Instructional Program and Materials Nature of Program. Each module emphasizes the physical, life, or earth sciences. The instructional materials in the kits enable students to explore certain topics in depth, but do not totally displace the textbooks already in the system.
Teachers use the textbooks to cover additional topics mandated by the state curriculum frameworks.
Once trained in the kits, teachers are also introduced to instructional methods for converting textbook material to inquiry lessons. The modules were selected by a committee of scientists, science educators, teachers, and a principal. Because of time pressures, not all modules for each science area and grade level were subjected to systematic trial teaching. Instead, recommendations were sought from other school districts undertaking systemic reform of their science education programs. Some modules were borrowed from the publishers and trial-taught.