"How does the physicaland biological world change over time?" "What causes these changesand how fast do they occur?" "What is the evidence for change inliving and physical systems?" These are core questions posed in VoyagesThrough Time, a new high school science curriculum from the SETI Institutethat challenges students to consider the origin and development of theuniverse, our solar system, life on Earth, and us.

A collaborative team ofscientists and educators at the SETI Institute, NASA Ames Research Center, theCalifornia Academy of Sciences, and San Francisco State University developed VoyagesThrough Time. The team's vision was to create a scientifically accurate,inquiry-based science curriculum that would be the foundation course for high schoolscience. Thematically, Voyages Through Time focuses on evolution in itsbroadest meaning: What is changing? What is the rate of change? and What arethe causes and evidence for change? Students explore these questions throughevidence provided in lessons, database investigations, simulations, readings,laboratory experiments, and projects that draw upon multiple disciplines inscience.

Voyages Through Timeis student-centeredcurriculum that integrates computer-based instructional and reference tools,with state-of-the-art pedagogy to support best practices in teaching andlearning science. The curriculum was developed to align specifically with the NationalScience Education Standards and The Benchmarks for Science Literacyin order to support the Nation's need for better science teaching and learning.The teacher's guide for each of the six modules is on a CD-ROM rather than thetraditional heavy, printed binder. The media used to motivate and illustratelessons, including interviews with scientists, is available at the fingertipsof both students and teachers. Student CD-ROMs feature database collections andcomputer-based simulations for directed investigations, resources for furtherlearning, and all media provided for the module. Student readers for eachmodule are collections of up-top-date science articles on subjects related tolessons and activities.

Voyages Through Timewas successfully testedand thoroughly evaluated in more than 90 high schools across the nation.Students and teachers alike were enthused about the lessons. Students said,"It's challenging but interesting and I never liked science before,"and "I saw what we were doing in the classroom applied to science in reallife."

The curriculum is comprisedof six modules: Cosmic Evolution, Planetary Evolution, Origin of Life,Evolution of Life, Hominid Evolution, and Evolution of Technology.The modules can be used as a yearlong science curriculum for 9^th or10^th grade students, or used individually and embedded intoastronomy, biology, life, earth and space science, and otherdiscipline-specific courses. The modules are:

--Cosmic Evolution: Students explore the origin and evolution of theuniverse and the formation of the stars, galaxies and solar systems. Theyconsider the evidence that astronomers find to answer questions, such as"How old is the universe?" "What are the life cycles ofstars?" and "What are the sources of the elements that make ourbodies?"

--Planetary Evolution: Students investigate Earth and compare its tectonics,surface features, and atmospheric cycles with other planets in our solarsystem. They explore what causes earthquakes and volcanoes, how oceans andatmospheres formed, and what makes Earth a habitable planet.

--Origin of Life: Students explore theories of howlife originated on Earth and examine the fundamental characteristics andchemistry of living things, from single-celled organisms to the beginning ofmulticellular life. Students consider the evidence for life on earth, and howscientists investigate fossil evidence and living organisms to understand theorigin of life.

--Evolution of Life: Students investigate the great diversity of life onEarth today, and the mechanisms and processes that change life's diversity overtime. They explore the scientific evidence for evolution, how variations occurwithin populations, and the complex relationships that define species.

--Hominid Evolution: Students examine how early hominids became bipedal;developed larger skulls and brains; migrated out from Africa; and developedtechnology such as tools, language, and agriculture. They learn howanthropologists study hominid evolution, including how we have has changed overtime, and the impact of tools and agriculture on early human populations.

--Evolution of Technology: Students investigate the interactions betweentechnology, science, and society. They explore the nature of technology, whatthe relationship is between science, invention, and engineering, howtechnologies change over time, and what the social and economic costs andbenefits are of different technologies. This module combines the investigationof technology with student projects where students work in teams to complete aresearch project that focuses on one type of technology.

For a closer look at VoyagesThrough Time, please visit our website at: http://www.voyagesthroughtime.org