A UNIQUE PROBLEM-SOLVING FRAMEWORK

The Hydroville Curricula represent a departure from the traditional high school science curricula because it is:

• Interdisciplinary: HCP curricula integrate life and physical sciences and incorporate concepts in mathematics, language arts, social studies, health, and technology.
• Based on Inquiry: Each curriculum was developed using a problem-solving framework designed to guide teachers and students through an investigation reflecting how scientists and experts solve real-world problems.
• Open-ended: Students learn that solutions are often tempered by stakeholder values and monetary considerations, and that there can be multiple solutions.
• Research-based: Activities incorporate scientific technology, techniques, and instruments currently used in today’s research laboratories.

CURRICULAR COMPONENTS

Each curriculum includes:

• Introduction: A professionally-produced 10-minute video that introduces the problem, the stakeholders, and a historical community perspective.
• Background Activities (BA): Hands-on activities that provide specific concepts and skills needed to solve the problem.
• Expert Areas: Opportunities for students to role play as professionals such as soil scientists, toxicologists, engineers, chemists, industrial hygienists, occupational physicians, and drinking water specialists.
• Team Meetings (TM): Activities for student teams to develop teamwork skills, analyze and synthesize data, develop hypotheses, brainstorm solutions, and develop a remediation plan.
• Solution Presentations: Student teams make formal presentations of their action plans to audiences representing the stakeholders in the Hydroville problem.

Each unit has Teacher and Student sections. Teacher sections include learning outcomes, answer keys, and preparation information. Student sections have readings and worksheets.

Appendices include grading rubrics, glossaries, standard alignments, and a materials list.