Enhancing Science Education for Preschool Educators

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This project of the Lawrence Hall of Science (LHS), University of California at Berkeley, will develop and disseminate a mathematics and science methods course, a teacher's science curriculum guide, and a motivational video designed for preschool educators. The project is in response to the need for improving the science and mathematics knowledge and teaching skills of preschool teachers. To accomplish this goal the project will develop and test a 70 hour course for early childhood educators. The inservice course will provide teachers with an introduction to science and mathematical concepts through the ecological sciences, participation in activity-based lessons, experience in adapting and teaching science content and process to preschoolers, observation of preschool programs, and development of a plan-of-action for the implementation of their own preschool science program. A revised science curriculum resulting from the course will be produced as a Teacher's Science Curriculum Guide available at the end of Year Two. During the third year, the project's materials will be disseminated through conference training sessions for an additional 400 preschool educators, and during year four the evaluation of the training materials will be completed. The cost sharing for the project will be thirty-eight percent of the NSF award.