Northern California Science Project - Middle Grades

北加州中学科学项目是一项合作项目，涉及加州中部和北部的八个学区以及加州大学戴维斯分校的教职员工。该项目将涉及24名教师（每年两年），他们定期向七年级和八年级的学生教授物理科学。在第一年和第二年，该项目将重点培训参与者基于建构主义学习理论的教学方法。所有的方法都将基于选定的物理科学主题。前两年，教师将参加为期两天的春季研习班和为期三周的夏季研习班。在接下来的学年中，参与者将在八个地区的每个地区参加五个额外的为期一天的研讨会，并由项目工作人员访问每位教师的教室。在第二年和第三年，重点还将放在记录和评估教师在典型的七年级和八年级环境中使用教学模式的能力，以及它的使用对学生对选定的物理科学概念的概念理解的影响。加州大学戴维斯分校和各学区贡献的金额相当于国家科学基金会奖金的25%。

The Northern California Science Project-Middle Grades is a cooperative effort involving eight school districts in Central and Northern California and faculty and staff at the University of California, Davis. The project will involve twenty-four teachers (each year for two years) who regularly teach physical science to 7th and 8th grade students. During years one and two, the project will concentrate on training the participants in teaching methodologies based on the constructivist theory of learning. All of the methodologies will be based on selected topics in physical science. The first two years will see the teachers involved in a two-day spring workshop and a three-week summer institute. During the academic year following, the participants will be involved in five additional day long workshops at each of eight districts sites, and visits by the program staff to each teachers' classroom. During the second and third years, emphasis will also be placed on documenting and assessing teachers' ability to use the teaching model in typical 7th and 8th grade settings and the effect of its use on the students conceptual understanding of selected physical science concepts. The University of California, Davis and the school districts have contributed an amount equal to 25% of the NSF award.