Curriculum

Materials for Students

Each grade has core units in Physical, Life, and Earth-Space Science. Each of the core units comprises three chapters that expose the students to fundamental concepts in each of the disciplines. The fourth chapter in each core unit allows students to apply what they have learned thus far in a compelling, integrated context. This approach of providing students with a foundation of knowledge with which to build an in-depth understanding across time as well as providing the students with a compelling context within which to learn is supported by recent research in learning (Bransford, J., Brown, A. & Cocking, R., 2000; Pellegrino, J, Chudowsky, N. & Glaser, R. 2001).

Materials for Teachers
In addition to the student materials, there is a teacher's guide for each module, a teacher's resource CD for each year, and a two-volume implementation guide. The teacher's guide provides content background for teachers, explicit opportunities for embedded assessment, and inquiry-based strategies for teaching the activities in the classroom. The teacher's resource CD includes additional background on inquiry and other key pedagogical features of the program, additional tools and resources for teaching the program, and a comprehensive assessment package. Volume 1 of the implementation guide, Making Sense of Integrated Science, is complete and a pdf of the book can be viewed by clicking here. Volume 2 is under development.