Several of the school districts had begun the process
of redesigning their curricula well before district
representatives attended an NSRC National Elementary
Science Leadership Institute. However, the NSRC
Institutes served to stimulate the teams' interests in
curriculum reform and greatly accelerated the pace of
change in all four districts. The districts began to
implement their respective plans to move toward kit-based
modules drawn from the three series developed in
NSF-funded programs, the Science and
Technology for Children series developed by the National Science Resources
Center , the Full
Option Science System series developed by the Lawrence
Hall of Science , and the Insights series
developed by the Education
Development Center.
Each of the four districts developed its own plan
involving different ultimate goals, different phasing-in
strategies, and, of course, different modules. Because of
these differences, professional development programs were
tailored to the specific needs of the individual school
districts.
In support of this move to kit-based modules, the
Merck Institute established a Resource Center at the
company's Rahway, New Jersey facility. Merck Institute
staff helped develop criteria for review of materials and
assisted school personnel in evaluating and piloting new
curriculum unites. The staff continues to advise and
guide teachers, working with them to find what best meets
their classroom needs. The Resource Center holds hundreds
of curriculum modules, books, periodicals, and videos,
which teachers and science supervisors can borrow.
Portable planetariums are also available for classroom
use. Also, Merck employee volunteers make frequent use of
The Resource Center as they prepare for classroom visits
or science fair activities.
