DESCRIPTION OF SITE AND LEARNERS

I teach at Jeff Davis High School, the only school in the Jeff Davis County Schools system. In
addition to the high school, the county also has a primary school, elementary school, and a middle
school. This is a very rural county and it is surrounded entirely by other rural counties. The school has a
total of about 750 students enrolled and there are slightly over 200 students in the 10 th grade class,
which is the target for my development plan. In demographics, the school is 76 percent white, 16
percent black, and six percent Hispanic. Two percent is unknown according to PublicSchoolReview.com.
The county has a high level of unemployment and poverty and this is reflected in the student body.
Forty-one percent of the student body is eligible for free lunches and another nine percent are eligible
for reduced lunches.
The faculty to student ratio beats the state average with one teacher for every 15 students.
There are 51 certified teachers, one principal and one assistant principal. Other administrators include
our school improvement specialist, graduation coach and one and half counselors. That means we have
one full-time counselor and one that we share with another school. In addition to the certified teachers,
the school also has several parapros. In fact, each of the academic areas has one parapro that the
teachers share. This parapro is usually assigned to classes with inclusion special education students or a
certain percentage of at-risk students. There are several parapros in the special education department
including one who works with regular education teachers when they have inclusion special education
students.
This inventory, weeding, and purchase of new materials focuses on the science reference
section of the high school. With the exception of the AP materials, these resources will apply to every
student in the school as these are required courses.
The media center is at the front of the building separated from the class rooms, but next to one
of the school’s two computer labs. In fact, there are enough computers in the media center to make it a
third computer lab for smaller classes.

Curriculum Review

I am not including the entire list of standards for the four classes this collection focuses on. Instead, I am
focusing on books that fit the general topics listed in the Science standards and trying to get books
specifically requested by the science teachers who know those standards better than anyone else. The
general topics listed in the Georgia Science GPS for the courses we offer follow.

Biology

 Classification to the Six Kingdom level

 Matter-Energy Relationships
 Cellular Function and Structure
 DNA/RNA
 Homeostasis
  Plant/Animal Characteristics
 Genes and Successive Generations
 Heredity
 Ecosystems
 Biological Evolution

Physical Science

 Classifications of matter
 Atomic Theory/Configuration
 Periodicity
 Bonding/Nomenclature
 Chemical Reactions
 Law of Conservation of Matter
 Solutions
 Acid/Base Chemistry
 Phase Changes
 Laws of Motion and Force
 Energy Transformation
 Electrical/Magnetic Forces
 Wave Properties

Chemistry (Several Repeat Physical Science)

 Empirical/Molecular Formulas
 Stoichiometry
 Kinetic Molecular Theory/Phase Changes
 Gas Laws
 Solutions/Concentrations

Physics

 Kinematics
 Energy and its Transformations
 Electricity
 Magnetism
 Wave Properties
Inventory and Weeding

