The Red Mountain Museum of Birmingham Alabama will offer an academic- year, in-service, instructional program for teachers of 9th grade physical science. The Museum will be the site of this project and will simulate the classroom and the type of laboratory facilities found in the schools. The program is intended to reduce the anxiety of the teacher, raise self-confidence, and improve laboratory skills, subject matter competence, and mathematical skills. The Education Department of Red Mountain Museum, all certified teachers, have designed this project based on a teacher survey so that participants will meet once a week for two-and one-half hours during the academic year. The time will be split between lecture and hands-on activities that will directly prepare the teachers for the activities prescribed by the new syllabus for physical science. An excellent evaluation component of the project provides for the observation of each participating teacher at least four times during the school year. Evaluative instruments will assess the laboratory work of the teachers and of their students as well as their attitudes toward science.
