Global Systems Science (GSS) is an interdisciplinary, integrated course for high school students, created by the Lawrence Hall of Science at University of California, Berkeley. The course emphasizes how scientists from a wide variety of fields work together to understand significant problems of global impact.

In GSS, the "big ideas" of science are stressed, such as the concept of an interacting system, the coevolution of the atmosphere and life, the goal of a sustainable world, and the important role that individuals play in both impacting and protecting our vulnerable global environment. GSS was developed by a collaborative team of teachers, scientists, and curriculum developers, so that it reflects both the cutting edge of modern interdisciplinary science, and the practical realities of the classroom.

The instructional materials for Global Systems Science consist of eleven Student Books (titles listed below) and Teacher's Guides. Each focuses on a different aspect of global environmental change. GSS involves students actively in learning. They perform investigations and experiments in the classroom and at home. They read and discuss historical background materials. They "meet" a selection of scientists, both men and women, from a variety of ethnic and educational backgrounds. They consider the economic, political, and ethical issues associated with each problem area.

Collectively, the GSS books constitute a unique combination of studies in the natural and social sciences through which high school students may view the global environmental issues that they will confront within their lifetimes. One of our key goals is for students to make intelligent, informed decisions that can translate into personal actions, such as conserving energy, recycling, and preparing for their role as voting citizens in a modern industrialized society.

The GSS system can reduce school textbook costs by an order of magnitude for schools where a significant number of students are ready to use e-textbooks in place of the hard copy books.
See GSS Licensing Options for details. See also
Strategies for Computer Use with GSS.

GSS is a part of the
Digital Library for
Earth System Education

The GSS project provides the option of replacing hard copy textbooks with electronic files (e-books) that students read on computers at home and/or at school. Here is an interesting article pertinent to that: "Rates of Computer and Internet Use By Children in Nursery School and Students in Kindergarten Through Twelfth Grade: 2003." National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). For a considerably more "anti-computer" perspective, see the article "Fool's Gold: A Critical Look at Children and Computers - Alliance for Childhood."

Read also about the GSS convenient "Combined Online and Hardcopy Design" that makes reading GSS books very easy in with hard copy or on computer displays.

GSS and Globe