This project will support the development of a new high school biology curriculum tentatively titled "Investigating Life". The curriculum is based on the National Science Education Standards and emphasizes an active, constructivist learning program that integrates interactive, Web-based instructional media. NSF funding will support the formative and summative evaluation of the curriculum, and will measure how well it helps students meet the Standards, impact student attitudes toward science and engage students in critical inquiry and dialog on scientific issues. The new curriculum will utilize the interactivity of the World Wide Web, the storytelling abilities of a short textbook, and an inquiry-based program of "wet" labs and fieldwork. The textbook will present the enduring concepts of biology in a narrative that identifies themes coursing through the broad diversity of biological topics and relates these themes to students' lives. The program will include curriculum support for teachers and parents. The evaluation program will focus on the effectiveness of integrating Web-based instruction into the biology curriculum, both in terms of helping students learn and helping teachers teach.
