Elementary Curriculum/Courses

Elementary Program Curriculum

• Montessori Elementary I credential (ages 6-9) (24 credits)
• Montessori Elementary I-II credential (ages 6-12) (31 credits)
• Master of Arts in Education (MAED) with Montessori Elementary I-II credential (37 credits)
• Master of Arts in Education with Montessori Elementary I-II credential and Initial Licensure - Elementary Education (K-6) with Preprimary Specialty (age 3-grade 3) (64 credits)
• Master of Arts in Education with Montessori Elementary I-II credential and Initial Licensure - Elementary Education (K-6) with Middle School Specialty (grades 5-8) (52 credits plus completion of middle level specialty – see below.)

For initial licensing (state of Minnesota) students must pass the Pre-Professional Skills Test and the content and pedagogy tests before they begin teaching.

Core Courses
The following courses must be taken for all five Elementary Education options. The additional courses required for the other four Elementary Education options are listed after the core courses.

• EDUC 6140 Foundations and Theories of Montessori Education (3 credits)
• EDUC 5190 Methods and Materials in Elementary Social Studies and Practical Life (2 credits)
• EDUC 5290 Methods and Materials in Elementary Music and Movement (1 credit)
• EDUC 5420 Methods and Materials in Elementary Art (1 credit)
• EDUC 5440 Methods and Materials in Elementary Mathematics I (2 credits)
• EDUC 5470 Methods and Materials in Elementary Biology I (1 credit)
• EDUC 5540 Methods and Materials in Elementary Language Arts and Reading I (2 credits)
• EDUC 5840 Elementary Seminars and Projects I (2 credits)
• EDUC 5860 Elementary Seminars and Projects II (2 credits)
• EDUC 5880 Elementary Seminars and Projects III (2 credits)

Just for Elementary I (ages 6-9) Montessori credential:

• EDUC 5810 Elementary I Student Teaching Practicum I (2 credits)
• EDUC 5820 Elementary I Student Teaching Practicum II (2 credits)
• EDUC 5830 Elementary I Student Teaching Practicum III (2 credits)

Additional Courses

Add to Core Classes for Elementary I -II (ages 6-12) Montessori credential:

• EDUC 6190 Methods and Materials in Elementary Social Studies II (2 credits)
• EDUC 6440 Methods and Materials in Elementary Mathematics II (2 credits)
• EDUC 6470 Methods and Materials in Elementary Biology and Science II (1 credit)
• EDUC 6540 Methods and Materials in Elementary Language Arts and Reading II (2 credits)
• EDUC 6570 Elementary Student Teaching Practicum and Seminars I (2 credits)
• EDUC 6580 Elementary Student Teaching Practicum and Seminars II (2 credits)
• EDUC 6590 Elementary Student Teaching Practicum and Seminars III (2 credits)

Additional courses required for MAED with Montessori Elementary I-II credential:

• EDUC 6650 Introduction to Action Research (2 credits)
• EDUC 6700 lntegration Seminar (2 credits)
• EDUC 8900 Action Research Project (2 credits)

Additional courses required for MAED with Montessori Elementary credential: and Initial Licensure - Elementary Education with Preprimary Specialty

• FCNS 3350 Child in the Family (4 credits)
• INDI 5400 Literature for Children (2 credits)
• EDUC 5070 Teachers as Leaders for a Changing Society (4 credits)
• EDUC 5100 Early Childhood Practical Life (1 credit)
• EDUC 5150 Early Childhood Sensorial Education (1 credit)
• EDUC 5220 Early Childhood Music and Movement (1 credit)
• EDUC 5260 Early Childhood Art (1 credit)
• EDUC 5270 Early Childhood Science (1 credit)
• EDUC 5360 Early Childhood Mathematics (2 credits)
• EDUC 5370 Early Childhood Language Arts and Reading (2 credits)
• EDUC 5380 Early Childhood Social Studies (1 credit)
• EDUC 5490 School Health and Chemical Health (1 credit)
• EDUC 5620 Early Childhood Student Teaching Practicum I (2 credits)
• EDUC 6650 Introduction to Action Research (2 credits)
• EDUC 6700 lntegration Seminar (2 credits)
• EDUC 7650 Current Issues in Education (2 credits)

Plus the following required prerequisite undergraduate courses for both Preprimary or Middle School Specialty:

• PSYC 1000 General Psychology (4 credits)
• PSYC 2020 Lifespan Developmental Psychology (4 credits)

NOTES for either elementary licensing option:

• PRAXIS I test must be taken before EDUC 657 Elementary Student Teaching Practicum and Seminars I.
• PRAXIS II must be taken during the practicum.
• The 20 hours field experience in EDUC 507 must be at the lower elementary level.

