Asserts that good band members play in tune because they listen during tuning routines and playing exercises. Maintains that the usual method of tuning bands, adapted from the orchestra, does not work. Presents recommendations for band tuning routines and methods for band members to develop listening skills. (CFR)

Presents a series of reflections in which a second-grade teacher recognizes the value of encouraging children to develop various computational processes as well as a range of different solution approaches. Uses the context of mentally calculating costs of menu items. (MKR)

Asserts that a longitudinal content analysis of smiling by senior women in college yearbooks provides beginning sociological students with an excellent way to discover many sociological concepts. Presents a classroom assignment in which students code college yearbooks for female smiles and make hypotheses about their findings. (CFR)

Maintains that geography teachers have a history of ignoring John Dewey's assertion that students' experiences are the best springboard to learning. Describes a set of lessons designed to serve as an introduction to a world geography course based on the concept that students begin with themselves. (CFR)

Describes an activity that involves exploring a model cave made out of a two-person tent as a way to add science process to a thematic unit on bats and spiders. This multifunctional learning center provides students with a variety of hands-on experiences, helps students focus on observable things from nature, and emphasizes process skills. Lists…

Describes a learning-cycle approach to teach a lesson exploring the biotic potential of plants. Discusses the phases of learning: exploration, concept invention, and application. Lists five resources. (JRH)

To enable college students to grapple with their own process of creating, students complete a project that involves collecting a variety of small objects, dividing the objects into two categories, telling a story using all the objects, describing their feelings about the categorization and story-telling activities, and writing about their creative…

Reports a study that compared the effects of three methods of instruction, use of hands-on activities, hands-on activities in combination with computer-assisted instruction (CAI), or text-based activities, on student achievement and attitude. Results indicated students receiving a combination of hands-on activities with CAI scored significantly…

A collection of activities and tips for elementary teachers, culled from material the magazine has published over 20 years, includes cornerstones of classroom management, top teaching strategies, and curriculum classics. A new poster offers activities for commemorating student birthdays and for enjoying the first day of school. (SM)

Discussed is a method of approximating the roots of a quadratic that allows the discovery of relationships between parabolas and circles and between the use of geometry and algebra. Included are the procedure and justification of the method. (KR)

The Olympic games can help motivate students to learn geography. The article offers a geography decathlon with 10 events to help students build map skills, multicultural awareness, and cooperative spirit. Each event covers at least one of the five fundamental geographic themes (location, place, regions, human/environment interactions, and…

Identifies specific instruction difficulties, potential problems, solutions, and activities for successful use of microscopes in the classroom. Procedures are outlined for guiding students in creating their own slides with monocotyledon and dicotyledon stems, fern spores, stomata, lichens, and red onions. (MCO)

Presents timesaving tips to help elementary teachers make the most of every minute in the classroom. The article includes suggestions for using bulletin board space, creating student jobs, keeping track of items and assignments, recording grades, preparing makeup work, switching subjects, and timing student tasks. (SM)

The "Kitchen of Words" home project lets parents help their children master nouns and adjectives within their own kitchens, focusing students on the words involved in the kitchen setting. Students create a list of words that apply to their kitchens, recording nouns, their adjectives, and adjectives suggested by family members. (SM)

Maintains that, because definitions of justice are elusive, students should study the differences between the traditional Western concept of justice and the more recent Critical Legal Studies view. Presents a secondary-level lesson comparing these two conceptualizations of justice. (CFR)