University of Texas at Austin

UT-Austin's Texas Natural Science Center (TNSC) will conduct the "Life Through Time" project, a series of teacher training workshop sessions integrating key concepts in life and earth sciences. The project will help participating Central Texas fourth through eighth grade teachers increase their content knowledge and learn how to teach about life through time using inquiry-based activities and TNSC's educational resources. Forty teachers will have sessions with TNSC scientists, who will discuss their research and help participants conduct inquiry- and specimen-based lab and/or field activities. All activities are based on state and national science standards and are designed to integrate the discussed concepts directly into classroom curriculum. Participants will be able to collaborate with colleagues and project staff using a Web-based forum to reflect on their learning, and each participant will train at least five other teachers in the project curriculum.