A Physical Science Course for Rural Middle School Teachers

In two separate state Mathematics and Science Partnerships, The Science House and the Physics Department at NC State University have offered physical science courses for cohorts of middle school teachers in several rural counties in central and eastern North Carolina. The courses have featured a mixture of online lessons and face-to-face sessions. The courses covered key physical science topics in the NC Science Standard Course of Study for Grades 5-8 (waves, energy, forces and motion, and physical properties of matter). The courses emphasized physics understanding at the level of the standard university conceptual physics course. We will discuss the operation of the courses and examine outcomes from pre- and post-testing as well as teacher comments and work products.