Course Catalog

Elementary Education Catalog Information


Elementary education majors must complete one of the following areas of specialization in addition to the elementary education curriculum in order to qualify for Minnesota licensure:
• Pre-Primary, ages 3-kindergarten
• Communication Arts/Literature, grades 5-8
• Mathematics, grades 5-8
• Science, grades 5-8
• Social Studies, grades 5-8
• World Languages (French, German, Latin, Norwegian, Russian or Spanish), grades K-8

Elementary education major (K-6) requires 41 credits:
• EDUC 210 – Foundations in K-12 Education, 2 credits
• EDUC 221 – Teaching in the Middle School, 2 credits
• EDUC 322 – Children’s Literature, 2 credits
• EDUC 332 – Teaching in the K-6 Classroom, 2 credits
• EDUC 333 – Communication Arts in the K-6 / Middle Classroom, 4 credits
• EDUC 334 – Mathematics in the K-6 / Middle Classroom, 4 credits
• EDUC 336 – Social Studies in the K-6 / Middle Classroom, 4 credits
• EDUC 337 – Science in the K-3 Classroom, 2 credits
• EDUC 338 – Science in the 4-8 Classroom, 1 credit
• EDUC 359 – Kindergarten Education, 2 credits
• EDUC 399 – Orientation to Student Teaching, no credit
• EDUC 421 – Advanced Reading Methods, 2 credits
• EDUC 425 – Education of the Exceptional Child, 2 credits
• EDUC 439 – Human Relations, 2 credits
• EDUC 496 – Student Teaching, 10 credits
Additional required supporting courses for a major in elementary education (24 credits):
• ART 201 – Art Education – Elementary, 4 credits
• BIOL 101 – General Biology, 4 credits OR
BIOL 121 – Vertebrate Biology, 4 credits AND
BIOL 122 – Evolution and Diversity, 4 credits
• MATH 102 – Fundamental Concepts of Modern Mathematics, 4 credits
• MUS 227 – Fundamentals of Music for Classroom Teachers, 2 credits
• PSYC 212 – Educational Psychology, 4 credits
• PED 301 – Elementary Physical Education, 2 credits
• PHYS 215 – Physical Science, 4 credits

Areas of Specialization for Elementary Education Students
Elementary education majors must complete one of the following areas of specialization in addition to the elementary education curriculum in order to qualify for Minnesota licensure. Bold-faced courses are required in the elementary education curriculum and satisfy both the elementary education major and the area of specialization.
Pre-Primary (ages 3-kindergarten) requires 20 credits:
• CFS 220 – Family Systems, 4 credits
• CFS 236 – Child Development, 4 credits
• CFS 336 – Parenting, 2 credits
• EDUC 358 – Introduction to Early Childhood, 2 credits
• EDUC 359 – Kindergarten Education, 2 credits
• EDUC 425 – Education of the Exceptional Child, 2 credits
• EDUC 439 – Human Relations, 2 credits
• EDUC 490 – Practicum in Early Childhood, 2 credits

Communication Arts/Literature (grades 5-8) requires 20 credits:
• 4 credits from the following:
– ENG 150 – Literature, Self and Society, 4 credits
– ENG 160 – Global Literature and Human Experience, 4 credits
• IOC 100 – Inquiry: Oral Communication, 4 credits
• COM 207 – Oral Interpretation, 4 credits
• 4 credits from the following:
– ENG 227 – Foundations of Creative Writing, 4 credits
– ENG 315 – English Language, Historical and Analytical, 4 credits
• 4 credits from the following:
– ENG 353 – American Literature: Beginnings to Realism, 4 credits
– ENG 355 – American Literature: Realism to Present, 4 credits
– ENG 365 – Writing of Women, 4 credits
– ENG 401 – Shakespeare and the English Renaissance, 4 credits
– ENG 410 – Individual Author, 4 credits
– ENG 441 – Theory and Practice of Criticism, 4 credits

Mathematics (grades 5-8) requires 20 credits:
• MATH 102 – Fundamental Concepts of Modern Mathematics,4 credits
• MATH 121 – Calculus I, 4 credits
• MATH 207 – Discrete Mathematics, 4 credits
• MATH 215 – Introduction to Probability and Statistics, 2 credits
• MATH 220 – Introduction to Geometry Concepts, 2 credits
• One additional mathematics or computer science course, 4 credits

Science (grades 5-8) requires 25 credits:
• BIOL 121 – Vertebrate Biology, 4 credits
• BIOL 122 – Evolution and Diversity, 4 credits
• CHEM 111 – Survey of General Chemistry, 4 credits
• ESC 104 – Introductory Astronomy: The Solar System, 4 credits
• ESC 302, ENVR 302 – Geology, 4 credits
• PHYS 215 – Physical Science, 4 credits
• PHYS 216 – Physical Science II, 1 credit

