The text and activities in the Exploring Our Fluid Earth curriculum are based on the philosophy of Teaching Science as Inquiry (TSI), which was developed at the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s Curriculum Research & Development Group (CRDG) by a team of scientists and educators led by Dr. Francis Pottenger. The Exploring Our Fluid Earth curriculum is currently in development and being tested by teachers in the TSI program.

TSI is a way of teaching and learning science as an active process where you get to learn science by doing science. Throughout the Exploring Our Fluid Earth curriculum, you will investigate, discover, evaluate and communicate about aquatic science issues. As scientific investigators, you will act with the demeanors, values and scientific habits of mind, such as integrity, diligence, fairness, curiosity, openness to new ideas, skepticism, imagination, and communication essential to scientifically literate individuals. Throughout your investigations, you will also learn that scientific investigation has many dimensions, that it does not always proceed in a strict linear fashion, and that it involves both the communication of the investigation process as well as the outcome.

Initial educational materials associated with Exploring Our Fluid Earth and TSI were made freely available to the public in July 2015, and large amounts of content are currently being added. Visit www.exploringourfluidearth.org often to see new updates!