4.2 THE CURRICULUM

First, what is the curriculum? The curriculum is more than a textbook, a series of textbooks, or a curriculum guide. The curriculum includes the goals, objectives, conceptual themes, day-to-day learning activities, ancillary materials (films, videos, computer programs) and evaluation. You might think of the curriculum from three vantage points, the experience of the student, of the teacher, and an observer. It is quite possible for the curriculum to be perceived one way by the teacher, experienced quite differently by the student, and reported in a third manner by an observer. Curriculum takes place in an environment, and no matter what the environment is, it will influence the curriculum in a variety of ways. For sake of communication we will use the following definition of curriculum:

"The curriculum is the plans made for guiding learning in schools, usually described in documents (textbooks, curriculum guides, course syllabi, lesson plans) of several levels of generality, and the execution of those plans in the classroom, as experienced by learners; those experiences take place in a learning environment (classroom, laboratory, outdoors) which also influences what is learned."

As you read about and discuss the science curriculum realize that the science curriculum can only be fully appreciated in the context of real schools, teachers and students.

In the study of the science curriculum, the impact of the teacher can not be overlooked. Even with descriptions of course outlines for year-long courses, or school system curriculum guides for K-12 programs, curriculum is in actuality a dynamic concept involving interaction patterns among teachers, students and learning experiences. Thus, I have included in these sections descriptions of a few exemplary science curriculums described by practicing science teachers. As you explore these sections, and as you visit schools and observe the science curriculum in action, ask your self: How does the teacher influence the curriculum? How will you influence the curriculum? How do the students influence the curriculum? How does your philosophy of education influence the curriculum? What kind of science curriculum will you create in your classroom? Explore the National Middle Schools Association web site, and take a look a the "research" link that will help you resolve some of these questions.