About STC Secondary™ Unit Kits for Grades 6–10
Science and Technology Concepts Program–Secondary™ (STC Secondary™) is a 16-unit, inquiry-centered middle school science curriculum developed by the National Science Resources Center (NSRC), an organization of the Smithsonian Institution. Each STC
Secondary unit provides opportunities for students
to experience scientific phenomena firsthand. A
comprehensive, research-based curriculum, STC
Secondary™ is aligned with the National Science Education Standards (NSES) of the National Research Council (NRC).
Each STC Secondary™ unit is based on a four-stage learning
cycle that is grounded in educational research and
practice:
First, students focus on what they already know
about a topic.
Next, students explore a scientific phenomenon
or concept, following a well-structured sequence of
classroom investigations.
Third, students reflect on their observations,
record them in journals, draw conclusions,
and share their findings with others.
Finally, students apply their learning to
real-life situations and to other areas of the
curriculum.
STC Secondary™ program builds
on the skills and knowledge developed in the STC Elementary™
curriculum, with content balanced among the life
sciences, earth sciences, physical sciences, and
technology. Each module is developed by teachers,
scientists, and evaluators and is field-tested in
urban, suburban, and rural classrooms nationwide.
The materials are professionally evaluated and
reviewed by an advisory panel of teachers,
scientists, and science educators before
publication.
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