Presents a lesson plan about case studies of the environmental disasters of Minamata, Japan and Love Canal, New York. Compares how the legal cases were handled in two constitutional democracies. Provides six handouts that include maps, role descriptions for simulations, and student readings. (CFR)

Contends that social studies teachers are just as likely to experience student motivational problems as teachers of other subjects. Discusses issues related to student motivation and asserts that the teacher-student relationship is a critical variable. Presents and discusses 10 recommendations and classroom activities. (CFR)

Describes a graduate research methods course in which students were taught electronic communications skills. Lists three course requirements involving electronic mail, subscriptions to electronic journals, and participation in electronic academic lists. Discusses six problems that emerged and the student evaluations. (CFR)

Reports on a study of memorable elementary school, social studies activities experienced by college students. Finds that the responses reflected the influence of the expanding communities curriculum when viewed across grade levels. Argues that experiential and higher order thinking activities were remembered most favorably. (CFR)

Discusses environmental education, noting that teachers' science backgrounds are not nearly as important as their showing interest in children's experiences and discoveries, respect for environment, and encouragement of close observation of the world. Suggests that to help children understand and appreciate nature, teachers can focus on having…

Considers both teacher-initiated and child-initiated strategies for enhancing young children's self-expression and creativity, based on the philosophy of the preschools in Reggio Emilia, Italy. Discusses how the classroom can be modified to best support children's emerging creativity. (HTH)

States that transcribing is notating the performance of a musical composition or improvisation as the music is grasped aurally. Maintains that transcribing is effective for high school and college students who want to understand jazz techniques. Includes eight suggestions for teaching transcribing. (CFR)

Reports on a study of the characteristics, learning objectives, ratings of the helpfulness of various learning methods, self-evaluation in such areas as intellectual curiosity, academic ability, motivation, and reading/writing/speaking ability of adult women attending either a weekend college credit program (n=75) or a noncredit community service…

Described are activities within extended problem-solving settings which allow middle school mathematics students, particularly at-risk students, to determine applications for a wide range of mathematical processes and concepts. Emphasis is on reality-based projects which often require more than one step as preparation for future consumer…

Presents ideas on integrating science fiction into language arts, science, social studies, and math. Suggestions include an interstellar journey, imaginative language lessons, futuristic social studies, extraterrestrial life studies, intergalactic math, and science fiction story writing. (SM)

Presents an activity that uses M & M's candy to initiate discussion about the mathematical concepts of empty set, zero, more than, less than, most least, and equivalent sets. Suggests extensions that could follow this activity. (MDH)

Presents a worksheet on graph paper that allows students to determine the perpendicular bisectors of given segments by folding the paper. Students then determine the slopes of the perpendicular bisectors and use inductive thinking to discover the relationship between the slopes of perpendicular lines. (MDH)

Describes an activity in which students utilize mathematical communication and reasoning skills to develop a class constitution. Students brainstorm rules for their classroom in cooperative-learning groups, classify them into categories, and justify their decision to the class. (MDH)

Described is a mathematics resource laboratory where students use a variety of computer materials to enhance, reinforce, and broaden their concepts of first- and second-year algebra and geometry. Included are sample laboratory sheets and the answers. (KR)

Introduces the concept of maximum and minimum function values as turning points on the function's graphic representation and presents a method for finding these values without using calculus. The process of utilizing transformations to find the turning point of a quadratic function is extended to find the turning points of cubic functions. (MDH)