This curriculum was developed by University of Texas at El Paso students that participated in the Institute for Science Integration project during the summer of 2002 under the guidance of Miguel Licona.  He is presently the PI for the ISI grant and an assistant professor in the Teacher Education Department in the College of Education.  The participants ranged from pre-service teachers in their senior year of college to teachers that are in their first years of teaching and are seeking a master’s degree in Science Education.  Their teaching fields ranged from elementary to high school and one informal educator from the water utilities services in El Paso.  The project was funded by a professional development grant Dr. Licona received from the Eisenhower Grants Program.

The theoretical framework for this integrated curriculum was developed from references that include James Beane and other scholars of experiential and holistic approaches to education.  These can be seen at the bibliography link.  This project followed the Critical Thinking Curriculum Model (CTCM) developed by Rick Alexander and the science education team based in Los Alamos, New Mexico.

Chihuahuan Desert Science can serve to launch a curriculum without boundaries.  The suggested tasks and activities can be used to take students on contextualized exploratory journeys.  There is no order and not all have to be attempted.  This project expects teachers to move into meaningful practice that will allow students to understand science concepts and ideas that have personal as well as global implications.  This curriculum was developed using a constructivist epistemology and the links embedded herein are placed to assist teachers that wish to enhance their curriculums and improve their pedagogies.  We hope you have a powerful journey of transformation as you contemplate the milestones along the way.

Click on the photo albums to get a images that students collected as they traveled through a small portion of the Chihuahuan Desert.  Most of these pictures were taken during hikes and presentations in the Ft. Davis Mountains of Texas or the Organ Mountains of New Mexico.  Gallery I   Gallery II