The Lawrence Hall of Science

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

Middle School 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

Exploring Biotechnology in Middle School: Inspiring Future Problem Solvers

This Program Brief gives an overview of a program that introduces middle school students to the science behind biotechnology, features stories from diverse local biotechnology professionals, and helps students connect the power of biotechnology with their own personal values and ideas. The brief describes the motivating factors and goal of the program and outlines the program structure. Additionally, it includes sample student work, insights from teachers, and a description of the program impact.

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

“That’s What Science Is, All This Data:” Coding Data Visualizations in Middle School Science Classrooms

Abstract: In this experience report, we describe the Investigating Air Quality curriculum unit that integrates computational data practices with science learning in middle school science classrooms. The unit is part of the Coding Science Internship instructional model, designed to broaden access to computer science (CS) learning through scalable integration in core science courses, and through confronting barriers to equitable participation in STEM.