An Oregon teacher describes how she and her class planned and experienced an overnight hiking trip. (SJL)

Because drowning rates are highest among school-aged children, a drownproofing program was implemented in Hawaiian public schools. The state-supported program, carried out by Sea Trek Hawaii, is conducted at local swimming pools. Content of the 10-hour course focuses on building basic water safety concepts/knowledge and teaching fundamental water…

Describes an evaluator's experiences in three art workshops for fourth graders at the Carnegie Museum of Art. Workshop participants demonstrated significant intellectual growth and visual learning. (AM)

Describes an experimental arts project in which groups of first and fourth grade students designed masks and used them to dramatize stories. The purpose of the project was to provide students with experiences with art forms while increasing their abilities to express feelings. (AM)

A fourth-grade teacher explains how she began planning for retention possibilities as soon as the Fall achievement test results became available by notifying parents immediately, working with them throughout the school year to help their failing children, and involving them in the promotion/nonpromotion decision. (SJL)

Discusses "Students Discovering Cities" and related activities, explaining how the program evolved into a city planning project for fourth graders in West Jordan, Utah. Describes the final stage of the project in which students "built" their city inside the school gymnasium, complete with streets, lights, cardboard buildings,…

Documenting the design and data analysis procedures behind the 1992 Trial State Assessment in reading, this book also provides insight into the rationale behind the technical decisions made about the program. Chapters in the book are: (1) "Overview: The Design, Implementation, and Analysis of the 1992 Trial State Assessment Program in…

Describes a local history project undertaken by fourth graders at Trumansburg Elementary School in Trumansburg, New York. Students studied the architecture of the village by visiting historical structures, sketching buildings, constructing three-dimensional models, and visiting a living history village. (MDM)

The basis for this report is an assessment by teachers, administrators, students and parents on how well Oregon's fourth graders are reading. The project was specifically designed to reflect concerns and goals which Oregon citizens regarded as relevant to their children's education. The first section of this report discusses the background of the…

Third- and fourth-grade volunteers created two large murals at Nishuane Elementary School. This article is one of four in this issue on elementary mural projects. (SJL)

Uses the example of a fourth-grade class working to have the firefly declared as Pennsylvania's state insect to highlight the effectiveness of dynamic social studies in elementary school. Discusses how dynamic social studies maintains a balance between seriousness and fun by offering a blend of variety, active involvement, and excitement while…

An action research study described and evaluated a program for motivating students to read and to take more responsibility for their learning. The targeted population consisted of second- and fourth-grade students in rural-suburban communities west of Chicago, Illinois. Students' lack of motivation related to reading and failure to become…

A fourth-grade Nova Scotia class produced a weekly 1-hour radio show. Students decided the program format, show themes, topics, and group members. Each show was co-hosted by four students. All students got a chance to host, and all were successful. The project addressed most of the language arts standards and gave students experience in technology…

A reading program carried out at the Afro-American Studies Resource Center in Roxbury, Massachusetts, is evaluated in this paper. The program's overall intent was to improve reading skills through improved self concept. The fifty-eight black and brown children who participated were in grades 2, 3, and 4 of the Boston public schools and were six…

The University of British Columbia (Canada) dental school has implemented a clinical experience program in which children in grades 2-4 are bused to the university for dental treatment. The program has helped maintain undergraduate pediatric dental experiences, benefited the children's dental health, and cost parents less than traditional dental…