Admissions to the Elementary Education: Middle Childhood through Early Adolescence/Content-Focused Minor have been suspended as of summer 2023 and will be discontinued as of fall 2024. If you have any questions, please contact the department.
The Middle Childhood–Early Adolescence/Content Focused Minor option prepares teachers to work in intermediate and middle school settings (approximately ages 6 through 12–13). Admitted students begin the four-semester professional sequence in the fall after admission. Students complete a content area minor that may lead to licensing in that subject.
The option coursework listed here is one component of the Elementary Education, BSE degree requirements.
Environmental Education Requirement
Select one Environmental Studies course or from the following list. If appropriate, this course may also be applied toward the liberal studies requirements.
Environmental Education courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ATM OCN/SOIL SCI 132 | Earth's Water: Natural Science and Human Use | 3 |
| BOTANY 100 | Survey of Botany | 3 |
| BOTANY/PL PATH 123 | Plants, Parasites, and People | 3 |
| BOTANY/BIOLOGY/ZOOLOGY 152 | Introductory Biology | 5 |
| BOTANY 240 | Plants and Humans | 3 |
| BOTANY/ENVIR ST/ZOOLOGY 260 | Introductory Ecology | 3 |
| CURRIC/C&E SOC/ENVIR ST 405 | Education for Sustainable Communities | 3 |
| ECON/A A E/ENVIR ST 343 | Environmental Economics | 3-4 |
| F&W ECOL 110 | Living with Wildlife - Animals, Habitats, and Human Interactions | 3 |
| GEOG/ENVIR ST 120 | Introduction to the Earth System | 3 |
| GEOG/ENVIR ST 127 | Physical Systems of the Environment | 5 |
| GEOG/ENVIR ST 139 | Global Environmental Issues | 3 |
| GEOG/ENVIR ST 309 | People, Land and Food: Comparative Study of Agriculture Systems | 3 |
| GEOG/ENVIR ST 339 | Environmental Conservation | 4 |
| LAND ARC/ENVIR ST 361 | Wetlands Ecology | 3 |
| PHYSICS 115 | Energy and Climate | 3 |
| POP HLTH/ENVIR ST 502 | Air Pollution and Human Health | 3 |
| SOC/C&E SOC 140 | Introduction to Community and Environmental Sociology | 4 |
| SOC/C&E SOC/F&W ECOL 248 | Environment, Natural Resources, and Society | 3 |
| SOIL SCI 301 | General Soil Science | 3 |
| SOIL SCI/ENVIR ST 324 | Soils and Environmental Quality | 3 |
Fine Arts
Select 6 credits of fine arts coursework. These credits may also be applied toward the liberal studies requirement. See a list of fine arts courses under liberal studies.
Mathematics for Elementary Teachers
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CURRIC 319 | Pedagogical Content Knowledge for Teaching Elementary Mathematics 1 | 3 |
| CURRIC 320 | Pedagogical Content Knowledge for Teaching Elementary Mathematics 2 | 3 |
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Students with college-level calculus coursework or advanced placement credit should see the exemption rules for this coursework. More detailed information about these courses is available on the math department website.
Education Coursework
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Child and Adolescent Development | 3-6 | |
| Select one option: | ||
| Human Development From Childhood Through Adolescence | ||
| Human Development in Infancy and Childhood and Human Development in Adolescence 1 | ||
| Foundations of the Profession | 6 | |
| Select 6 credits of coursework numbered below 600 from the Educational Policy Studies department. | ||
| Recommended courses include: | ||
| School and Society | ||
| History of American Education | ||
| Topics on Social Issues and Education | ||
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With permission, PSYCH 460 Child Development (formerly 560) may be substituted for ED PSYCH 320 Human Development in Infancy and Childhood. Students are strongly encouraged to complete this requirement before program admission.
