Virtual solutions of museums can be notably used to promote distance learning activities by providing information about their collections. However, the effective use of this potential depends mainly on the exact alignment of the learning activities with the educational goals. For this purpose, this study focuses on the analysis of pre-service…

Describes how a simulated excursion to Israel was used to teach many kinds of related information. (JMB)

A Child Awareness Program was conducted by nine elementary schools to enhance acceptance of handicapped children by their nonhandicapped peers through child awareness activities. A manual of activities was developed containing lesson plans, lists of guest speakers, audiovisual materials, and suggested simulations of handicapping conditions. (SB)

A list of 88 games appropriate for elementary level social studies is presented. Only games which may be played with large groups are included; board games are excluded. Each entry includes recommended grade levels, playing time, number of players, and cost. Addresses for each source are provided. (Author/KC)

Debunks five misconceptions about improving creative thinking. To encourage students to think creatively, instructional techniques should reflect an integrated set of mental skills, use materials mimicking real-life situations, consider students' beliefs and tendencies toward creative thinking, show metacognitive sensibility, and foster a creative…

Briefly reviews several studies on the effectiveness of simulation games and reports an investigation examining the effectiveness of a simulation game designed to incorporate learning activities at three hierarchial levels suggested by Taba. (BR)

Describes a conceptual scheme that will help elementary school children understand the occupations and types of work he learns about in school. (SB)

Describes how teachers turned the reality of the nuclear reactor incident at Three Mile Island into a learning experience for children by recreating the sequence of events through creative dramatics. (CM)

The focus of this guide is to simulate real world economic activity in the classroom by using a form of economics instruction called a " mini-economy." In a mini-economy, students earn play money in a variety of ways and spend it at a class store or class auction. Students apply for classroom jobs, run businesses, pay taxes, buy rental…

How to use elementary school children as curators of a classroom museum is described. The teacher decides the concept or unit to be showcased in the museum. As curators students are responsible for many tasks including writing descriptive paragraphs for the artifacts and arranging the artifact display. (RM)

In this unit, elementary students are involved in many activities that introduce them to the basics of anthropology and archaeology. They interpret artifacts and record and interpret archaeological data, learn about environmental indicators and the significance of archaeological findings, and study conservation. The unit's culminating activity is…

Describes the implementation of a hands-on minicourse on mass production designed to help students understand this industrial process. Provides instructions and pattern guide for making string-art mandala sailboats. (TA)

Focuses on career education and how it can be integrated into the curriculum. (SB)

"Waste in Place" is an interdisciplinary, sequential curriculum for kindergarten through sixth grade. The eight units in the curriculum (one offering background information for teachers and one for each grade level) offer students the opportunity to learn about proper management of solid waste and the role of the individual in determining the best…

Describes a geometry database unit for elementary classrooms in which students determine geometric attributes of a variety of shapes, and then set up a database that can be used to answer questions about the figures. Activities described include creating a database record format, simulating searches, and applying search criteria strategies. (five…