Mathematics and science have similar learning processes (SLPs) and it has been proposed that courses focused on these and other similarities promote transfer across disciplines. However, it is not known how the use of these processes in lessons taught to children change throughout a preservice teacher education course or which are most likely to…

STEM education in elementary school is guided by the understanding that engineering represents the application of science and math concepts to make life better for people. The Engineering Design Process (EDP) guides the application of creative solutions to problems. Helping teachers understand how to apply the EDP to create lessons develops a…

This book helps general and special education teachers empower students in grades K-4 to independently solve problems by teaching them how characters in children's literature books solved similar problems. Students are also taught a problem solving strategy that they can apply to solve problems in any situation. The book contains ready-to-use…

This companion book to Beyond the Bean Seed: Gardening Activities for Grades K-6 uses children's literature related to gardening, gardeners, designing gardens, multicultural literature, ecology, the environment, and the impact of plants on world economies and politics, to connect gardening in all its aspects to creativity, problem solving,…

This article details an approach to teaching one step in a mathematics word-problem-solving strategy, that of organizing the facts. A lesson plan is offered which involves directed instruction and supervised practice in five strategies for organizing facts. (DB)

This document is a collection of activity-based mathematics lessons for grades K-4 from the "Ideas" department in "Arithmetic Teacher: Mathematics Education through the Middle Grades." Each lesson includes background information, objectives, directions, extensions, and student worksheets. A matrix is included which correlates…

Maintains that good thinking skills do not just happen; but rather they must be taught and practiced. Provides a lesson on creative problem solving in which students identify a problem, find facts, develop ideas, and create solutions. Discusses the application of the lesson to other areas of the social studies curriculum. (RW)

Describes data analysis activities for grades three through six using unshelled peanuts. Includes two reproducible student worksheets. (MKR)

This excerpt from "A New View: Economics and the Zoo," by Diane J. Coleman and Joyce R. Monger, gives teaching suggestions for teaching economic concepts using the zoo as a case study. It gives texts of three readings for students on the purposes of zoos, evaluating a zoo's accomplishments, and economic decision making through analysis of typical…

This document describes a teacher-developed, elementary school level program that teaches conflict resolution through children's literature. This is a whole language/peace education program in which children learn creative ways to solve conflicts by reading and writing stories about conflicts. The document opens with a reproduction of the program…

This curriculum guide was designed to improve creative problem-solving skills in children through the use of career concepts. It was the basis of the Career Awareness Program for fifth and sixth graders at a N.Y. elementary school. The concepts may be presented in sequence or integrated into existing programs and disciplines. Each worksheet…