Middle School Environmental Science Content Developers

WHRO is looking for Sixth and Seventh Grade Science teachers to create content for Environmental Science lesson plans and associated multimedia. This paid independent contractor position is estimated to conclude in November 2027.

Required Education: Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 3 years of teaching experience in an middle school science classroom and/or curriculum supervisory experience of middle school science curriculum. An applicant must hold a current Virginia teaching license endorsed to teach Middle Education 6–8 Science.

Required Qualifications: A qualified candidate must demonstrate:

• Thorough knowledge of content and associated standards/guidelines (e.g., 2018 Grade 6 and/or 2018 Life Science VA Standards of Learning for Science of the content being developed;
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills and ability to communicate ideas and information effectively, clearly, and concisely;
• Previous experience with developing learning objectives and instructional activities that support a variety of learning styles;
• Experience designing and implementing project-based learning;
• The ability to provide content and assessment items that are rigorous and correlate to middle and higher levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy;
• Experience with curriculum design principles and practices;
• Exemplary time management, communications, interpersonal, verbal, listening, problem-solving, decision-making, organizational, and troubleshooting skills; and
• The ability to work in a collaborative environment.

Please note that chosen candidates must attend multiple virtual training sessions before developing the online content.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience with or a strong interest in Environmental Science content, including a passion for developing engaging, standards-aligned instructional materials that promote environmental literacy.
• Prior experience with online learning and online curriculum development
• Online teaching experience and or online teaching facilitator training
• Knowledge of local, state, or national Science organizations
• Attendance at a Virginia Department of Education Standards of Learning Institute (if applicable) or other curriculum or Science conferences

Primary Responsibilities:

The content developer will:

• Adhere to the project timeline (content training and development will take place between July 2026 and November 2027);
• The contractor will review existing Environmental Science lesson plans and accompanying multimedia concepts to evaluate their instructional quality, alignment to the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs), and overall effectiveness. Based on this review, the contractor will determine whether the existing materials sufficiently address the intended learning objectives or require revision.

The contractor may:

• Validate and approve existing lesson plans and multimedia concepts with minor revisions as needed.
• Enhance existing lesson plans and multimedia ideas by adding instructional content, activities, assessments, or interactive elements.
• Completely redesign and rewrite lesson plans and multimedia concepts if the existing materials do not adequately address the SOLs or instructional goals.
• Revise published content as directed by the Senior Curriculum Manager; and
• Communicate any challenges, need for help, etc., to the Senior Curriculum Manager.

The final deliverables will include:

• A complete, standards-aligned Environmental Science lesson plan.
• A corresponding interactive multimedia concept (e.g., interactive activity, animation, simulation, branching scenario, game, or other engaging digital learning experience) that supports the lesson objectives and promotes student engagement.
• Documentation demonstrating that the lesson plan and multimedia align with the applicable Virginia Environmental Science Standards of Learning.

If you are interested in applying to be an Middle School Science content development contractor, please access the online application. For questions, contact Dr. Suzanne Freeman.

WHRO is an Equal Opportunity Employer. WHRO does not discriminate against employees or applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, citizenship status, disability, medical condition, genetic predisposition or carrier status, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status or any other characteristic protected by applicable local, state of federal law.