All 48 STC® books have been revised, a first since they were originally published in the 1990s. No changes were made to the lessons, materials, or procedures; the only information added was to benefit an STC® classroom. You’ll find several important improvements:

	New cover design
	Front matter with helpful teaching tips
	Focus on science notebooks
	Student glossary

One noticeable difference is the look of the covers. Originally STC® Teacher's Guides and Student Activity Books were done in 6 vibrant colors ranging from yellow to purple. The units have the same recognizable splash of color, but now it is against a tan background. The new design corresponds with the Science and Technology Concepts for Middle Schools™ (STC/MS™) book covers. Besides the new cover design, 2 other modifications to the hands-on science manuals include a new Carolina catalog number and ISBN.

Besides an aesthetic change in the 2002 revision, users will find content additions. The Teacher's Guide front matter now has a section called "Science Notebooks in the STC Classroom." This section summarizes the benefits, values, uses, and organizational and assessment tips for using classroom science notebooks.

The importance of keeping a science notebook is carried over to the Student Notebooks and Student Activity Books. Each student book has an Introduction, which explains the activities students can expect in the particular unit. Besides listing the unit's topics, the Introduction prepares upper grade students to take on a scientist's role in recording data and predictions.

A strategies chart has been added to the 6 earliest STC® Teacher's Guides (The Life Cycle of Butterflies, Plant Growth and Development, Electric Circuits, Microworlds, Experiments with Plants, and Magnets and Motors). Now all 24 Teacher's Guides include a chart that summarizes each unit's goals and assessment strategies and provides the lessons where the goals and assessments are addressed.

Every STC® book also has a glossary located in the back. It contains age-appropriate terms linked to science inquiry and the STC® curriculum.

The 2002 STC® revised version has added more useful features without deleting any of the original information. Both versions are effective and teacher and student friendly.