Urban Habitats - Inquiry-based life science explorations for K-5 students

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The objective of the proposed project, titled Urban Habitats-Inquiry-based life science explorations for K-5 students, is to design, develop and evaluate unique, engaging multimedia educational software. With this Web-based interactive software, students in grades K-5 will learn about environmental and life sciences through exploration and discovery of urban habitats. The goal is to develop content units that delve into the characteristics of vertebrates commonly encountered in various urban habitats, to study their natural histories, their environments, and ecosystems they are part of. Interaction with the Urban Habitats will reflect how science is done, emphasizing inquiry and discovery as a way of achieving knowledge and understanding. Knowledge of basic scientific ideas and processes consistent with the National Science Education Standards and the mission of the NIH will be addressed within this framework. The mission of the NIH is to be a steward of science in pursuit of fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of this knowledge to protect public health. It follows that members of the general population should have a solid grounding in basic scientific principles so that they may apply this knowledge to promote and maintain a healthy life and reduce the burdens of illness and disability on themselves and the society at large. In Phase I, the goal will be to show the feasibility of Urban Habitats to significantly improve science literacy in K-5 students. The Phase I module will be tested with approximately 100 students. The aim of the research will be to investigate whether student outcomes include enhanced science processing skills, increased life science content knowledge, and a deeper understanding of the nature of science. The goal of the project's second phase will be to develop and test a fully functional prototype. The potential commercial applications of this software will support a wide distribution in public, private, and home schools. This software-based interactive curriculum titled Urban Habitats-Inquiry-based life science explorations for K-5 students is relevant to the NIH's mission as it will foster science education, science literacy, and an understanding of how science is conducted. It is essential that members of the general population have a solid grounding in basic scientific principles so that they may apply this knowledge to promote and maintain a healthy life.