Dr. James Bower is a biologist on the faculty of the California Institute of Technology, and an active proponent of inquiry-based hands-on science education. Dr. Bower has designed a project that will an NSF-supported elementary teacher enhancement effort in the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) to the middle school level. Project SEED (Science for Early Educational Development) is being supported by a four-year award from the Teacher Enhancement Program to establish a hands on inquiry-based instructional program in all of the 22 elementary schools in PUSD. The students entering middle school are encountering a traditional textbook/lecture format in science class, and parents have begun to demand expansion of the outstanding elementary school instruction to the upper grades (3,500 students in 5 middle schools). This project will train teachers in the use of hands on science kits, establish a materials support system for refurbishment of kits, engage scientists from the community in teacher workshops and in classroom activities, and encourage integration of science with other curricular subjects through additional summer workshops. This project will create a comprehensive and integrated K-8 science curriculum for the public schools in Pasadena, and will prepare all middle school teachers responsible for science instruction to deliver exemplary learning experiences. The collaboration between Cal Tech and the Pasadena Unified School District has been a productive partnership, and the expansion of the project from elementary to middle schools is a model for other districts to follow. Cost sharing by the University and school district represents 104% of the NSF contribution.
