The Lawrence Hall of Science

The public science center of the University of California, Berkeley.

Elementary Science Education

Sunstones at The Lawrence

Peaks and Valleys: A landscape study of environmental literacy implementation in and out of California’s TK-12 classrooms
Children playing on the DNA sculpture at the Lawrence

Three Transformative Leadership Practices

What does it take to prioritize science instruction in an elementary system? In this article, we’ll examine three transformative leadership practices underway in a Title-1 school district in Central Phoenix and their role in shifting the district culture from little-to-no science instruction for elementary students towards a burgeoning commitment to phenomena-based science teaching and learning. We describe how a focus on allocated and reinforced science instructional time, high-quality literacy-rich science instructional materials, and coordinated opportunities for teacher professional growth worked in concert as crucial elements to enact systems change.

Two children and a staff member are working together during a science activity.

High Hopes – Few Opportunities: The Status of Elementary Science Education in California

High Hopes – Few Opportunities: The Status of Science Education in California summarizes new and extensive research examining the status of science education in the state’s classrooms and schools.