Elementary Science Curriculum Materials Comparison

EDCI 796 – June 2006

	AIMS (Erin)	FOSS (Amos)	GEMS (Dawn)	STC (Molli)	Insights (Molli)	Harcourt (Erin)	McGraw-Hill (Dawn)	Scott Foresman (Amos)
Meaning of Acronym	Activities Integrating Math and Science	Full Option Science System	Great Explorations in Math and Science	Science and Technology for Children	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Who Developed	AIMS Educational Foundation	Lawrence Hall @ UC Berkeley	Lawrence Hall @ UC Berkeley	Nat’l Science Resource Ctr (Smithsonian & Nat’l Acads)	Education Development Center, Inc (w/ NSF funding)	N/A	N/A	N/A
When Developed	1983 - present	1988	mid-1980’s	began in 1988; completed in 1997	began in 1996; revised in 2004; 4 new units in 2006	Founded in 1919	????	1992
Current Vendor	AIMS	Delta Education	GEMS	Carolina Biological	Kendall/Hunt	Harcourt	Macmillan/ McGraw Hill	Pearson Education
Website	http://www. aimsedu.org/ index.html	http://www. lawrencehall ofscience.org/ foss/components/ index.html	http://www. lawrencehall ofscience.org/ gems/GEMS.html	http://www. carolina.com/ STC/index.asp	http://www. kendallhunt. com/index. cfm?PID=219 &PGI=137	http://www. harcourtschool. com/menus/ harcourt_science. html	http://www. mhschool.com/ index.html	http://www. scottforesman catalog.com
Ordering Information	Mailing Address AIMS Education Foundation P.O. Box 8120 Fresno, CA 93747-8120	http://www.delta- education.com/ productgallery. aspx?subID=69 &menuID=3	GEMS Lawrence Hall of Science University of California #5200 Berkeley, Ca 94720-5200 Phone: 510-642-7771 Fax: 510-643-0309	http://www. carolina.com/ STC/prices.asp	http://www. kendallhunt. com/uploads/2/ InsightsOrder Forms.xls	Available online at https://jstore. harcourtschool. com/marketplace/ index.html	http://www. mhschool.com/ contactus/ email.html Donna Moody is the rep for the Virginia area	Pearson Education One Lake Street Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Cost	For Virginia 5^th grade Earth Science Core Module: • Teacher Module - $70 • Student Module - $2.95 • Lab box (not found in modules) - $305 • Kits - $380 • Replacement kits - $88.50	Kits vary: $444-$767	• Teachers guides - $10.50 to $31.50 • Handbooks - $10.50 to $31.50 • Parent Education Guides - $14.50 to $21.00 • Full Kit - $69.00 to $475.00	average: full kit = $690 ($170 – $1313) restock = $117 ($37 – $257)	average: full kit = $349 ($166 – $748) restock = $87 ($9 – $287)	For Virginia grade 3 science: • Teacher edition $64.18 • Student edition $39.99	Teacher materials are free with student material purchase. K Big Book Package $627 1^st Pupil Edition $37.89 1^st Big Book Package $588 2^nd Pupil Edition $37.89 2^nd Big Book Package $588 3^rd Pupil Edition $41.85 4^th Pupil Edition $41.85 5^th Pupil Edition $45.84 Shipping 6%	For Grade 5: • Student Edition book – 49.95 • Reader Books (all levels) - $1,134 • Classroom Kit – 1056.43 • Replacement kits - $177.35
Grade Levels	K-1, 2-3, 4-5, and 6-9	K-6, 6-8	pK-8	1-6	K-6	K-6	pK through 6	K-6
Kit or Print?	Print	Kit	Print	Kit; 24 modules (4 per grade level); 8 weeks each; materials for 30 students	Kit/Print; 21 modules; books only or full kits; 6-8 weeks each; materials for 30 students	Print	Print	Print
Student Materials	Ready to copy black line masters in student book	Kits containing hands on materials, a lab book (stories)	The teachers guide contains black line masters to copy for students.	directions; manipulatives	worksheets; manipulatives	Typical textbook fare – Lots of pictures, vocabulary and cookbook-type experiments	Each grade level has its own: • Student books • Activity workbook • Reading in Science Resources workbook • Worksheets can be reproduced • Vocabulary cards, tradebooks, activity videos • Online info and links for students	Reading guides, vocabulary cards, activity books, work books
Teacher Materials	Book describing background information, materials, set up and misconceptions for each module; Professional development seminars available	Binders (folios) with overhead transparencies, worksheets, assessments, stories, overviews, and pacing guides	GEMS offers a complete line of over 70 GEMS Teacher’s Guides (stand-alone, supplementary science and math curriculum).	teacher’s manual with extensive notes and black line masters	teacher’s manual with extensive notes and black line masters	Very little instructions are given to the teachers. The teacher resources were all student materials, no tips for setting up activities or cues for possible misconceptions	Each grade level has its own: • Teachers guide • Assessment book, • School to home activities book • Cross curricular projects book • SOL test prep and practice tests book • Activity resource book • Music CD • Online info and links for teachers	Teaching guide, content and activity transparencies, demonstration kits, assessment books
Supplemental Materials	Spanish; Math, Science Writing and Reading Monthly magazine with tips for implementation	Spanish, booklets and stories only	Spanish; Handbooks and GEMS Kits (available from Carolina Biological Supply Company); They also offer a series of home activity kits.	book series; Spanish edition	student notebooks; Spanish edition	Spanish	Spanish	Spanish
NOS?			yes	no	yes (specified in teacher’s manual)
Inquiry?	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	little	some	some
Hands-On?	yes	yes	yes	extensive	yes	some	some	yes
Higher level thinking?	Asks students to develop generalizations from patterns in numbers, but little else	yes		prediction, explanation from evidence	predication, explanation from evidence, application to novel setting, evaluation	No	Opportunities for students to interpret illustrations, graphs, and other data Opportunities to compare, sequence, communicate, and make models	Asks students to find patterns, compare and contrast, make predictions
