378 



Dr. EoBERTSON. I would like very much to turn to Dr. Kelson for 

 that. 



Mr. Lennon. That seems to be the way to understand this question. 

 If it would help you any, we would be glad if you move another 

 chair to the table. 



Let's find out what the earth sciences curriculum project is that is 

 sponsored by the National Science Foundation, what secondary public 

 schools it is now available in, how do you get into this program, and 

 who finances it, and what does it cost ? 



Dr. Kelson. Beginning in 1957, the Foundation undertook an ac- 

 tivity which it calls course content improvement, directed primarily 

 but later not exclusively to the secondary school level. 



The assumption behind this program of the Foundation was that the 

 curriculum materials, the courses and textbooks that were so frequently 

 available and used in the high schools were simply not adequately re- 

 flective of man's knowledge and interests today. 



Traditionally, textbooks at these levels have been written by other 

 than the foremost scientists and scholars in the field. 



We set up a program in which a group of scientists working together 

 with thoroughly experienced teachers and psychologists could review 

 the state of knowledge in their particular field — such as chemistry,, 

 physics, and whatnot^and elicit from that the most important things 

 to start teaching at the high school. Then, again with the help of a team 

 of teachers, they could make the material pedagogically sound and 

 couch it in ways such that the student could grasp it. 



We insist that the groups developing these materials — we could call 

 them the collective authors, which is what they are — work independent 

 of us, because we do not want the Government dictating the content of 

 textbooks. 



The first of these major projects was the so-called Physical Sciences 

 Study Committee, which produced a course and all of the ancillary 

 teaching materials, including learning materials for the teacher in 

 physics, to be used at the high school level. 



That program has become, frankly, one of our favorites. It has an 

 enormous influence. 



One of the major projects in that program now is the earth sciences 

 curriculum study. It is not completed. As parts are completed, they 

 are actually becoming commercially available, and any institution, any 

 school, may adopt these materials and use them. 



Mr. Lennon. Right at that point, Doctor, to nail this thing down, 

 you say that during fiscal 1966, 171 secondary school students partici- 

 pated in the earth sciences curriculum project. Now tell me what public 

 schools they were, and where, and how many students of this category 

 that you enumerated were in each of these schools. 



We have to nail this thing down so that we will know what to tell 

 our high school students. 



You say that you have this program. You say that you are moving 

 in this direction. You are saying that in 1966, 171 secondary school 

 students took advantage of it. 



Tell us where they were, please, for the record. 



Dr. Kelson. I am sorry, sir. I have inadvertently linked two quite 

 different things. 