Book Title Author ISBN Bar Code Shelf Tag Copyright

Date
McGraw-Hill 660678, 660679, R500 1960
Encyclopedia of Science 660680, 660681,
and Technology, 660682, 660683,
Volumes 2-15 (Volume 660684, 660685,
1 is missing) 660686, 660687,
660688, 660689,
660690, 660691
Understanding Science Ed. Philip 660566 R500 BRA 1963
Kogan
Encyclopedia of Science Ed. Wallace S. 7172-1500- 650067 R500 GRO 1969
Supplement Murray 8
The New Popular Ed. William B 650067 R500 SIL 1963
Science Encyclopedia of Sill
the Sciences
McGraw-Hill Dictionary Ed. Daniel N. 0070452571 650087 R503 McG 1976
of Scientific and Lapedes
Technical Terms
Van Nostrand’s 650088 R503 VAN 1958
Scientific Encyclopedia
Science Year: The 0716605783 650089 R505 Sci 1977
World Book Science
Annual
Science News Yearbook 656847 R505 Sci 1969
Compton’s Dictionary Ed. Charles A. 650081 R503 COM 1966
of the Natural Sciences Ford
Volumes 1 and 2
Modern Science Ed. A. 650085 R503 HEC 1959
Dictionary Hechtinger
Dictionary of Biological I.F. Henderson 650086 R503 Hen 1963
Terms
Experiment Central, E. John T. 0787628921 665553, 665554, R507.8 EXP 2000
Volumes 1-4 Tancredi 665555, 665556
The Grolier Library of 0717276260 650884 R509.22 1997
Science Biographies GRO
Vol. 1-10
The Facts on File Ed. John 0816039119 662291 REF530 1999
Dictionary of Physics Daintith FAC
Gravity is a Mystery Franklyn M. 0690350716 650262 531 BRA 1970
Branley
The Facts on File Ed. John 0816039097 662290 REF540.3 1999
Dictionary of Chemistry Daintith FAC
Elements, Vol. 16-18 Brian Knapp 0717256758 650819 R546 Kna 2002
(Vol. 1-15 are in-depth
on 32 elements. This is
overview of all
elements.)
The Earth Beneath Us Kirtley F. 650342 R550 MAT 1964
Mather
Crusty Problems 0382043979 656966 P550 CRU 1977
The Facts on File Ed. John O.E. 081604287X 665745 R550.3 CLA 2000
Dictionary of Earth Clark
Science
The Facts on File Ed. Barbara 0816042926 665744 R551.46 2001
Dictionary of Marine Charton CHA
Science
The Complete Weather Phillis 0810397889 665538, 665539, R551.5 Eng 1997
Resource, Vol. 1-4 Engelbert 665540, 665581
The Rock Book Carroll Lane 650384 R552 FEN 1940
Fenton
And Then Came Man Hartmut 661580 560B 1964
Bastian
Dictionary of Biological Isabella 665436 R570.3 1973
Terms Ferguson HEN
Henderson
Handbook of Nature Anna Botsford 650431, 650433, R574 COM 1967
Study Comstock 650432
Hammond’s Nature E.L. Jordan 650440 574 HAM MCMCVIII
Atlas: Domestic Species (2008)
The Golden Treasury of Bertha Morris 657014 574 Par 1952
Natural History Parker
Tree Identification George 650538 R582 Sym 1958
Wellington Dil
Symonds
The Illustrated Ed. Herbert 0717281000 660574, 660575, R590 1968
Encyclopedia of the Kondo 660576, 660577,
Animal Kingdom, Vol. 660578, 660579,
1-8 660580, 660581
Parade of the Animal Robert 657062 590 HEG 1935
Kingdom Williams
Hegner
The Encyclopedia of Ed. David 0816042683 665763 599.03 ENC 2001
Mammals, Vol. 1, MacDonald
Carnivores and Sea
Animals
The Butterfly Book W.J. Holland 650629 R595.78 1926
HOL
The Audubon Edgar M. 650645 598 REI 1968
Illustrated Handbook of Reilly Jr.
American Birds
 A New Dictionary of Arthur 650665 R598.2 1964
Birds Landsborough THO
Thomson

Key

Weeded title.

Analysis
Many of these books are very much outdated. Science is a rapidly changing subject as new
discoveries are made and old hypotheses are disproven. Because of this, the collection needs to
be heavily weeded. I’m not sure the reason for this, but it seems that there were no science-
related reference materials purchased during the 1980s, or at least no recently published
volumes during that decade. This means that more than half of the collection is older than me
and much of it is older than most of the teachers in the building. I propose that we weed any
book published prior to the 1990s. I considered keeping W.J. Holland’s The Butterfly Book
because it was the oldest copy in the section and it had a long list of copyright dates extending
back to the beginning of the 20th Century, which suggests that at one time it may have been
considered important. However, my research didn’t show any major significance at this point.
Also, if there had been any classic science texts that were considered highly influential in the
history of science, I would have advocated keeping those, but from what I could tell, all of these
titles were more run-of-the-mill science publications from their time.
Purchase Order

This order is in two parts because I found that not all of the books were available or available
for the lowest price at one vendor. The school currently uses both of these vendors, so this
would be an easy order to place in this fashion. Many of the books have Amazon.com links as
their reviews. I chose library sites when available, but Amazon often carries reviews from these
sources as well in addition to user reviews that can prove to be useful as well. The two most
expensive selections are multi-volume sets that received rave reviews on library sites. The rest
of the books were chosen because of teacher suggestions on their appearance on “best of” lists
for their subject matter.