Research-based?				“nationally field-test[ed] in diverse urban, rural, and suburban public schools”^1	“based on the research on effective science teaching for inner city students”^2
Standards-based?	Correlated to state standards	Correlated to national standards; can be correlated to state standards	GEMS can be used to support national and state standards for educational excellence.	aligned with NSES and most state standards	aligned with NSES	Correlated to national standards; units can be purchased separately to correlate to state standards	Correlated to national and state standards	Correlated to national standards; correlated to some states (not VA)
Differentiation?	Some extension activities in teacher materials	Links to reputable websites, such as STEPS, Howstuffworks, National Academies, etc., also has recommendations of books to supplement curriculum	Many ideas are listed in italics on the sides of the lesson pages	some extension ideas	numerous suggestions for LD and PD	Online component includes NSTA SciLinks and Smithsonian Links. Online videos have current scientific findings about the topics in the text (about 10 different videos)	Readable with vivid pictures Separate tradebooks matched to student level; Suggested activities for meeting individual needs, differentiation and integration with other subjects	Reading materials are based on reading levels, extension activities available
Diversity?	Inclusive except for handicapping condition	no inclusion of accomplishments of members of different ethnic groups	Photographs include a wide range of cultures	yes	not directly, but is part of NOS	Yes – lots of pictures of very different people	Pictures show variety of cultures, gender, settings	Inclusive except for handicapping condition
Assessments	Sixty experiences that address 91% of the California High School Exit Exam	Interpreting data, teacher observations, application	Assessments are embedded into the units	-KWL charts for pre-assessments -suggestions for post assessments	-diagnostic assessments -daily formative assessment -performance and written summative assessments (multiple formats) -home projects	Each unit has a multiple choice assessment	Ongoing assessment in pupil edition Informal assessment in teachers edition Formal assessment in pupil edition, reading in science resources, and assessment book Performance assessment in pupil edition, teacher edition and assessment book	Assessment books, organizers, and test taking strategies, in paper and online
Examples of Unit/Lesson Titles (Topics)	Earth, Life and Physical Science, Conceptual books or Theme books available	Life science, physical science, earth science	Earth, Life and Physical Science, Conceptual books or Theme books available	The Life Cycle of Butterflies; Rocks and Minerals; Food Chemistry; Magnets and Motors	Human Body Systems; Liquids; Sun, Moon, and Earth; Circuits and Pathways	Life science, physical science, earth science	Life science, physical science, earth science	Earth, Life, Space, and Physical Science
Strengths	-real-life situations -uses data collection as teaching tool -integrates reading, writing, math and science, -readable and engaging modules	Very hands-on, builds on previous lessons, strong emphasis on data and observations, real world scenarios and application, everything is prepackaged, ready to go; Readable and engaging: broken up into small chunks that build off of each other (scaffolding); integration of math, science, and literacy	Provide an effective inquiry based approach. Teaching opportunities include skills, concepts, themes, mathematics strands, and nature-of-science categories. GEMS units as user friendly and appropriate for classroom use! Student data sheets are written at an appropriate level	-detailed instructions for teachers -grouping strategies - connections to math, literacy, art -safety notes -student progress charts -skill based	-details instructions for teachers, including questions to ask -includes content info for teacher -connections to literacy, math, technology -student progress charts -safety notes -5E based -additional resources (books, movies, etc.) -concept map of units	-teachers who do not have much of a science background would be able to easily teach from this text -there are online links available to keep up with science in the news -readable -visuals are engaging for each age level	Attempts to meet National Science Standards and Benchmarks for science literacy. Develops science process skills, reading skills, centers, hands-on activities, inquiry skills, sequencing, graphing, glossary with pictures, computer links listed in text, Text readable Vivid pictures Develops science process skills as well as reading skills	Books are available at different reading levels, lots of pictures and diagrams, highlighted terms, organizers are incorporated into the text, little “factoids” along the way, useful technology, fun songs; Readable and engaging (visuals help), Integration across math and social studies, art and music
Weaknesses	-teacher must connect each discrete activity -not much overlap from activity to activity -the materials for grades lower than 5 are supplemental, not core	Very general	Lengthy time for lesson preparation	-very scripted -vocabulary sometimes too high for grade level -real bees!!! -skill based	-some vocab errors (“condense” instead of “depose”)	-watered down information -superficial treatment of the subjects -step by step instructions for activities -sometimes the material presented may not be relevant to students this age	Workbook pages and pages to photocopy contain little info, not challenging	A little difficult at times (stoichiometry in the 6^th grade?), then very general
Amos Ranks^3
Dawn Ranks^3
Erin Ranks^3
Molli Ranks^3	**½	***	**½	***	****	**	**	**

¹ http://www.carolina.com/STC/overview_what.asp (June 7, 2006)

² http://www.kendallhunt.com/index.cfm?PID=219&PGI=137; Features and Benefits pop-up window (June 7, 2006)

³*=poor; **=fair; ***=good; ****=excellent