Activities based on newspapers can help students to develop four reading-thinking skills--remembering, inferring, evaluating, and appreciating. (JM)

Describes the production of a student-written but faculty-edited laboratory newspaper at Pennsylvania State University. (KS)

"Juegos comunicativos," a software program designed for use with the Apple IIe, IIc, or II+, emphasizes "communicative" computer-assisted Spanish language learning through five educational games. The program uses Spanish vocabulary and structures to solve "problems" rather than the standard drill-and-practice format.…

Introduces three terms--synapsis, synesthesia, and synergy--applied to writing instruction as heuristic concepts. Describes classroom exercises, such as removing transitions from an essay and asking students to restore synaptic life to the paragraphs, viewing painting masterpieces to find analogous aesthetic concepts in written composition, and…

Describes assignment sequence introducing secondary school students to finding and interpreting quotes from assigned literature by having students (1) respond in journals to a quotation chosen by the teacher, (2) analyze characterization by illustrating character traits with quotations, (3) create a collage or mobile visually interpreting quote,…

Presents four activities suitable for upper elementary and middle/junior high school students. These activities focus on: (1) a customized spelling program; (2) designing fashions; (3) a student-generated form letter to parents; and (4) computer debates. (JN)

"Solve a simpler problem" is the strategy illustrated, with suggestions on other strategies included. (MNS)

Two procedures--a consensual procedure and an independent procedure--for measuring personality, and a demonstration designed to help students understand which is more accurate and why, are described. Independent ratings are found to be more valid than group consensus. (RM)

Two strategies for teaching elementary students to distinguish relevant from irrelevant material are described. The word associates strategy provides students instruction in writing or stating a generalization that expresses the criteria for relevance. The defending a point of view strategy provides instruction in developing relevant arguments to…

Materials used to teach economics to junior high school students must be concrete, people-oriented, and activity-oriented; the curricula must cause students to manipulate information and link new knowledge to old. A textbook--"Our Economy: How It Works"-- that fits these criteria is described and two sample economics lessons are provided. (RM)

This activity designed for secondary students provides extensive background on the differences between the executive, the judicial, and the legislative branches of government. Through the case study method, students learn how the powers of the three branches co-exist and conflict. (BSR)

Offers a learning activity in which secondary students are given background on Supreme Court jurisdiction. Students are then presented with various situations in which they must decide "if the court would hear the case" or not. (BSR)

A history teacher describes an activity which involved her seventh grade class in researching, learning, and displaying a colonial craft, in order to learn more about life in colonial America. (AEM)

Describes purpose, materials, and approach for several science-related lessons designed to teach library media skills to elementary school children: (1) Nonfiction Versus Fiction; (2) Desk Dictionaries and Specialized Dictionaries; (3) The Library as a Communication Storehouse; (4) Conducting a Survey; (5) Interpreting Graphs; and (6) Plastics,…

Presents four fully developed library media activities designed to be used in conjunction with specific curriculum units in reading/language arts and science. Objectives, curriculum objectives, resources, instructional roles, activities and procedures for completion, evaluation, and followup are described for each activity. (MES)