Most typical high school programs are not meeting the needs of gifted and talented students. Programs for the gifted are often neither interdisciplinary nor differentiated as encouraged by Texas state guidelines. Gifted students can gain much from well-designed extracurricular activities. Grade weighting schemes in which gifted courses are…

This book provides material and ideas for bringing metaphorical thinking into the classroom in the context of language discussions. It is organized to link the conceptual with the concrete, integrating teaching ideas with discussions concerning the various roles that metaphorical thinking plays in human understanding and communications. The book's…

The typical approach to curriculum in the English language arts fits well with the traditional, content-centered approach to instruction. Such an approach to curriculum, however, is appropriate to a pedagogy that construes knowledge as fixed and transmittable but inappropriate to a pedagogy that views learning as constructed by the learner rather…

This guide for parents indicates ways in which they can help their childen succeed in school. Sections focusing on language arts and mathematics list skills that students are required to master in kindergarten through fifth grades and suggest language arts activities for parents to implement at home. (RH)

A practicum used a new learning tool to enhance long-term retention of new vocabulary. Sixteen seventh-graders in Language Arts, who had a long-term retention mean score of approximately 40% of newly learned vocabulary, increased their long-term retention of new vocabulary by 25% (a new mean of 65% of new vocabulary). Additional objectives…

Based on the premise that school districts across the nation are constantly striving to improve the learning experiences they provide students, this booklet reflects heightened public interest in developing all parts of the educational process. The four chapters discuss: the values, philosophy, mission, and goals of the Minnesota State Board of…

Designed for use with the text "Greek and Roman Myths," this junior high school learning activity packet introduces students to mythology and examines the influence of myths on contemporary culture. Over 20 exercises, tagged to specific readings in the text, cover identification of the major gods, the Prometheus myth, the Atlas myth,…

Designed for language arts teachers, the fact sheet is arranged into four short parts. Part 1 provides a brief statement by the National Council of Teachers of English regarding its position on censorship. Part 2 briefly describes the distinction between censorship and professional guidelines. Part 3 gives five examples of censorship and five…

Designed to aid the elementary teacher in presenting energy conservation education as part of the regular classroom instruction, this guide contains activity sheets which are organized into 10-page sections numbered to indicate grade level. For example, first grade materials are on pages 10 to 19, second grade materials are on pages 20 to 29, and…

The lesson plans for gifted/talented students in grades 5 and 6 focus on logical thinking enrichment activities. Information on each activity is presented in terms of objectives, entry skills, teacher's approaches, student activities, resources, and followup/evaluation. Among activities described are completing analogies and determining analogous…

Describes a project in which science and language arts classes learn how to use a broad range of reference materials. (LS)

Findings from educational researchers and linguists should be reviewed in conjunction with student needs when planning a language arts curriculum.