In this article, Jacob Olivey describes his department's efforts to both diversify their Key Stage 3 curriculum and secure greater curricular coherence. Building on a large body of research and practice, Olivey sought new forms of curricular coherence through the selection and sequencing of substantive content across the curriculum. He reflects on…

Seventh graders reacted enthusiastically to this watercolor art activity. A blank piece of white drawing paper was soaked in water and then removed to a newspaper-covered table. Students held a brush full of watercolor above the paper and squeezed the bristles. When the droplets hit the surface, they spread beautifully. (RM)

Describes an eight-week unit on Israel for seventh graders and shows how the unit relates to the 1981 "California History/Social Science Framework." The unit introduces students to framework content goals in history and the humanities. Activities include journal writing, artifact building, archaeological simulations, and a geographical…

This article presents a model of an effective unit of study in which music played a vital role. The unit of study was created and implemented in a New York City middle school, and students examined an African American community in the borough of Brooklyn. The unit enabled students to explore the history, heritage, and culture of a local community…

Describes the implementation and evaluation of a cross-age tutoring program in which 21 struggling seventh-grade readers tutored third-graders, based on strategies and preparation they learned in their own Strategic Reading class. Notes that reading skills and enjoyment of these seventh-grade students were significantly expanded. Discusses factors…

Describes the process of developing a summer school social studies program for academically talented seventh graders. Based on a video encyclopedia, the program covers social, political, economic, and cultural events of the twentieth century. Includes sample activities. (LS)

Describes a pilot project in Philadelphia which introduced seventh- and eighth-grade minority students to computers as a means of building their self-confidence and encouraging them to pursue careers in engineering and computer science. Includes partial course outline, evaluation methods, and tips for success. (DC)

An outline of the Spanish curriculum used in grades 4-7 in the Radford, Virginia schools is presented. It consists of outlines of the course content for each year of the four-year program. The content is divided into two categories: listening comprehension, geared to a specific textbook, and the grouped skills of speaking, reading, writing,…

An outline of the French curriculum used in the Radford, Virginia schools is presented. It consists of outlines of the major and supplementary materials and linguistic content used in each year of the four-year Foreign Language in the Elementary School (FLES) program. A brief introductory section describes the program's origins and instructional…

A sixth- and seventh-grade program "Latin Vibes," developed in response to a rising demand within the community for more student understanding of the evolution of the English language, is outlined. The courses for each grade chronicle the influences of Latin and the romance languages on the development of English over the centuries. The program…