Activities that illustrate a problem-solving approach to teaching grouping symbols, such as parentheses and brackets, are described. Suggested exercises, answers to those exercises, and variations of this activity are included. (KR)

Presented are 44 examples in which students are invited to guess what pattern of numbers is emerging and to decide whether the pattern will persist. Topics of examples include Pascal's triangle, integers, vertices, Fibonacci numbers, power series, partition functions, and Euler's theorem. The answers to all problems are included. (KR)

This article presents arguments for including activities to develop students' sense of humor and related skills in the gifted curriculum. Cognitive skills, reading, writing, mathematics, communications skills, and self-concept are seen as beneficiaries of humor units. A group activity and projects for a school comedy club are described. (PB)

Describes computer simulation programs that take elementary and secondary students exploring. One has students act as Magellan commanding his ship to reinforce history, geography, decision-making, and resource management skills. Another has students use problem-solving skills to venture across oceans and find trading routes to the Orient. (SM)

Describes the Greenway Experience, an internationally acclaimed environmental education program that trains teenagers to teach children about their environment. The program is designed to provide teenagers with self-esteem building experiences as leaders in environmental education programs. (MCO)

Describes a lesson in which a game involving base-ten blocks is used to teach place value. Discusses four steps to promote successful lessons involving manipulative materials: (1) manipulative choice; (2) lesson preparation; (3) active student participation; and (4) process evaluation. (nine references) (MDH)

Presents research findings related to students' intuitive ideas about the concepts of chance to inform teachers how students form their concepts of probability and statistics. Discusses adolescents' conceptions of uncertainty, judgmental heuristics in making estimates of event likelihood, the conjunction fallacy, the outcome approach, attempts to…

Describes a high school music program in which students form strolling performance groups. Explains that violinists, violists, and even cellists play as they stroll through audiences. Suggests that strolling strings programs benefit both students and teachers by providing opportunities for creativity and enhancing musical skills. Provides a list…

Presented is a conversation with students that gives an insight into the ways students think about decimals. Students were introduced, with the use of a calculator, to decimal notation and systematic experimentation. What students had learned throughout this conversation is discussed. (KR)

The article describes a cooperative learning activity to help mildly handicapped students learn specific study strategies. The activity involves silent reading followed by small group discussion, generation of questions, answering the questions, and use of the student-generated questions on a follow-up exam. (DB)

Suggests that teachers can enliven their world history classroom through debates, plays, improvisations, readings, and drama. Describes how to use drama to enhance the study of the ordinary citizen of the Napoleonic era. (DB)

Presents a proposal of what is possible and necessary for teaching, studying, and learning the "Bible" with children, youth, and adults of religious congregations. Looks to scripture to gain clues regarding its important role in the spiritual formation of believers of all ages. Offers examples of ways to implement effective strategies…

Presents effective ways to combine classic political science readings with outside-the-classroom research assignments. Gives examples of projects that have worked well in preparing students for the United States government and politics advanced placement examination. (DB)

Presented is a method which may be used to help students start their own original investigations and create their own conjectures about fundamental mathematics concepts. An example of this method is provided. (CW)

Provides easy to teach and understand laboratory exercises for three fundamental concepts (plate movement, rock mechanics, and geologic time) that are often left out of the geology and Earth science curriculum. (ZWH)