Follett Titlewave Order

Books
Qt Extende
FLR# Title -- Author -- Publisher : Year Bnd  1st Price 
     y      d

02356V5 The black hole war : my battle with Stephen HR 1 23.79 $23.79
Hawking to make the world safe for quantum D
mechanics -- Susskind, Leonard [ LJ CH PW ] {IL AD,
           
530.12} -- Little, Brown, 2008., 470p Review:
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6564995.h
tml
24346X1 The carbon age : how life's core element has HR 1 22.09 $22.09
become civilization's greatest threat -- Roston, Eric D
[ LJ CH KR BL PW WS ] {IL AD, 577} -- Walker
 ,Distributed to the trade by Macmillan, 2008., 309p          
Review:
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6564995.h
tml
00635T6 Collider : the search for world's smallest particles -- HR 1 23.76 $23.76
Halpern, Paul, 1961- [ CH PW ] {IL AD, 539.7} -- D
 Wiley, c2009., 260p Review:          
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6719408.h
tml
09804Y2 Evolution vs. creationism : an introduction -- Scott, HR 1 53.95 $53.95
Eugenie Carol, 1945- [ WS ST ] {IL YA, 576.8} -- D
 Greenwood Press, 2009., 351p Review:          
http://www.amazon.com/Evolution-vs-Creationism-
Eugenie-Scott/dp/0520246500
 
05545W  [Multi-Volume Set] The new book of popular      $211.6
 4 science. 5
The new book of popular science. -- [ LM WM BK SL ] HR 1 211.6
{IL YA, 500} -- Grolier, c2008. Review: D 5
           
http://www.amazon.com/Book-Popular-Science-
Year-2008/dp/0717212262/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_1
 
06943P9 On the origin of species by means of natural FBG 1 14.46 $14.46
selection, or, The preservation of favoured races in
the struggle for life -- Darwin, Charles, 1809-1882. {IL
 AD, 576.8} -- Penguin Books, 2009., 516p Review:          
http://www.amazon.com/origin-species-means-
natural-
selection/dp/B00087QUH2/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_1
30651E8 Origins of sex : three billion years of genetic PAP 1 25.92 $25.92
recombination -- Margulis, Lynn, 1938- {IL YA, 576.8}
 -- Yale University Press, c1986., 258p Review:          
http://www.amazon.com/Origins-Sex-Billion-
Recombination-Bio-Origins/dp/0300046197
 
7 titles (qty 7) Total Guaranteed Title Price 375.62
Total Books (Qty.) 7 (7) $ 375.62
     
Grand total $ 375.62
   

Specific request from a science teacher.

Amazon Order
Author Title Review Price
Carroll, Sean The Making of the Fittest: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/article $12.21
B. DNA and the Ultimate s/PMC1904330/
Forensic Record of Evolution 
Carson, Silent Spring  http://www.amazon.com/Silent-Spring- $18.03
Rachel L. Rachel-Carson/dp/0618249060
Ridley, Matt The Red Queen: Sex and the http://www.librarything.com/work/1048 $10.16
Evolution of Human Nature 3
Darwin, Voyage of the Beagle http://www.amazon.com/Voyage-Beagle- $5.83
Charles Adventure-
Classics/dp/B0041T4TN0/ref=ntt_at_ep_
dpi_10
Darwin, Power of Movement in http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/08 $27.00
Charles Plants 14720706/ref=dp_proddesc_1?
 ie=UTF8&n=283155
Darwin, The Foundations of the http://www.amazon.com/Foundations- $9.99
Charles Origin of Species: Two Essays Origin-Species-Essays-
Written in 1842 and 1844 written/dp/B003VS14XA/ref=sr_1_1?
s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1291055492&sr=
1-1
Margulis, Symbiosis in Cell Evolution: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.111 $126.95
Lynn Life and its Environment on 1/j.1469-8137.1982.tb03390.x/pdf
the Early Earth
Margulis, Microcosmos: Four Billion http://www.amazon.com/Microcosmos- $36.65
Lynn and Years of Evolution from our Billion-Evolution-Microbial-
Dorion Sagan Microbial Ancestors Ancestors/dp/0671747983

Miller, Finding Darwin’s God: A http://www.amazon.com/Finding- $9.89

Kenneth Scientist’s Search for
Common Ground Between
God and Evolution
Kirschner, The Plausibility of Life:
Mark and Resolving Darwin's Dilemma
John Gerhart
Darwins-God-Scientists-
Evolution/dp/0060930497
http://www.amazon.com/Plausibility- $13.50
Life-Resolving-Darwins-
Dilemma/dp/0300108656

