STEM

Delta Ed Debuts Middle School Science Curriculum

• By Joshua Bolkan
• 07/05/16

Delta Education has launched the Full Option Science System (FOSS) Next Generation Middle School curriculum, a continuation of its FOSS Next Generation K-5 program.

"FOSS Next Generation Middle School focuses on students in grades 6-8 and features 12 total courses across the life, earth and physical science core science disciplines," according to a news release. "Six full-length courses encompass a timeframe of 10 to 12 weeks, while six half-length courses span five to six weeks of course instruction. With new and updated investigations, along with revised and redesigned FOSS Science Resources student books, engaging online activities and teaching slides that educators can tailor to their classrooms, FOSS Next Generation Middle School provides students and educators with a powerful and dynamic science curriculum for 21st century classrooms."

The active learning science program was developed at the University of California, Berkeley and features comprehensive teacher support materials, student books, class access to online multimedia and durable student equipment. It aims to blend hands-on science investigation with developmentally appropriate science writing, language development strategies, informational texts, online technology and more.

Designed to lay a foundation for coursework in STEM fields as well as college and career readiness, the new program is aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards and supports the Common Core State Standards for literacy in science and technical subjects.

"The early response to FOSS Next Generation Middle School has been phenomenal, and we are excited to expand the focus of our popular science curriculum to middle school and continue providing active science learning to students across the country," said Bodie Marx, senior vice president of School Specialty Curriculum, in a news release. "As career opportunities in STEM continue to soar, it is more important than ever to provide educators with innovative curriculum tools to prepare students for a successful future."