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

Most schools include in their curriculum some kind of safety program for children. Questions the effectiveness of these programs and if the children's behavior is changed for the good. As part of your next safety unit suggests this simulation game, which involves children in repeated problem-solving situations. (Author/RK)

Describes a class project where children found ways to adapt to routines, situations, and events of a real community to a simulated society in the classroom. (GB)

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)

Describes a stock market investing project for fifth graders. (SJL)

Results of research based on observations of four- and five-year-olds indicate that in pretend play, children acted more mature, played together more, and were more social than in nonpretend settings. Suggestions are offered for classroom activities, for preschool through middle school, that incorporate pretend play. (IAH)

To enliven her fourth-grade class on rainy days, the author grouped the students into five teams to study the Westward Movement in the United States. Each team became a wagon train, tracing a different pioneer route and marking their progress with group reports, research projects, and diaries. (SJL)

Fifth graders became interested in math by learning about jobs, housing, and transportation costs based on information in the local newspaper. In the process they learned something about the economics of living, and about how mathematics would be important to them in the years ahead. (KC)

Suggests ways for teachers to help elementary school children connect with history by enhancing their natural interest in stories. The approaches, adaptable to any age and topic, include using children's literature, acting, and storytelling. Stories of the past provide a base upon which children build larger ideas about history. (SM)