Barlow, The Ghosts of Evolution, http://www.amazon.com/Ghosts- $19.00

Connie Nonsensical Fruit, Missing
Partners, and Other
Ecological Anachronisms
Pennock, Intelligent Design and
Richard, Ed. Creationism and Its Critics:
Philosophical, Theological,
and Scientific Perspectives
Eldredge, Reinventing Darwin: The
Niles Great Debate at the High
Table of Evolutionary Theory
Dawkins, The Selfish Gene
Richard
Dawkins, The Blind Watchmaker: Why
Richard the Evidence of Evolution
Reveals a Universe Without
Design
Kaku, Michio Physics of the Impossible: A
Scientific Exploration into
the World of Phasers, Force
Evolution-Nonsensical-Ecological-
Anachronisms/dp/0465005527
$35.73
http://www.amazon.com/Reinventing- $23.10
Darwin-Debate-Evolutionary-
Theory/dp/0471303011
http://www.amazon.com/Selfish-Gene- $10.97
Richard-Dawkins/dp/0192860925
http://www.amazon.com/Blind- $23.22
Watchmaker-Evidence-Evolution-
Universe/dp/0393315703
http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/BookD $18.45
etail.aspx?isbn=0385520697
 Fields, Teleportation, and
Time Travel
Seife, Charles Decoding the Universe http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA $24.00
6417288.html
Henshaw, Does Measurement Measure http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA $31.00
John M. Up?: How Numbers Reveal 6417288.html
and Conceal the Truth
The New Encyclopedia of http://www.amazon.com/New- $435.00
Science Encyclopedia-Science-9---
Set/dp/019521918X/ref=sr_1_2?
s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1291220801&sr=
1-2

Total: $890.68

Grand total of both orders: $1266.30

Online Resources

The following list on online resources were selected because they also support the science
curriculum. The websites I chose were all free and should be easier to keep current than a print
collection. I tried to cover all four science courses we covered and I made use of several
collection of “best of” lists to help narrow my search.

1. http://www.sln.org/ This is a site that focuses on making science interesting to students.

2. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/teachers/ Nova's site for teachers has a wide range of
multimedia resources for teaching science.
3. http://www.nationalgeographic.com/ National Geographic is already a respected
source, but its website carries full back issues and multimedia that is not present in the
magazine.
4. http://www.madsci.org/ This is formatted in a sort of question/answer format on
science issues.
5. http://www.eurekascience.com/ This is an award-winning science site. There is a
distinct focus on cells and genetics but it is not limited to that.
6. http://www.howstuffworks.com/ How Stuff Works, a division of Discovery, has articles
explaining issues on many topics as well as podcasts on a variety of subjects. This
resource would actually work for several content areas in addition to science.
7. http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/home.shtml  This site details
the Human Genome Project.
8. http://www.xtalent.com.au/gallery/index.php?cat=3 This site houses many electron
microscrope images that could be very useful for both teachers and students.
9. http://www.scientificamerican.com/section.cfm?id=ask-the-experts Students can search
the archives of questions answered or send in their own.
10. http://www.alcyone.com/max/physics/laws/index.html  This is an online dictionary of
hundreds of physics terms.
11. http://elchem.kaist.ac.kr/vt/chem-ed/analytic/ac-basic.htm  This site is an introduction
to the basics of chemistry.
12. http://jersey.uoregon.edu/vlab/ This Virtual Lab uses Java applets to allow students to
explore a variety of principles.
13. http://www.sfu.ca/physics/funstuff/java/  This website actually lets students
experience a more hands on way of working with charged particles.
14. http://ww2.unime.it/dipart/i_fismed/wbt/ita/wf2/generator/generator_ita.htm This
site provides a simulator of the physics of a generator.
15. http://www.chem.uci.edu/undergrad/applets/sim/simulation.htm  This site allows
students to experiment virtually with chemical reactions.
16. http://www.nyu.edu/pages/mathmol/ This site provides a variety of resources for
modeling molecules.
17. http://www.webelements.com/index.html This is an in-depth coverage of entire
Periodic Table.
18. http://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/senese/101/glossary.shtml  This is an online
glossary of chemistry terms.
19. http://www.acdlabs.com/download/  Students and teachers can download free
software to help them model molecules.
20. http://www.can-do.com/uci/k12-lessons.html  Teachers can either use these science
webquests for their own classes or use them as inspirations for webquests of their own
creation.