Developing Inquiry-Based Science Materials : A Guide for Educators

This practical research-based resource for science educators and curriculum planners provides a comprehensive guide to designing investigation-based learning activities for both primary and secondary school students. Based on the renowned work of the NSF-funded SEPUP (Science Education for Public Understanding Program), the authors offer invaluable information on how to move from the conception of materials to actual classroom use, stressing the collaborative nature of the process and demonstrating how to improve student performance. Also included are ways to assess student performance, information on developing funding for curriculum projects, and many examples of successful instructional design and classroom work.

Herbert D. Thier is currently Director of the NSF-funded Science Education for Public Understanding Program (SEPUP) and serves as principal investigator and/or project director of several other instructional development and teacher education programs at the Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley. Bennett Daviss is a writer and the co-author of Redesigning Education (1994).