The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR) Programs, in partnership with the Potomac Communications Group (PCG), proposes to develop The Science Inside Alcohol, a three-year alcohol education project that will consist of standardsbased science materials that support classroom learning and a targeted outreach campaign. The project will include a science-based, interactive module for school use that will focus on the effects of alcohol on the human body, and a plain language booklet for adults that will discuss the latest research findings on adolescent drinking. The materials will be designed for use in both science and health classrooms, as well as community-based programs. For the school components, detailed teachers' guides will be developed to assist teachers in integrating the content into biology, chemistry, or health curricula. The materials will include evaluation components to assess student learning, teacher usability and ease of implementation, as well as measured changes with respect to related state and/or national standards. Materials designed for direct use by students will be field tested with the target audience as part of the project. The educational component will target learning goals for grades 6-8 involving such concepts as organs and organ systems, specifically the nervous, circulatory, and digestive systems. An inquiry-based approach will be used in which students will engage in activities such as using a systems approach to model blood alcohol levels. Interactive content will be developed for online use, as well as lab-based activities that can be used in settings without Internet access. AAAS will partner with PCG, a Washington, DC communications firm specializing in communications planning and implementation for government agencies and non-profits. PCG will work with AAAS to craft a marketing and communications plan that will target junior high school and middle school libraries and public libraries that have provide health education programming for teens. ? ? The specific aims of The Science Inside Alcohol are: To develop an interactive educational module for middle-school students that teaches alcohol education topics pertinent to the goals of Healthy People 2010 and consistent with Project 2061 learning goals and strategies. To develop a plain language booklet that conveys new knowledge acquired from alcohol research to informal and formal educators: science teachers, parents, librarians and other adult stakeholders. To disseminate materials to teachers, librarians and other educators across the country through the implementation of a coordinated communications and outreach plan. ? ? ?