Additional courses (instead of pre-primary specialty ones) required for MAED with Montessori Elementary credential: and Initial Licensure - Elementary Education with Middle School Specialty

• EDUC 5070 Teachers as Leaders for a Changing Society (4 credits)
• INDI 5400 Literature for Children (2 credits)
• EDUC 7550 Literacy in the Content Areas (2 credits)
• EDUC 5490 School Health and Chemical Health (1 credit)
• EDUC 7740 Special Methods in Middle-Level Education (2 credits) (the section that corresponds with your area of specialty)
• EDUC 7540 Relationship Techniques (4 credits)

Middle School Speciality classes must also include 24 - 28 credits in one of the following specialty areas: (Students should contact their academic advisor for a complete list of courses associated with each specialty area.)

• Communication Arts/Literature (26 credits)
• Mathematics (24 credits)
• Science (24 credits)
• Social Studies (24 credits)
• World Languages and Culture: French (32 credits)
• World Languages and Culture: Spanish (28 credits)
  

Requirements for Middle-Level Specialties
(W is for a writing intensive class.
Some of these classes are offered in Weekend College)

Communication Arts/Literature

• ENGL 1000 Human Experience in Literature (or other 200-level literature course that fulfills core literature requirements) (4 credits)
• ENGL XXXX One additional English literature course approved by the English Department chair
• ENGL 2000W Writing for Life: Developing Skill and Confidence (4 credits)
• or ENGL 3060W Intermediate Writing: Strengthening Critical and Persuasive Voice (4 credits)
• or ENGL 4000W - Advanced Writing: Cultivating Your Style (4 credits)
• ENGL 2050 Rhetorical Grammar (4 credits)
• SPCM 2020 Communication Dymanics in Personal Relationships (4 credits)
• SPCM 2050 Media, Culture and Society(4 credits)
• ENGL 3450 or 7450 Literature for Young Adults (2 credits)
  

Mathematics

• MATH 1050 Math Ideas in Contemporary Society (4 credits)
• or MATH 1800 Discrete Mathematics (4 credits)
• MATH 1080 Statistical Analysis (4 credits)
• MATH 1120 Functions with Calculus(4 credits)
• or MATH 1130 Calculus I (4 credits)
• MATH 2500 Mathematical Structures (4 credits)
• MATH 2510 Mathematics for Middle-Level Teachers (4 credits)
• CSCI 1060 Introduction to Computers (4 credits)
• or CSCI 1110- Algorithms and Computer Programming I (4 credits)
  

Science

• CHEM 1110 General Chemistry I (4 credits)
• CHEM 1120 General Chemistry II (4 credits)
• BIOL 1210 General Biology I (4 credits)
• BIOL 1220 General Biology II (4 credits)
• PHSY 1040 Astronomy (4 credits)
• GEO XXXX Introduction to Geology (must be taken at another institution) (4 credits)
  

Social Studies

• ECON 2610 Principles of Microeconomics (4 credits)
• or ECON 2620 Principles of Macroeconomics (4 credits)
• GEOG 2000 Human Geography (4 credits)
• HIST 1200 Survey of U.S. Political and Social History,1600-1900 (4 credits)
• or HIST 1300W - Introduction to U.S. Historiography
• HIST 1060 - Modern Europe (or any other History course other than American)(4 credits)
• POSC 2010 American Government and Politics (4 credits)
• SOCI 1000 Principles and Concepts in Sociology (4 credits)
  

World Languages: French

• FREN 1110 Elementary French I (4 credits)
• FREN 1120 Elementary French II (4 credits)
• FREN 2110 Intermediate French I (4 credits)
• FREN 2200 Introduction to French Culture and Francophone Culture (4 credits)
• FREN 3050W French Composition I (4 credits)
• or FREN 3060W - French Composition II (4 credits)
• FREN 3130 Survey of French Literature I (4 credits)
• FREN 3250 French Civilization: Contemporary French Life and Thought (4 credits)
• TEGR 5800-01 Curriculum and Methods for World Languages and Cultures (K-12); (Taken at the University of St. Thomas) (4 credits)
  

World Languages: Spanish

• SPAN 2120 Intermediate Spanish II (4 credits)
• SPAN 2250 Topics: Visions of the Hispanic World (4 credits)
• SPAN 3250 Advanced Spanish (4 credits)
• SPAN XXXX Three advanced Spanish courses chosen in consultation with the Spanish department chair.
  (12 credits)
• TEGR 5800-01 Curriculum and Methods for World Languages and Cultures (K-12) (Taken at the University of St. Thomas)(4 credits)