The Children's Museum proposes a three-year project to develop a set of curriculum materials in physical science to increase the effectiveness of science education in middle schools, grades 6 to 8. This project will be undertaken in collaboration with the Massachusetts Pre- Engineering Program (MassPEP) and Boston Public Schools. The Children's Museum, with classroom teachers, will develop curriculum topics using an integrated approach in which curriculum, teacher training, and use of outside resources will complement and reinforce each other. Cuisenaire Company will publish and distribute a core group of 6 to 8 topic investigations. These investigations can be used as extensions to encourage students to comprehend and appreciate topics of their regular science curriculum or they can be used for a more in depth explanation of a phenomenon. Each of the topics is an alternative way of teaching basic concepts that are part of existing science curricula for middle school. There will be several products of the proposed program, and an overall model. The products will include teacher guides and kits for each curriculum topic distributed by Cuisenaire; documents that describe the process of community-based organization and the local school system can utilize the curriculum topics to effect changes in attitudes of middle school minority and female students toward science as a course of study and career possibility. This model of collaboration between a science center, community - based organization, and a school system will be replicable in cities throughout the country.
