As we move toward the twenty-first century, our need for literacy in science, mathematics, and technology has become paramount.
In order to meet this need educators will require a wide variety of materials to create curricula for science literacy.
To help them identify and thoughtfully analyse resources as they plan K-12 curricula around the learning goals set forth in Science for All Americans and Benchmarks for Science Literacy , Project 2061 is creating Resources for Science Literacy, a new computer-based curriculum design tool containing professional development aids for teachers who want to enhance their understanding of science literacy and their ability to make sound decisions about curriculum materials.
It will also provide information about a variety of instructional materials that promote science literacy.
Now available on CD-ROM with a companion print volumes, Resources for Science Literacy will be issued in two volumes: Professional Development and Curriculum Materials. Both volumes of Resources for Science Literacy will be expanded and revised based on user feedback and eventually merged into a single CD-ROM that will be supported by annual updates available via disk or internet.
The Professional Development volume is an outstanding curriculum-design tool that provides descriptions of resources, including science tradebooks, articles, and university syllabi that teachers can use to improve their understanding of science, mathematics, and technology, as well as the interconnections between each discipline.
Emphasis will be on those topics from Science for All Americans and Benchmarks for Science Literacy with which teachers are least likely to be familiar, such as technology and the history and nature of science.
Each resource entry will present a description of content, bibliographic and ordering information, links to specific science literacy goals in Science for All Americans, reviews (when available) from the AAAS's Science Books and Films and other sources, along with commentary that will help educators select resources that are appropriate to their needs and interests.
The full text of Science for All Americans also will be included. And, focusing on learning psychology, Professional Development offers an introductory synopsis of cognitive research literature related to how students of different ages learn particular science and mathematics topics important to science literacy.
This section will include Chapter 15 of Benchmarks, The Research Base, and its accompanying bibliography of more than 300 references to cognitive research literature.
Coming on the heels of Professional Development, the second volume, Curriculum Materials, is the perfect compliment in an effort to establish essential science literacy goals.
A database with information on curriculum resources that support Project 2061 learning goals, this resource will include descriptions of books, films, computerized resources, museum exhibits, and other exceptional materials and activities recommended for their overall quality and similarity to the learning objectives in Benchmarks for Science Literacy. For all higher education institutions involved in planning pre-service and in- service education, school districts designing staff development programs, and individual teachers planning their own professional growth, Resources for Science Literacy: Professional Development and Curriculum Development will be an invaluable asset.
