I forgot to mention that we have worked at integrating environmental science as well. The field trip project is part of this. In Seattle, there have been hundreds, it seems, different environmental projects/courses for teachers to take and use with their classes. The field trip program was a way to coordinate some of these opportunities so that some children did not repeat the same field trips and activities several years in a row, and so that some children who might never participate in these environmental activities could. Again, one of the major goals was equity.

But beyond that, under the umbrella of the City of Seattle, there are many other curricula offered. They have hundreds of thousands of dollars to spend. These programs were competing with our program. The major one was Salmon in the Classroom. I refused to openly support it because it was not standards-based and was offered to Pre-K classes to high school classes -- the same program. I worked with the people sponsoring these programs over the years and urged them to support the core science. Finally, the mayor and the superintendent said that the office providing most of these activities had to work with our program and the teachers to decide what to do. We are going through a series of meetings now. The curriculum will be adjusted or thrown out and new things brought in based on our guidance and teacher input. This is so exciting to see this change. The teachers are very happy. Field trips will be one of the things offered to either the fourth grade or the fifth grade in a school -- the school can decide. There is also a possibility of having them purchase enhancements such as class sets of books to go right into the science units. We are just focusing on Ecosystems for 4th grade and Land and Water for fifth. So, they will be purchasing enhancements for the units, and, hopefully, no longer compete with the core curriculum.

The proof will be in the pudding, but we think this is moving in the right direction, i.e., coordinate funding to support the standards and the core curriculum.

Elaine Woo
Project Director

P.S. The Dancing Science group might start including mathematics next year.