This article describes how to improve students' notetaking skills by having them pretend they are journalists wiring in a story. Students must pare down information to the essentials and calculate telegram costs. Sample exercises and a reproducible page are provided. (JL)

A teacher describes how she used the autobiographical stories recounting Laura Ingalls Wilder's frontier life to teach history to a third-grade class. Activities included frontier foods, storytelling, a school play, a concert, bookmarks, student autobiographies, and a spelling bee. (CB)

Classroom activities are suggested for heightening students' awareness of the practical and ethical implications of laws and responsible citizenship. (JD)

A four-week third-grade class study of the Summer Olympics is described. Activities for studying the host and participating countries were incorporated through map, social studies, art, mathematics, and language arts activities. (CB)

A study of family history is suggested as a catalyst for motivating middle grade students and for effecting learning simultaneously. Numerous activities for adding interest and for expanding learning opportunities are offered. (DG)

A 7th-grade teacher describes a unit on the elderly involving films, books, a visit to a local nursing home, and other activities. Resources for teaching about old age are listed. Suggestions for preparing for and following up on a nursing home visit and ideas for related activities are presented. (MT)

Computers may help students delve farther into social studies research topics. The role of the computer in database management is explored in this article. (DF)

Discusses the results of a correctional education program which appears to lead to a reduced rate of return to prison. The operation of the program is based on the moral development models and attitude change theories of Piaget, Kohlberg, and others. (SK)

Suggestions are made for classroom games intended to increase the understanding of a wide range of social studies concepts in elementary school children. These games cover the topics of history, geography, basic economics, community functions, media communication, career considerations, and making decisions. (JD)

A fourth grade teacher commemorated Black History Month with a study of African culture and geography. Students were assigned to make a chosen African country come alive through an oral presentation. Finger puppets, which students outfitted in traditional tribal attire, were used to enhance the project. (SM)

Describes a multicultural unit for elementary students. Children select a folk art or craft and become experts, learn the craft, research the craft, pass the craft on, and review their discoveries. The unit culminates in a folk arts festival at which students demonstrate their craft to classmates, teachers, and guests. (SM)

Background information, learning activities, and educational resources for a lesson unit on food additives is provided. Advantages and disadvantages of additives are discussed. (PP)

A teaching kit on coal as an energy source provides background information, ideas for activities, and educational resources needed to start a class project on this contemporary issue. Information about coal, coal mining, electricity production, and environmental-versus-consumer needs is provided. (PP)

A teaching unit on transportation compares the costs of various modes of transportation--private automobile, bus, and bicycle--in terms of energy efficiency and air pollution. Class projects on transportation are suggested, along with sources of further information and a reading list for children. (PP)

Ways to make historical figures come to life through classroom simulations are described. They include: (1) teacher impersonations of time-machine visitors; (2) public-address-system voices from the past; (3) writing about historical personages from different perspectives; (4) mock trials; and (5) role playing by students. (PP)