How might science education reflect the values of a socially just and democratic society? How do urban youth living in poverty construct science in their lives in ways that are enriching, empowering, and transformative? Using a combination of in-depth case studies and rigorous theory, this volume:

• Offers a series of teaching stories that describes youth's practices of science, providing valuable insight to help teachers work with inner-city youth.
• Explores the importance of inclusiveness, membership rules, and the purposes and goals of good science, including utility, pragmatism, and doing good for others.
• Shows how science connects to the lives of youth both in and out of school.
• Builds on and critiques current reform initiatives in science education.
• Features stories taken from six years of teaching and research in after-school science programs with children and youth in homeless shelters.
• Illustrates how the children's unique situations framed their constructions of science in compelling and challenging ways.