The purposes of this study were: (1) to test several social decision schemes to obtain plausible explanations of different group processes in solving different disjunctive tasks; and (2) to study both dyads and tetrads solving a eureka and a non-eureka disjunctive task. Social decision schemes theory assumes that a group decision is a joint…

This paper discusses a cognitive model of how action agendas and goals emerge through the dynamics of self-organization in collaborative activities. While machines are designed to perform a function, or goal, humans are self-organizing systems that set their own goals and produce order without having external order imposed on them, or, more…

This report describes a program for increasing the thinking skills of fourth grade students in one classroom in northern Illinois. Both objective and subjective data gathering found that students experienced difficulty in relating and applying facts and concepts on tasks requiring more sophisticated thinking. Solution strategies combined with an…

Intended for students from about fourth-grade through high school, the "Road Game" is about competition and cooperation, teamwork and chaos, perception and misperception, and communication and conflict resolution. All information necessary for playing the game is provided. Instructions for playing the game with a cultural bias are also included.…

The article describes Potentials Unlimited, a summer camp program for gifted intermediate grade students in Cincinnati, Ohio. Aspects covered include priorities in selecting curricular activities and some of the camp activities themselves. (DLS)

This report describes a plan for utilizing critical thinking in the art education setting to improve students' decision-making and problem-solving abilities. The targeted population consists of sixth-grade students in a growing middle class, rural based community located in northern Illinois. The problem of weak critical thinking skills was…

Reports on a study that analyzed students' chain of music decisions from problem perception to problem solution. Found that highly involved problem solvers explored and organized sound for its musical expressiveness, while uninvolved problem solvers rarely based their decisions on musical concerns. Concludes with implications for music teaching.…

This simulation helps students in grades four to eight see their planet as one environment with limited resources shared by all. Students learn that the earth is a large system comprised of small systems, that systems are interdependent and often have irreplaceable parts, and that resources are not equally divided among countries. (RM)

These activity cards represent a way for teachers to supplement the content of the curriculum with activities that address the concept of conflict. Students become aware of conflicts in their lives and discover individual methods for coping with those conflicts. The cards contain action-oriented activities to enable students to learn through…

Activities and exercises to enhance student leadership are included in this curriculum guide for middle-level student leaders and their advisors. Because students in intermediate grades are not "little high school students," this separate leadership curriculum guide for middle-level student leaders was developed. Although the achieved skills are…

The document provides the revised curriculum guide for Project SOCRATES, a program designed for academically gifted students in grades 4 and 5. The guide is organized according to the project's four goal areas: development of creative thinking, for casting, reasoning, and planning and decision making. Under each goal are listed objectives and…

This paper discusses peace education curriculum in the Milwaukee (Wisconsin) Public School district. The peace education promotion has been in existence for 10 years and was created in response to rising levels of violence. Specifically examined are the uses of peace education at Fritsche Middle School, a school that has proven the positive…

This workbook presents activities for training middle school student peer listeners. The first of the workbook's 10 chapters contains an introduction to peer listening. Activities include a pretest on a series of true-false statements called the "Peer Listening Inventory," defining the meaning of the words that describe the qualities of a peer…

Intended to challenge students in grades 4-9 to deal creatively and constructively with conflict, this interdisciplinary resource book contains 40 reproducible student worksheets that can be incorporated into social studies, science, and language arts curricula. Teaching techniques include modeling, mediation, problem-solving, brainstorming, role…

An administrator's daily life is full of decisions that often involve an "on the spot" solution. This paper discusses some of the principles involved in drawing inferences in research and decision making, and describes how a knowledge of decision-making errors can help administrators. The paper also describes a case study that…