Grades 7-10 Science

It is important to build on the foundation that our K-6 science program provides for all Pasadena students: a level playing field for the development of critical thinking skills and knowledge of science as well as other subjects. Now, and in the coming years, our goal is to extend the inquiry-based science curriculum to the four critical years of grades 7-10, building into it applications of mathematics and technology. The inclusion of closely coordinated mathematics is an essential feature, to provide the real-world connections that will help all students progress through algebra and geometry by tenth grade. The use of computers and other technology as an integral part of student investigations will support both science and mathematics learning and also will give students powerful computer expertise for future learning and for careers.

The new curriculum will be taught in a lab/classroom with students working in groups of four with one computer per group, using a server and networks within and outside the lab. The great majority of the teaching and learning will be based on student investigations and discussion, facilitated by the teacher. This is a major change, from lecture-based instruction to student-centered instruction, which research shows is far more effective, especially for students with a broad range of cultural backgrounds and learning styles. The computer will be used for data acquisition, analysis, and reporting, just as in professional science, as well as to obtain information from CD-ROMs and the Web.

A survey of commercially available materials for high school and middle school science has not led to the discovery of published materials appropriate to either the depth or breadth to our needs. We want a great deal for our students, and they come from sixth grade with strong capabilities. We also need quality inquiry-based curriculum in order to give our teachers the foundation for professional development that the carefully crafted K-6 kits have provided. We can build on ideas from many sources, but we reluctantly have come to realize that we must create the final curriculum materials ourselves. We believe the curriculum should be modular for broad subject matter coverage of all the sciences and for flexibility, with instructional units providing 1/4 of a year's work on single topics, in depth. For the four years, 16 units will be needed. This curriculum will be based on the National Science Education Standards for the subject matter and the processes of science.

We are using the development process that has proven to be so successful in the preservice and inservice projects. Each 7-10 unit will be created by a team of four, two teachers and two scientists, meeting weekly for about two years, to design and create the unit, then trial-teach it, and finally to document it. This process began in January 1998 for the first four units, one per grade level. These are now past the pilot phase in the classrooms of the developers and being used by other pioneer teachers. Four more units are now being piloted, and four more are under development.

Support for this work has come from private foundations and government, and the needed funds are now committed for development. However, support for refinement, editing, and national dissemination is still needed. There is intense interest in this curriculum from districts across the country with inquiry K-6 programs and a need for better secondary school science.

For more information, please visit www.capsi7-10.org