Minor Requirement: Elementary Education
Elementary Education majors choosing the Content Focus option are required to complete a minor area of study that will lead to Wisconsin licensing in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science or Social Studies. Students can select from the minors listed below or complete the equivalent Letters & Science major in the subject area. For more details about the requirements of each minor, choose from the links below.
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Biology
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Chemistry
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Earth Science
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Economics
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English
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English Language Arts
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Geography
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History
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Mathematics
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Mathematics and Science Dual
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Mathematics Specialized
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Physics
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Political Science
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Psychology
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Science Specialized
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Social Studies
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Sociology
Professional Sequence
Admitted students complete a four-semester sequence of professional courses. Effective fall, 2018, admitted students will begin the four-semester professional sequence in the fall after admission instead of the spring semester. Professional sequence coursework listed here may be reordered slightly as part of this transition. Each semester of the sequence must be followed sequentially and taken in consecutive semesters.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | ||
| CURRIC 364 | Introduction to Education | 3 |
| CURRIC 309 | Reading and Writing Across the Content Areas | 3 |
| Semester 2 | ||
| CURRIC 311 | Language Acquisition and Use In and Out of Schools | 3 |
| CURRIC 367 | Elementary Education Practicum II | 3 |
| CURRIC 368 | The Teaching of Reading | 3 |
| CURRIC 370 | Teaching Mathematics | 3 |
| CURRIC 372 | Teaching Science | 3 |
| Semester 3 | ||
| CURRIC 369 | The Teaching of Language Arts | 3 |
| CURRIC 371 | Teaching Social Studies | 3 |
| CURRIC 373 | Elementary Teaching Practicum III | 3 |
| CURRIC/RP & SE 506 | Strategies for Inclusive Schooling | 3 |
| Semester 4 | ||
| CURRIC 463 | Seminar in Elementary Education | 2 |
| CURRIC 464 | Student Teaching in the Elementary School | 10 |
| or CURRIC 454 | Student Teaching in the Middle School | |
Elementary Education: Sample Four-Year Plan
Middle Childhood through Early Adolescence/Content Focused Minor Option
This four-year sample graduation plan is designed to guide your course selection throughout your academic career; it does not establish a contractual agreement. Use it along with your DARS report and the Course Guide to create a four-year plan reflecting your placement scores, incoming credits, and individual interests. Consult with an academic advisor to develop a personalized plan of study and refer to the Guide for a complete list of requirements. You will likely revise your plan several times during your academic career here, based on your activities and changing academic interests.
Note: Courses selected taken to meet liberal studies, Environmental Education and minor requirements may overlap and be applied to more than one requirement. Most minors require 24 credits; the plan reflects this number.
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Communication A (fall or spring semester) | 3 | Communication A (fall or spring semester) | 3 |
| Liberal Studies course work | 12-15 | Ethnic Studies | 3 |
| Fine Arts course | 3 | ||
| Course required for minor | 3 | ||
| Liberal Studies course work | 3-6 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| CURRIC 319 | 3 | CURRIC 320 | 3 |
| Environmental Education | 3-5 | ED POL/HISTORY 412 (also meets Liberal Studies U.S.or European History) | 3 |
| Course required for minor | 3 | ED PSYCH 331 | 3 |
| Liberal Studies course work | 4-6 | Fine Arts course | 3 |
| Course required for minor | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Junior | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| CURRIC 309 | 3 | CURRIC 311 | 3 |
| CURRIC 364 | 3 | CURRIC 368 | 3 |
| Ed Pol course | 3 | CURRIC 370 | 3 |
| Courses required for minor | 6 | CURRIC 372 | 3 |
| CURRIC 367 | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Senior | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| CURRIC 369 (also meets Communication B) | 3 | CURRIC 463 | 2 |
| CURRIC 371 | 3 | CURRIC 464 or 454 | 10 |
| CURRIC/RP & SE 506 | 3 | ||
| CURRIC 373 | 3 | ||
| Course required for minor | 3 | ||
| 15 | 12 | ||
| Total Credits 117 | |||