
When Benchmarks for Science Literacy was first published, Bruce Alberts, president of the National Academy of Sciences praised it as "Another milestone in the long standing effort of Project 2061 to improve the teaching and learning of science for all Americans." Science for All Americans defined the scientifically literate American, offering a series of recommendations for reforming our system of education in science, mathematics, and technology. Benchmarks for Science Literacy helped make the goals set forth in Science for All Americans a reality. Now, the monumental achievement of Benchmarks for Science Literacy is available in a computer disk format for use on Macintosh and IBM-compatible personal computers. This superb science learning tool enables users to browse, assemble, and print benchmarks in various formats. Users can also review conceptual "strands"--a new tool on the electronic version--which provides sequences of benchmarks that students should progress through on the way toward a specific science-literacy goal. In addition, teachers can brainstorm about how to coordinate seemingly unrelated benchmarks by using "benchmark roulette," a function which creates a random sample of six benchmarks, at two grade levels, which can be used as a basis for discussion. Created in close consultation with a cross-section of American teachers, administrators, and scientists, Benchmarks elaborates on the recommendations provided by Science for All Americans to provide guidelines for what all students should know and be able to do in science, mathematics, and technology by the end of grades 2, 5, 8, and 12. Benchmarks is not a proposed curriculum, nor is it a plan for one: it is a tool educators can use as they design curricula that fit their students' needs and meet the goals recommended in Science for All Americans. Benchmarks on disk greatly enhances the capablities of its companion book, offering teachers a "molding" quality that will allow them to tailor Benc
Page Count:
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Publication Date:
1995-10-19
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