WGU C979: Science Methods"”Secondary Physics

Western Governors University's C979, Science Methods—Secondary Physics, is a teaching-methods course for future and current physics educators. Instead of testing your physics knowledge with a proctored multiple-choice exam, it asks you to prove you can teach physics well: you design standards-based lessons, plan how students will investigate real phenomena, and show that you can weave technology and assessment into instruction that actually helps teenagers learn. It sits inside WGU's science-education degree and endorsement pathways in the School of Education, and it is a compact, three-competency-unit course focused on how you teach rather than on advanced physics problem-solving.

Direct answer: You pass C979 by treating it as a performance assessment, not a quiz. Read the task instructions and rubric line by line first, then build lesson plans that genuinely reflect the three dimensions of science (practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas) with clear objectives, aligned assessments, and thoughtful technology use. Submit early, respond precisely to any evaluator feedback, and revise until every rubric aspect is fully met.

If you are anxious about this course, take a breath: the challenge here is careful, detailed writing and planning, not solving hard physics problems under a timer. The students who struggle usually rush the paperwork or skim the rubric; the students who pass smoothly slow down, follow the template, and make their reasoning obvious to the person grading. This guide walks you through what the assessment covers, how hard it really is, how to prepare efficiently, and the specific traps to avoid.

What the C979 performance assessment asks you to do

Because this is a methods course, the work centers on lesson design and instructional planning rather than recalling facts. Based on WGU's public course description, expect to demonstrate skills in these areas:

• Three-dimensional lesson design — building physics instruction around science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas rather than isolated facts.
• Standards alignment — connecting your objectives and activities to recognized science standards (commonly NGSS or your state's equivalent) so learning goals, instruction, and assessment all point the same direction.
• Phenomenon- and inquiry-based teaching — anchoring lessons in observable physics phenomena and student investigation instead of lecture-only delivery.
• Technology integration — purposefully using simulations, data-collection tools, or modeling software (for example, virtual labs) to deepen understanding, with a clear rationale for each choice.
• Assessment planning — designing formative and summative checks that measure whether students met the stated objectives.
• Instructional reflection — evaluating and justifying your teaching decisions, which is often where rubric points are won or lost.
• Laboratory safety — the course also includes laboratory safety training and certification, covering safe practices and procedures for the science classroom and the proper use of personal protective equipment.

The course is also structured to contribute supervised clinical or field hours toward your program's methods sequence, so keep any documentation of that experience organized as you go.

How hard is C979, and how long does it take?

Difficulty here is less about physics and more about precision. Many students report that the physics content itself feels comfortable, while the demanding part is meeting a strict rubric and writing detailed, well-justified plans. If you enjoy planning lessons and can follow a template closely, you will likely find it manageable; if you tend to write loosely or resist revision, expect it to take longer.

Pacing varies widely because WGU is competency-based and lets you move at your own speed. At three competency units, C979 is a relatively contained course — but remember that competency units measure scope, not the effort a rubric-strict performance task can demand. Some students who already teach or who write efficiently move through in a few focused weeks; others spread it across a term. Rather than chasing a fixed timeline, plan around your submission-and-feedback cycle: build in time for at least one round of evaluator comments and revisions, since a resubmission is common and completely normal on performance tasks. For related planning-heavy education courses, the same discipline applies — see our guides to D184 Standards-Based Assessment and D293 Assessment and Learning Analytics.

A study and preparation plan that fits a performance task

Because C979 is submitted work, "studying" mostly means preparing to write and plan accurately. Use these course-specific tactics:

• Reverse-engineer the rubric. Before writing anything, copy each rubric aspect into a checklist and treat it as a list of questions your submission must answer. Active recall works here too: after reading the task, close it and try to restate every required section from memory, then check what you missed.
• Study strong, standards-aligned physics lessons. Read published NGSS-aligned physics units to internalize what "three-dimensional" looks like in practice. Reproduce the structure in your own words for a topic you plan to teach — spaced over a few sessions rather than one marathon — so the framework becomes automatic.
• Draft with a template. Build a reusable lesson-plan skeleton (objective, standard, phenomenon, practices, assessment, technology rationale, reflection) and fill it in. This keeps you from accidentally omitting a graded element.
• Practice the "so what" reflection. For each instructional decision, write one sentence explaining why it helps students learn. Evaluators reward explicit reasoning; unstated intentions read as gaps.
• Use the WGU course of study and coaches. Work through the provided learning resources and reach out to your course instructor or program mentor with specific questions early rather than after a return.

Common mistakes students make in C979

• Writing a good lesson that ignores the rubric. A creative, engaging lesson still fails if it skips a required aspect. Match the rubric, not just your instincts.
• Naming a standard without using it. Listing an NGSS code but designing a lecture-and-worksheet lesson signals surface-level alignment. Show the three dimensions actually driving the activity.
• Bolting on technology. Adding a simulation "because it's required" without explaining its instructional purpose usually costs points. Justify how each tool advances a specific objective.
• Vague objectives and mismatched assessment. If your objective isn't measurable, your assessment can't prove students met it. Keep objective, instruction, and assessment tightly linked.
• Thin reflection. Under-explaining your reasoning is one of the most common reasons for a return. Be explicit about the "why" behind choices.
• Submitting late in the term with no buffer. Leaving no room for a revision cycle turns a normal resubmission into a stressful scramble.

C979 Readiness Checklist

Before you submit, confirm that you can honestly answer yes to each of these:

• Can you restate every rubric aspect in your own words and point to where your submission addresses it?
• Can you explain how your lesson integrates all three dimensions of science, not just content?
• Can you name the specific standard each objective aligns to and show it shaping the activity?
• Can you anchor your lesson in an observable physics phenomenon or inquiry task?
• Can you justify each piece of technology by the learning it enables?
• Can you show that your assessment measures the exact objective you wrote?
• Can you explain, in writing, why each major instructional decision supports student learning?
• Have you completed the required laboratory safety training and can you apply safe classroom practices?
• Can you confirm your submission follows the required template and is free of missing sections?
• Have you left enough time to act on evaluator feedback and resubmit if needed?

C979 FAQ

Is C979 an OA or a PA?

C979 is assessed through a performance assessment — submitted lesson-planning and instructional work evaluated against a rubric — rather than an objective, proctored multiple-choice exam. Plan for detailed writing and possible revisions instead of test-day memorization.

Do I need to be a physics expert to pass?

You need solid comfort with secondary-level physics, but the course grades your teaching design, not advanced problem-solving. Students most often report difficulty with rubric precision and thorough planning, not with the physics itself.

How long does C979 usually take?

It varies because WGU is competency-based and self-paced. C979 is a three-competency-unit course, and some students finish in a few focused weeks while others take longer; the smartest move is to build in time for at least one feedback-and-revision cycle rather than aiming for a fixed number of weeks.

What standards should my lessons use?

Most methods work centers on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and their three-dimensional model, or your state's equivalent science standards. Always follow the exact framework named in your current task instructions.

Is a resubmission a bad sign?

No. Returns are common and expected on performance tasks. Evaluators tell you precisely which aspects need work; addressing each comment directly and specifically is the normal path to passing.

What else pairs well with C979?

The other secondary science methods courses share the same design logic — see C978 Science Methods—Secondary Earth Science — and the capstone-style C904 Teacher Performance Assessment in Science builds directly on these planning skills. You can browse everything on the School of Education hub or the full guide index.

For official course and program details, check WGU directly at wgu.edu/online-teaching-degrees.