Students with a strong science/math background will be encouraged to choose the general science, grades 5-8 license. The requirements for the General Science teaching license, grades 5-8, are 32 credits:
• BIOL 121 – Vertebrate Biology, 4 credits
• BIOL 122 – Evolution and Diversity, 4 credits
• CHEM 127-128 – General Chemistry I and II, 4 credits each OR
CHEM 137-138 – Honors Chemistry I and II, 4 credits each
• ESC 104 – Introductory Astronomy: The Solar System, 4 credits
• ESC 302, ENVR 302 – Geology, 4 credits
• PHYS 111-112 – General College Physics I and II, 4 credits each OR
PHYS 128-211 – Physics for Scientists and Engineers I and II, 4 credits each

Social Studies (grades 5-8) requires 20 credits:
• 4 credits from the following:
– HIST 111 – United States in Perspective to 1865, 4 credits
– HIST 112 – United States in Perspective since 1865, 4 credits
– HIST 131 – European History in Perspective to 1500, 4 credits
– HIST 132 – European History in Perspective since 1500, 4 credits
– HIST 151 – World in Perspective to 1500, 4 credits
– HIST 152 – World in Perspective since 1500, 4 credits
– HIST 313 – Black American History, 4 credits
– HIST 315 – Indians of North America, 4 credits
– HIST 316 – U.S. Women’s History, 4 credits
– HIST 318 – The Midwest: Local, State and Regional History, 4 credits
– HIST 319 – Colonial America, 4 credits
– HIST 344 – Women’s History in Cross-Cultural Perspective, 4 credits
• PSC 211 – U.S. Political System, 4 credits
• GEOG 201 – World Geography, 4 credits
• ECON 201 – Principles of Economics, 4 credits
• 4 additional credits in economics, geography, history, political science, psychology or sociology

World Languages
Students who complete this area of specialization are qualified to teach the language in grades K-8. All students (except those seeking licensure in Latin) must attain the intermediate-high level of oral proficiency as defined by the Minnesota Board of Teaching. Students demonstrate oral proficiency through an examination given by the respective language department. Students who do not attain the intermediate-high level must complete another area of specialization to be recommended for licensure. Specialization is possible in each of the following languages:
World Languages – French (grades K-8) requires 24 to 26 credits:
• FREN 211 – Intermediate French I, 4 credits
• FREN 212 – Intermediate French II, 4 credits
• FREN 250 – Pre-May Seminar, 4 credits OR
FREN 255 – Pre-May Seminar, 2 credits
• FREN 311 – Intensive Oral and Written Communication, 4 credits
• FREN 331 – French Culture and Civilization, 4 credits
• FREN 340 – French Phonetics and Other Linguistics Issues, 2 credits
• EDUC 363 – FLES Methods of Teaching, 4 credits
World Languages – German (grades K-8) requires 24 credits:
• GER 211 – Intermediate German I: Culture and Society through the Media,4 credits
• GER 212 – Intermediate German II: Culture Through Literature, 4 credits
• GER 311 – Advanced Composition and Style, 4 credits
• GER 320 – German Cultural History in Overview, 4 credits
• GER 330 – Introduction to German Literature, 4 credits
• EDUC 363 – FLES Methods of Teaching, 4 credits
World Languages – Latin (grades K-8) requires 24 credits:
• LAT 111 – Fundamentals of Latin I, 4 credits
• LAT 112 – Fundamentals of Latin II, 4 credits
• LAT 223 – Latin Prose, 4 credits
• LAT 224 – Vergil, 4 credits
• LAT 301 – Latin Language and Composition, 4 credits
• EDUC 363 – FLES Methods of Teaching, 4 credits
World Languages – Norwegian (grades K-8) requires 24 credits:
• NORW 211 – Intermediate Norwegian I, 4 credits
• NORW 212 – Intermediate Norwegian II, 4 credits
• NORW 311 – Norwegian Conversation and Composition, 4 credits
• NORW 312 – Readings in Norwegian Literature with a Grammar Review,4 credits
• NORW 380 – Either Special Topics, 4 credits OR
NORW 480 – Independent Study, 4 credits
• EDUC 363 – FLES Methods of Teaching, 4 credits
World Languages – Spanish (grades K-8) requires 28 credits:
• SPAN 211 – Intermediate Spanish I, 4 credits
• SPAN 212 – Intermediate Spanish II, 4 credits
• SPAN 321 – Composition and Conversation in Cultural Contexts, 4 credits
• SPAN 322 – Spanish Grammar in Context, 4 credits
• SPAN 341 – The Culture of Spain, 2 credits
• SPAN 361 – Latin American Views, 2 credits
• 4 additional credits in Spanish, 200-level or above
• EDUC 363 – FLES Methods of Teaching, 4 credits
• A minimum of one semester of study abroad in a Spanish-speaking country is required.