The SEMS Project (Science Education in Middle School) in Michigan is a cooperative science education improvement effort by several universities, hundreds of school districts, and the state department of education. Upper elementary and middle/junior high school teachers have been targeted for improvement of science instruction. Although the initial area of focus included teachers of grades five through nine, the project has been successfully extended to early elementary grades. While there are many excellent teachers at these grade levels, research findings indicate that 49 per cent of all middle school science teachers are teaching without a major or minor in science! The situation is even more critical at the upper elementary levels.