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In its role as adviser to top management on the development of policy matters, the Council presented to the Secretary and his Management Committee a number of recommendations regarding matters of development policy and scholarly hiring and retention. In its coordinating capacity, the Council developed a calendar of external events, and submitted proposals for a variety of future program activities.

[[underlined]] National Science Resources Center Activities [[/underlined]]

Concern over the state of science and mathematics education in the nation's elementary and secondary schools led to the establishment in 1985 of the National Science Resources Center (NSRC). A joint undertaking of the Smithsonian and the National Academy of Sciences, the NSRC's mission is to improve the teaching of pre-college science and mathematics by: 1) establishing a science and mathematics curriculum resource collection and information database; 2) developing innovating instructional materials for use by science and mathematics teachers; and 3) sponsoring a program of outreach and leadership-development activities. In December 1987, the renovation of space for the NSRC on the first floor of the Arts and Industries Building was completed, providing the Center with staff offices, a library/resource center, and a laboratory for the development of science and mathematics instructional materials.

Science and Technology for Children Project

The National Science Resources Center began a major project this past summer to improve the teaching of science in the nation's elementary schools. The goals of the project, called "Science and Technology for Children", are:

• to develop, field-test, and prepare for dissemination a set of activity-centered science units for grades 1-6, focused on important topics in life sciences, physical sciences, earth sciences, and technology;

• to help school systems design the in-service education programs and materials support systems needed to introduce the project's science units into elementary school classrooms; and 

• to sponsor a series of leadership development institutes to prepare selected elementary school teachers, science supervisors, and principals to lead in-service training programs for elementary school teachers in their local school district.

The NSRC launched "Science and Technology for Children" with a four-week elementary materials development workshop at the National Museum of Natural History in July 1987. This workshop successfully tapped the expertise of 70 participants -- including scientists, elementary school teachers, and science educators -- and resulted in the development of many innovative science learning activities for children.