Developed by BSCS and MW Productions, Galápagos: An Inquiry into Biological Evolution is composed of a multimedia CD-ROM featuring simulated fieldwork in the Galápagos Islands and a student field log that guides students through...
Instructional Materials
BSCS instructional materials span from grades K–college comprehensive curriculum to supplemental modules. We develop materials using a proven process that has been refined continually since 1958. Our comprehensive development process makes use of the most recent research in learning and teaching. We work with top scientists, science educators, and teachers around the country to ensure that our materials are accurate, pedagogically sound, user friendly, and effective in the classroom.
BSCS materials stress inquiry-based learning—encouraging students to view science as an ongoing relevant process. Students come to understand and appreciate the tentative nature of science and the continuing importance to, and impact on, their lives. Additionally, many of our programs use the BSCS 5E Instructional Model. Each E represents part of the process of helping students sequence their learning experiences to construct their understanding of concepts.
Modules developed by BSCS with funding from a variety of sources including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Department of Energy (DOE) allow us to provide supplemental materials that bring cutting-edge science into the classroom. The modules combine science with state-of-the-art instructional practices. Modules are developed using the BSCS 5E Instructional Model, are consistent with National Science Education Standards, promote critical thinking, incorporate real scientific data to engage and challenge students, and are aligned to state educational standards. Each module includes full sets of teacher and student materials in addition to web components. NIH modules are available in HTML and PDF versions online. Print versions are free to U.S. educators upon request.
Can’t find something you’re looking for? Contact us!
Click here for reports of effectiveness on these materials.
Genes, Environment, and Human Behavior, BSCS's fourth module related to the Human Genome Project, includes background information on the methods and assumptions of behavioral genetics and student activities. Students are introduced to...
In How Your Brain Understands What Your Ears Hear, students develop healthy hearing habits so they avoid noise-induced hearing loss. Lessons in this module help students understand important scientific concepts by sharpening their...
In Human Genetic Variation, students discover how greater understanding of human genetic variation is leading to more specific and effective medical treatments. The inquiry-based activities involve students directly in building their...
Looking Good, Feeling Good: From the Inside Out stresses the relationships between structures and functions, the interactions between these body systems, and other factors that influence the body systems’ functions. Our fast-changing...
BSCS is developing a new curriculum supplement, Nourishing the Planet in the 21st Century, for use in third- and fourth-grade science with funding from the Nutrients for Life...
By focusing on the science of the oral environment, Open Wide and Trek Inside goes beyond the traditional “brushing and flossing” curriculum and presents to students the ways science has helped people understand how to take proper...
By focusing on the biology of sleep, Sleep, Sleep Disorders, and Biological Rhythm helps students understand why good sleep hygiene is important to their lives, and stresses the consequences of poor sleep or lack of sleep to their...
In The Brain: Our Sense of Self, students learn to understand that brain function is not predetermined; the brain can change with learning throughout life. Through inquiry-based activities, students investigate brain function and the...
The Brain: Understanding Neurobiology Through the Study of Addiction gives students a fundamental knowledge of how the neurons in the brain convey information to regulate diverse functions. Students are provided with factual...
The BSCS instructional materials are rich with a clean story line that my students find engaging. The professional development opportunities have moved the teachers in my department to a new level of understanding inquiry.
Join the BSCS eCommunity! 
Do you use Facebook?