What's on Your Mind?--Televised Neuroscience Education

Science education has emerged as a central goal of American education. Yet, research indicatesthat science literacy for U.S.students is deficient by both national and international standards. Drugabuse education in the schools suffers from many of the typical problems associated with scienceeducation including excessive rote learning, textbook-centered lessons, and an emphasis onmemorization at the expense of critical thought and exploration. Television has been identified as apromising medium for promoting science literacy and drug abuse education. By the time children in theU.S. enter middle school, they have typically spent more time viewing television than attending school.The proposed project aims to improve science literacy through the development of an innovativeexperiential television series designed to generate interest and increase knowledge in neuroanatomy,physiology, an brain-behavior relationships. It will include specific programming designed to promotesubstance abuse education. The series will be commercially marketed and targeted to a national cableor network audience, primarily adolescents in grades seven through ten.