Challenging students to educate the public about how rhetoric functions is a primary impetus of the argumentative dictionary eBook. In this author's classes, "rhetoric" means the communicative tactics and strategies used to motivate actions and beliefs. With its emphasis on open-access rhetorical pedagogy, this project and its impetus…

Step-by-step details are given for a classroom activity in which fifth and sixth graders construct original crossword puzzles. (SJL)

Proposes student-taught minicourses as a way of fostering self-directed learners while meeting the demands of an extensive and varied curriculum. Outlines a procedure for establishing such courses. (FL)

A comparison between the second language learner and the native language learner provides the primary argument for the importance of listening without having to produce a response immediately. The fact that children listen to their native language for at least 8 hours a day implies that students need to spend more time in listening activities. In…

This project involves secondary students in selecting and researching an event in U.S. history and writing a poetic ballad, from a first person point of view. Completed works are presented at a school assembly. (RM)

Describes the use of student developed mathematics questions. Includes explanatory letter to parents. (MKR)

A sampling of puzzles and games produced by students at North Rockland High School (New York) are presented as an example of a way student-designed activities can be used to cover a specific unit within the health education curriculum. Produced by 9th and 10th graders, the unit on alcohol consists of puzzles and word games using related vocabulary…

Suggestions from five contributors deal with the following topics: (1) helping the child who stutters to read fluently, (2) the vowel-consonant-vowel controversy, (3) motivating the reluctant reader, (4) building self-concept through a story wall, and (5) dictionary study. (FL)

Explains how student-generated, computer-based multimedia projects can be meaningful learning activities to integrate into the K-12 curriculum. Describes three phases: design, including goals and objectives of the project and use of the finished product; production, including choosing multimedia software, prototyping, and usability testing; and…

Presents creative ways for teachers to interest students in learning history by encouraging a feel for the context and interrelationships of events. Names, dates, and events are interspersed with opportunities for students to experience history through their own lives (e.g. oral histories, personal scrapbooks, family photographs, and household…

A US history activity which generated excitement and enhanced class discussion involved students in writing each other letters as imaginary correspondents living through the period under study. Follow-up activities included displaying letters on bulletin boards, reading correspondence aloud in class, a debate, and a class-written history play. (RM)

In this physical geography field course, college students plan and develop interpretive guides that explain the physical environment of a field site. This approach has two advantages: students develop geographical skills to a level approaching professional expertise and distributing the brochures increases public awareness of the value of…

Music motivator projects that enable the elementary teacher to use social science methods (known as ethnomethodology) to observe and learn about students without testing are described. Working in groups and guiding each other, students compose a musical composition and then notate it. Discovery learning is encouraged. (RM)

Thirty classroom-tested activities are presented for motivating students to communicate orally in any foreign language. For each activity, the following information is provided: level, purpose, materials, procedure, and source. Variations and follow-up activities are also suggested. (Author/AMH)

This book leads students through a journey of hands-on investigations of skill-based estimation. The 30 lessons in the book are grouped into four units: Holding Hands, The Real Scoop, Container Calculations, and Estimeasurements. In each unit children work with unique, real materials intended to build an awareness of number, quantity, and…