TIDeS Teaching Materials

Overview

The TIDeS project developed two full courses of curricular material for introductory undergraduate courses in Earth science and physical science. These materials were developed, tested, and revised by teams of instructors from a wide range of institutions; the published materials meet all of the criteria in the TIDeS rubric. These curricular materials are freely available for anyone to adopt and adapt.

Download the TIDeS rubric description and references (Acrobat (PDF) 345kB Dec31 24).

These materials are different from traditional introductory curricular materials. You will find that these materials include:

These curricular materials are freely available for anyone to adopt and adapt.

Where to start

If you are new to the TIDeS project and our curricular materials, you can get started by clicking on one of the courses below. From the course home page, you may want to first navigate to the Course Overview page, which will give you a sense for the overall arc and flow of the course and what is in each unit, and the Recurring Themes and Assignments page will tell you more about the kinds of activities that take place throughout the course. Each Unit consists of a detailed description of what to do in class when, what to assign for work outside of class, what to assess and how to grade, and teaching tips. The Instructor Stories are where the people who developed and taught with the materials tell you more about their courses and experiences.

Earth Science Course

In this introductory Earth Science for pre-service teachers course, students will examine Earth processes through the lenses of geology, meteorology, oceanography, and astronomy. This course provides students with opportunities to engage with science content in ways that will help them teach it to their future students.

Physical Science Course

In this physical sciences course for future teachers, students explore typical concepts of energy, power, heat engines, pressure, density, buoyancy, fluids, projectile motion, and Newton's laws of motion. This is an active learning class with very little time spent in a traditional lecture setting.

Instructor Stories

Read Instructor Stories Now »

Explore how instructors from diverse disciplines are transforming their classrooms with TIDeS materials. These stories highlight innovative approaches to engaging students, fostering active participation, and connecting course content to real-world applications. From building scientific confidence to inspiring collaboration and inquiry, these instructors share their strategies for making science education more meaningful and impactful.