Think of it as a chemistry experiment: Distill a coherent set of standards with a well-prepared teacher, then light a Bunsen burner under students with the latest technology and other hands-on resources.
Performed well, the exercise yields an eighth- grader grounded in science and eager to pursue the discipline into high school and beyond.
But economically strapped districts — and that covers most of Colorado — find it increasingly difficult to secure tools vital to the inquiry-based science model embraced as a "best practice."
Some schools already worry budget cuts will leave them short of materials, particularly the non-reusable sort such as chemicals, and behind the curve on ever-changing technology.
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