Author Description

When Benchmarks for Science Literacy was first published, Bruce Alberts, president of the National Academy of Sciences praised it as "another milestone in the long standing effort of Project 2061 to improve the teaching and learning of science for all Americans." Now, the monumental achievement of Benchmarks for Science Literacy is available in a computer disk format for use on IBM-compatible personal computers in MS-DOS. This superb science learning tool enables users to browse, assemble, and print benchmarks in various formats. Users can also review conceptual "strands"--a new tool on the electronic version--that provides sequences of benchmarks that students should progress through on the way toward a specific science-literacy goal. In addition, teachers can brainstorm about how to coordinate seemingly unrelated benchmarks by using "benchmark roulette," a function which creates a random sample of six benchmarks, at two grade levels, that can be used as a basis for discussion. Benchmarks for Science Literacy on Disk greatly enhances the capablities of its companion book, alllowing teachers to tailor searches that are relevant to the grades and subjects they teach. Both quick and easy to use, this extraordinary program allows instant reference access to the entire spectrum of teaching and learning possiblities available with Benchmarks.