer-led discussions and to actively engage in individual and group discussions and explorations. At times we will discuss issues as a whole group, but most often you will interact in small discussion groups (4-6 members), and you may be designated as a discussion leader for selected units or assignments.
Readings: For selected readings, you will be expected to write a brief analysis summarizing the material, including your reaction to it and connections to your own educational setting.
Assignments: You should expect to read extensively and continually write summaries of your findings. For example, you will write a comparison of textbooks from distinct periods in the 20th century and examine how they reflect the historical developments in math and science curricula in the US.
Final project: As a summative project for this course you will use the Backward Design Method popularized by Wiggins and McTighe to design a curriculum unit.

Connections to CLTW Core Values
Issues of diversity and equity are deeply embedded in most of our discussions of curriculum design. Some would say that all curriculum is local, in that it must respond to the interests, culture, and lived experiences of the students in the location of learning. How do we reconcile this choice with the demands for national coherence, often interpreted as uniformity, in curriculum, standards, and high stakes testing? What role do students play in curriculum decision making? These are important questions in the enterprise of curriculum design.