What constitutes appropriate practice in physical education? NASPE suggests the outcome of a physical education program should be that adolescents have gained the skills and knowledge to be physically active for a lifetime. Furthermore, a physically educated person consistently demonstrates responsible personal and social behavior in physical…

This article examines instructional strategies that middle school educators can use in inclusive settings in order to support the unique needs of culturally and linguistically diverse exceptional (CLDE) students. These nine strategies are appropriate for both typical and atypical learners in a whole group setting, but they are particularly useful…

Taking a critical, research-oriented perspective, this exploration of the theoretical, empirical, and pedagogical connections between the reading and teaching of young adult literature and adolescent identity development centers around three key questions: (1) Who are the teens reading young adult literature?; (2) Why should teachers teach young…

The visual arts can play an important role in the adolescent's struggle to link the inner world of thoughts and feelings with the outer world of expressive form. The Summer Visual Arts Institute, organized by Boston University for adolescents, is described. (RM)

The Surgeon General, the Nation's top public health officer, is appointed by the President of the United States to help protect and promote the health of the Nation. The recently published "Surgeon General's Call to Action To Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking" [ED496083] highlights underage alcohol use as a major public health and…

Explores reasons why adolescents lose interest in art by focusing on the internal and external disruptions in their artistic development. Discusses the influence of manga, or comics, on the artistic development of children in Japan and relates the characteristics of manga. Addresses the use of manga within the Japanese art curriculum. (CMK)

Early adolescence is a time when students require adult assistance to become accurate and effective decision makers and problem solvers. Because of the fragmented nature of society, the family structure, and the schooling process, schools need to establish a nonthreatening environment in which students can discuss the issues related to growing up.…

Provides guidelines for choral directors who are choosing and adapting music for middle school singers (grades 4 through 9). Discusses three types of ensembles (treble, mixed, and tenor/bass choirs) in which the voicing is appropriate to the adolescent voice. Includes a selected repertoire for middle school choral groups. (CMK)

Provides five rules teachers should abide by when using primary sources: (1) material must be age appropriate; (2) selections should be readable and accessible; (3) background information is necessary to help students decode the documents; (4) students should be arranged in groups of two or three; and (5) purpose and motivation must be given. (CMK)

An awareness of the developmental needs of adolescents is important in planning for students in a Montessori program. Six important principles to consider when planning for young adolescents are time; thematic, integrated curriculum; choice; time to be together; time to be alone; and technology and nontext reading materials. (TJQ)

Designed to provide useful information for middle school teachers and administrators involved in planning and implementing microcomputer programs in their schools, this focus paper begins with a brief discussion of the "who, what, when, where, and why" of microcomputers in the schools, followed by discussions of two types of relevant research: the…

"Teacher to Teacher" provides a forum for teachers to share ideas, materials, and activities. In this article, the first teacher describes the effects the well-known novel "Bleachers" (John Grisham, New York: Doubleday, 2003) had on a ninth-grade english class. The novel bought to life the high school culture that the students found challenging.…

Research indicates that middle school students need a great amount of physical activity to remain alert, motivated and eager to learn. A study was conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Middle-Level Athletics Task Force to gather and evaluate information about athletic programs that are compatible with young adolescents' needs…