Elementary School, Science Curriculum

Although the field of elementary science curriculum with respect to general education has been fairly well researched, particularly since the late 1960s when several projects funded by the National Science Foundation were developed and implemented, elementary science curriculum developed specifically for gifted students is a rare commodity. Science curriculum means the concepts, resources, objectives, essential understandings, strategies, and products that teachers use to provide students with an understanding of a science topic. These elements are carefully planned and organized to provide a clear map of what the students should know, understand, and be able to do as a result of interacting with the teacher and the materials.

At the elementary level, usually kindergarten through Grade 5, formal science instruction is sporadic. Most attention in the classroom ...