This research constructed a curriculum-design model based on big idea theory, which focused on students' understanding of core concepts and application of science knowledge, thus providing a possible framework for the collaboration of museums and schools. Specifically, museums and schools shared the common goal of prompting students to understand science big ideas, while having respective context features. Accordingly, a botanical garden science course for primary school students was designed under this model. As a result, participants showed more abstract and transferable conceptual understanding after the course learning. In the future, Chinese science museums could focus more on students' perception of science phenomena and course integrity based on big idea theory in order to complement school science education.

big idea  /  museum course design  /  Museum-School collaboration  /  science education