Two Innovative High School Curriculums

In my pursuit of active learning examples I discovered four very innovative programs from Roger Shank that I wanted to share with you:

1. Scientific Reasoning Curriculum

The Scientific Reasoning Curriculum, the first in the VISTA four-year program, lays the groundwork for scientific thinking by presenting students with a series of challenges that require students to address problems with a systematic, scientific approach. In each project, students face problems that relate to issues encountered in daily life or to issues of global import.

http://www.engines4ed.org/about/scireasoning.cfm

2. Year in Health Sciences

Students take on the roles of professionals working in the field of health sciences, such as nutrition advisors and sports medics. They solve the kinds of problems these professionals typically solve in their day-to-day work.

http://www.engines4ed.org/about/scireasoning.cfm

3. New Technology

The New Technology curriculum is a story centered curriculum (NT-SCC) that consists of projects in which students engage, sometimes in groups and sometimes on their own. These projects require deliverables, that once delivered allow students to proceed on to the next project. Each project is designed to be fun, relevant to young people, collaborative, and to allow individual expression and the pursuit of particular interests that a student might have.

http://www.engines4ed.org/about/newtech.cfm

4. The VISTA Engineering Curriculum

Still in the planning stage.

http://www.engines4ed.org/about/engineering.cfm