9453926 Kirwan Operation Primary Physical Science (OPPS) will enhance primary grade teachers' understanding of the basic physical science concepts which are first introduced in the primary grades. Using the NSF-funded Operation Physics (OP) model a four week-long series of constructivist-oriented workshops will be developed and validated for primary grade teachers. OPPS themes and topics for these workshops will be determined through review of: state science curriculum frameworks, recommendations from Project 2061 and examination of several commercial elementary science curricula. Each of the 20 individual workshops will require a full 8-hour day to cover adequately, with each series constituting the equivalent of one full week of instruction. Although each workshops and each workshop series will be able to stand alone, a spiral approach will underpin the structure of the program as major physical science concepts are periodically revisited in varying contexts and depths. OPPS workshops will use only everyday inexpensive materials in activities reviewed for safety. Workshop activities will be adapted from extant materials. OPPS workshops will be developed and field tested by a group of 13-science educators. They will also develop a Workshop Leaders Guide as was done in OP. Each of these individuals will be responsible for arranging to conduct 10-field test workshops during the development period. Using these teacher enhancement materials thirty-six, geographically distributed, 3-member leadership teams, each associated with a host college/university, will be selected and trained in the use of these materials and in workshop delivery. Teams will attend a 16-day program in each of two consecutive summers at the University of Maryland's Science Education Center. Two training programs will be held each summer, with 18 teams in each session. Following the first year's training teams will be expected to initiate local OPPS programs providing at least 20 grade K-5 teachers with 40-hours of OPPS workshops. During the second and third year teams will provide 20 grade K-5 teachers with a minimum of 120 hours of OPPS workshops. Graduate or continuing education credit is expected to be available to participants in these team-led workshops.
