Science Education

Integrating Crosscutting Concepts in Iowa Science Classrooms (ICCISC) is a three-year professional development program to help Iowa’s secondary science teachers develop standards-aligned curricula that engages, excites, and educates students in science and other STEM-related fields using research-based teaching methods. ICCISC will initially target 24 current secondary science teachers who are working to align their curricula to meet the essential concepts and skills of the Iowa Core and/or NGSS. Participating teachers will learn how crosscutting concepts are used in different domains of science, how the crosscutting concept can be used to create coherence across secondary science curricula to improve student learning, and how to design curricula using a backward design approach to address the crosscutting concept in their courses. The ICCISC program is a collaboration between UNI, Great Prairie AEA, Heartland AEA, AEA 267, and Grant Wood AEA as well as Cedar Rapids and Sioux City CSDs. Partnerships with other Iowa AEAs and CSDs are possible with their teachers being able to participate including those from both public and private schools.