We believe students learn best when they investigate questions pertinent to their lives, and when they collaborate with others to learn new ideas.
Why do I need to wear a bike helmet? What is the water like in our river? These are typical questions students might answer in an inquiry-based classroom. Our curriculum materials are anchored in questions like these that students use to formulate hypotheses, develop strategies and procedures to conduct investigations, collect and analyze data, and finally, support and defend conclusions. This is what inquiry-based learning is all about.
hi-ce has collaborated with educators and institutions to develop inquiry-based curriculum units around broad concepts in science and social studies for middle and high school students. These units were designed to address national and state standards by providing opportunities for students to learn challenging content and process skills for disciplinary investigation. They employ technologies for computers, the Internet, and the new generation of handheld devices, so that students may routinely conduct and communicate their learning to a broader community, much in the way that scientists or historians do.
hi-ce engages in rigorous research to develop effective curriculum materials and learning strategies for teachers and students. Initially development by educators and scientists, our curriculum materials are constantly refined through careful attention to student learning outcomes. hi-ce has been chosen as a member of the National Science Foundation funded Center for Curriculum Materials in Science (CCMS), along with the American Association for the Advancement of Science, to develop the next generation of science curriculum materials research.