Maintaining a high "synergy" classroom, when the total effect of the people in an environment seems to be greater than the sum of the effort of the individuals, requires a commitment to a cooperative learning environment and hard work. Here are some learning activities designed to provide students with "synergy" all year long. (Author/RK)

Describes a number of exercises and teaching methods for teaching rhythm and meter to elementary and secondary students. (RK)

If children do not learn the way we teach them, we must teach them the way they learn. (Editor)

Provides sample classroom exercises to develop middle school and high school youngsters' sensitivity to language skills, spelling, and grammar. Includes riddles, puns, puzzles, and other games drawn from J. Shipley's "Word Play." (JG)

Describes three research report projects for second graders used in the science and social studies curriculum. Outlines class discussion strategies, sequential stages, use of notecards, encyclopedias, and other sources (including parents) for researching animal topics, biography projects, and studies of a farm. (JG)

History textbooks usually read like dictionaries and encyclopedias--compact, fact-filled, and dry. To help senior high school students get meaning from this kind of text, teachers can use graphic techniques to preview the text, to guide students during reading, and to review the text after the students have read it. (RM)

Outdoor learning activities often cause problems in class control. Organizing children into game-playing activities that emphasize ecological and biological themes helps reinforce learning with play. Several activities are described. (DF)

Describes a junior high school program offering drama as a course elective. Cites fairy tales, and Western or melodramatic plays as most effective for student involvement; recommends avoiding those about teenagers. Notes educational advantages of this program for handicapped, special education, disruptive, and low reading skills students. (JG)

This article presents a document from the National Archives dealing with the 1864 case known as ex parte Milligan, in which a civilian was sentenced to die by a military court. The article includes background, teaching suggestions, and samples of handouts. (JDH)

Activities with number cards can provide a wide variety of exploratory experience. Sequences, addition, subtraction, counting and change, and arrays with number cards are discussed. (MNS)

The need to develop measurement concepts in addition to measurement skills is discussed, with specific activities suggested. (MNS)

Four activities with window panes are described and illustrated as they extend children's knowledge of fractional numbers. (MNS)

Two problem-solving skills, guess-and-test and simplification, are introduced and reinforced through a variety of motivating problem situations. Solutions of sample problems and extensive directions for the teacher encourage the use of Polya's four-step model of problem solving. (MNS)

A classroom game, based on a trivia-type game format, to help students prepare for the cumulative final exam in a physiological psychology course is presented. Details of game construction and play are described. (Author)

This list of practical and useful ideas is compiled from veteran teachers for motivating students, making a dull subject more interesting, or making a difficult subject easier to understand. (MT)