The project's curriculum development efforts are presently focused on the production and dissemination of the Student Radon Research (SRR) Curriculum Module. Development of the various components which comprise the SRR module has occurred through funding provided by a grant from the Instructional Materials Development Program of the National Science Foundation. This development has included field-tests of module activities conducted in over 25 separate classrooms throughout the United States.

The SRR module is a unique, inquiry-based earth and physical science education resource that provides opportunities for grades 8 -12 students and their teachers to engage in authentic scientific investigation of the physical nature and behavior of radon gas in local environments. In this context they develop hypotheses, design experiments to test these hypotheses, perform critical analysis of data derived from these experiments, and formulate conclusions based on data analysis. The SRR module currently consists of 12 separate inquiry-based lessons; approximately seven radon research lessons and five guided discovery lessons.

At the core of the SRR module are activities that enable students to learn about science primarily through conducting experiments and research investigations using techniques and instrumentation created by professional scientists to measure radon concentration levels and meteorological phenomena. The module also contains an important series of activities that increase students' understanding of key concepts that will enable them to design and conduct well-informed scientific investigations.

The module's focus on radon is an especially effective way to present important standards-based earth and physical science concepts in a seamless, organic fashion. This interdisciplinary approach facilitates the development of conceptual connections that other curricula are not able to integrate effectively.

At present the SRR module consists of the following components: 1) Teacher's Guide; 2) Student Research Handbook 3) SRR Activities Kit.

1. The Teacher's Guide consists of a set of step-by-step instructions for presenting inquiry-based classroom activities, as well as a series of worksheets and transparencies. Guide activities fall into two general categories: guided discovery activities that provide students with opportunities to develop a strong conceptual framework that they will need to more fully benefit from the module's research activities; and radon research activities that engage students in investigations of concentration levels as they relate to geological, geophysical, and atmospheric influences. Both guided discovery and radon research activities have been designed in such a way that they, in themselves, constitute a fairly accurate model of scientific inquiry. As such, each activity provides students with hands-on experience using scientific inquiry to investigate natural phenomena.

2. The SRR Student Handbook contains a series of data and work sheets, homework assignments, as well as readings for students. Together these elements will:

* help to reinforce concepts introduced by hands-on activities;

* provide students with important background information not contained in the teacher's guide;

* provide teachers with materials that will enable them to more accurately assess student learning;

* provide students with additional activities that will help to sustain their interest in research activities;

* provide students with an extensive list of relevant printed, internet-based, and multi-media resources;

* support acquisition of general literacy skills.

3. SRR Activities Kit includes various working models and /or simulation devices used in the presentation of the module's discovery learning activities, as well as radon and meteorological measurement equipment used to conduct student research.