The Third International Mathematics and Science Study(TIMSS)has exposed serious weaknesses in the ways U.S. students are learning math and sciece. Although our students have been improving in math and science, they have also been slipping behind, relative to other countries. The TIMSS results have generated calls within the U.S. educational community for increased rigor in both science and mathematics, and for a stronger foundation to math and science in middle grades. This is an an appropriate response, perhaps, but it carries with it the danger that rigor will be misconstrued as "more" or "earlier," but not "deeper" understanding. We have the an opportunity to take advantage of the current call for change math and science learning to develop deeper, cross-disciplinary ways to acquire and organize scientific understanding. We can do this by employing the full power of modern information technologies.
