This project from Cal State L.A. is designed to educate teachers to be leaders of hands-on science instruction in their elementary schools. The two workshops will train a total of fifty teachers to become science mentor specialists in using hands-on science materials and to understand the physical science concepts appropriate for elementary schools. The workshops will provide the mentor teachers with lesson plans and well-organized kits of materials for each hands-on unit, as well as raining in the use of these materials and how to educate teachers about them. The mentors will correlate the physical science units their school curriculum and inservice teaches at each grade level. There will be two teachers from each school represented so that each teacher will inservice half of the teachers at their school. Thus the program will develop a total school program of hands on physical science. Each participating school will provide a stipend to the teacher for conducting the inservice of their colleagues, release time for such activity, and cost share the science kits which will be given to each school. Project evaluation, problem sharing, and long range planning will be accomplished at two support sessions for all mentor teachers scheduled during the school year. Additional support will also be provided by the PIs at their individual schools during the year as they attempt to improve the teaching of science in their school. The cost sharing will be 38% of the NSF portion.
