SERC is OPEN!
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Please contact the new SERC Coordinator,
Diane Davis at 408-924-4884
or sercsjsu@gmail.com
Welcome! Our
website is currently in the process of being updated. Please check out our
workshops page.
Click here to view our brochure
(PDF)
The Science Education Resource Center (SERC) at San Jose State University provides resources and support for K-12 pre-service and in-service teachers in the greater San Jose area. At SERC we strive to help teachers deliver high quality science instruction by providing helpful materials and consultation.
Teachers can check out our inventory books, videos, science equipment and live animals to supplement and enrich the curriculum in their classrooms. SERC also offers content and pedagogical support through individual consultation as well as professional development workshops throughout the year.
Science Education Resource Center (SERC) History
- By Jean Beard
(Updated September 2011
For many years the living animal collection was also used in college
natural history/natural science classes.
A Boa Constrictor and Desert Tortoise have been regulars.
Farusha, a Boa that was in the collection for more that 20 years, was
featured in a Spartan Daily article almost every year.
Now, because the animals are housed in a building that meets National
Institutes of Health standards, the restrictions about care and use are more
detailed.
Many of the preserved animals were student products from a Museum
techniques course. Since collecting
of organisms is now illegal, this teaching collection of stuffed mammals and
birds and preserved organisms is even more valuable now.
Skeletons and shells in many cases come from student collections of many
years ago.
In the early days the K-8 textbook collection was donated by faculty
members who were on state textbook selection committees.
Each reviewer was sent a set of each text series that was applying to be
the one state K-8 grade series adopted.
Since the state supported text list has expanded and reviewers are no
longer given books to keep the SERC elementary and middle school book
collections declined. SERC does
accept donations of current texts from publishers for both elementary and
secondary texts and references.
More of the physical science materials are newer. Many of the models and simple demonstrations have been replaced with more current versions. But there are astronomy materials about the solar system and constellations that have remained.
Science
Education Resource Center (408) 924-4884
Science Building, Room 304
©2011