9453959 Bower To enable elementary school teachers to teach and assess hands-on, inquiry-based science instruction effectively, this project will create and pilot-test 4 Modules designed to improve and broaden teacher science content knowledge. The proposed modules, to be developed and piloted by teams of teachers from Pasadena, California and scientists from Caltech, will be field tested by school system partnerships in Buffalo, New York, Cleveland, Ohio, Highline, Washington, and Huntsville, Alabama. The modules will have several distinct characteristics. First, each will be based on a science content common to most kit-based curricula. Second, each module will be developed by a collaboration of experienced teachers and scientists. Third, the modules will be designed to be used by teacher-scientist teams leading groups of other teachers in an inquiry-based learning community like that of an exemplary classroom. Materials will initially be published with desktop publishing and then disseminated via existing national networks of school systems engaged in supporting inquiry science instruction at the elementary school level. The cost sharing will be 10% of the NSF funds. ***
