What is FOSS?
FOSS® is the curriculum that presents science the way students learn it: firsthand, through active investigation of phenomena. It’s why FOSS is proven to improve test scores in districts throughout Virginia and nationwide. UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science developed FOSS for Virginia to align with the Virginia Standards of Learning (VA SOLs) in all these ways:
- FOSS-developed specific Activities for Virginia (AVAs).
- FOSS Pacing Guides: A session-by session plan for FOSS investigations and their connections to Virginia SOLs.
- Engineering design: The active use of science and engineering practices is fundamental to FOSS.
- Science and literacy: Each FOSS investigation advances cross-curricular literacy learning.
- Environmental literacy: Support for meaningful watershed educational experiences (MWEE) in keeping with the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement.
- The Profile of a Virginia Graduate: FOSS helps students acquire the knowledge and thinking capacity appropriate for world citizens. Why FOSS?