The modules under development are based on recent research-based strategies designed to diminish achievement gaps and improve the participation of underrepresented groups in STEM activities. Our curriculum will be developed with the specific purpose of engaging minority students in scientific thought, helping to decrease the achievement gap between mainstream and non-mainstream students. Research supports the use of astrobiology as a framework for increasing science literacy (Astrobiology Design Project Team, 2002; Carrapiço, et al. 2001; Rodrigues & Carrapiço, 2005; Slater, 2006; Staley, 2003; Tang, 2005), and that cultural awareness is key for successful, engaging science teaching (Lee & Luykx, 2006; Aikenhead, 2001; Lynch, et al., 2005).

The design rationale has also been based on the work of key educational theorists such as John Bransford and his work on how people learn (Bransford, et al. 1999) and the backward design principles of Wiggins and McTighe (Wiggins & McTighe, 1998). To ensure that the modules meet the needs of the ethnically diverse populations the project is using the standards proposed by the CREDE project (Tharp, et al., 2003) that characterize the dynamics of learning in diverse cultures, Five Standards for Effective Pedagogy developed by the Center for Research on Education, Diversity and Excellence (CREDE). The evaluation of the modules through field-testing in both formal and informal settings informs the modification of the curriculum to better meet the goals of the project.

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