On May 29th, 2019 the Seattle Public School Board voted to approve new science curriculum. As the largest public school district in the state of WA with ~ 54,000 children, Seattle leads the way in adopting new Next Gen Science Standards. A more detailed overview of the process & the motivation behind it is explained here.

SoundBio Lab has been following this exciting development because our Director of Outreach, Holly Sawyer, was a member of the K-5 committee this past year. A separate 6-8 committee covering middle school science curriculum occurred in tandem with the K- 5 team. After a long process and in-field pilots, both teams nominated Amplify Science as their preferred vendor. Headquartered in Brooklyn, NY, Amplify Science was initially developed on the West Coast by UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science. Their website describes the new phenomenon-based approach as follows:

“Each unit of Amplify Science engages students in a relevant, real-world problem where they investigate scientific phenomena, engage in collaboration and discussion, and develop models or explanations in order to arrive at solutions.”

Now that the Seattle Public School Board has formally voted and approved Amplify Science, the new curriculum will be offered as soon as next fall. Rollout will likely occur in stages given the size of the district. SoundBio Lab will continue to follow this exciting new development to ensure our outreach efforts and lab workshops complement the science being taught at our local schools.