Most states have redesigned their science "courses of study" in the last few years with new emphasis on "hands-on" science instruction. While these prescribe broad learning objectives and skills, teachers are left to their own devices for designing specific hands-on activities that meet the learning objectives. Many schools have assembled teams of teachers to design detailed curricula others are assuming individual classroom teachers will solve the problems. In either case, the teachers need help. Many take the relatively easy route of purchasing a "kit" program which delivers hands-on exercises and the supplies to do them in relatively expensive kits. Many of these kits are not well designed. Teachers are discovering that, given the rules for keeping animals in the classroom, plants are much more convenient. Yet, most teachers have weak backgrounds in plant biology and a general lack of confidence in science. Teachers not only need help with science activities but they are also faced with other new demands: integration of curriculum from the several traditional disciplines and the use of newly acquired technology in developmentally appropriate ways. This, then, is a time of major curricular innovation when the help of professional botanists is critically important to the future of school science. We have offered "Plant Biology for Teachers" in two slightly different formats which will be described. There are many factors to consider in planning such a workshop and pitfalls to be avoided. Each day of our workshop introduces concepts and terms from plant biology, reinforces the lesson with hands-on activities, and uses many kinds of technology as tools for learning. The goal of sharing this information is to encourage other scientists to offer similar workshops for teachers in the regions they serve.

Key words: K-8 teachers, teaching workshop