The Systems Thinking and Curriculum Innovation (STACI) project is a multi-year research effort intended to examine the cognitive demands and consequences of learning from a systems thinking approach to instruction and from using simulation-modeling software. This study tests the potentials and effects of integrating the systems approach into…

The packet provides a series of activities designed to help schools become familiar with a systematic approach to successful mainstreaming, educational strategies with mainstreamed students, and effective communication techniques. The packet includes a preservice activity and 12 steps for developing a mainstreaming program in the school: (1)…

Because attaining citizenship skills remains the principal goal of social studies, this unit was designed to highlight the founding of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights in a manner appropriate to both primary and intermediate elementary children. Each lesson includes objectives, materials, and procedures, as well as supplementary…

This is the fifth of five student packets forming part of a position simulation developed for use in an office occupations laboratory at the postsecondary level. The purpose of the simulation is to give the student an opportunity to become familiar with the tasks and duties performed by a clerk-typist working for an independent insurance agency.…

This annotated list of seventeen educational games, developed for teaching about young children and/or parenting skills, recommends the use of simulation games as tools in the teaching of child development to adults. Advantages of simulation games over other educational techniques are discussed. The board game of "Mandala," a child-rearing game,…

Modification of mother-child instructional interaction was examined in relation to specific tasks and the age of the child. Thirty-two mothers taught their 6- or 8-year-old children one of two laboratory classification tasks resembling a home or a school activity. The home task involved putting grocery items on shelves in a mock kitchen, and the…

Four fact sheets discuss topics of interest to environmental educators. Number one addresses the relative lack of effective evaluation of environmental education programs. It emphasizes the need to base evaluation on identified goals and objectives and cites an accepted goal statement. Two examples of evaluation methods are given as well as…

This study investigated the development and evaluation of a computer-augmented science learning game model, through the implementation of a specific game derived from the game model. Formative evaluation strategies were synthesized from two existing evaluation procedures and were tested and applied to the learning resource under development. As a…

The Futures Information Interchange Newsletters (No. 2 and 3) include a collection of practical teaching methods and learning activities for introducing future studies in the elementary and secondary classroom. Two lead articles offer new insights into future studies. In "Dilemmas of a Futurist" Fran Koster discusses some of the stresses unique to…

The teacher's guide to elementary level career education is comprised of 11 units of learning activities, two each for grades 1-6. Each unit is a simulation of a career cluster; through active participation in the simulation, the students develop career awareness as well as curriculum-related concepts in math, language, reading, social studies,…

A teacher's guide to six career education units--one for each of the elementary grades--has been compiled from a series of complete guides for each grade. Each of the six representative units includes step-by-step instructions for teacher activities in preparing and carrying out a simulated career experience; related curriculum concepts in math,…

This economics simulation game complements the third grade Gold Mining Unit developed by Project Social Studies at the University of Minnesota. The simulation is designed for three purposes: 1) to reinforce the prior learning which occurs in the gold mining camp unit; 2) to involve eight-year-olds in the process of solving simulated economic…

Ten lessons provide techniques for teaching about conflict in grades kindergarten through six. These lessons, developed to accompany the teaching guidelines outlined in SO 009 795, illustrate how the guidelines might be used in any elementary social studies classroom. Five sample lessons are described for each of two levels: grades K-3 and grades…

The purpose of this book is to introduce elementary and secondary history teachers to simulation as a teaching aid. The authors provide a rationale for using simulations, present examples of classroom games, and explain how to develop games from historical materials. Chapters one and two point out that simulations provide students with motivation,…

Describes a board game called Running Errands which is designed to (1) develop language and communication strategies in simulated situations and (2) develop social skills and provide cultural background knowledge. Its use with second language learners of any age and with young children in their own language is discussed. (Author/LRW)