The Chinese lunar calendar dates back to the second millennium BC. Unlike the western calendar, which numbers the years progressively from the birth of Jesus Christ, the Chinese calendar is cyclical. Each cycle is made up of 12 years--after the 12th year, the cycle is repeated. The Chinese associate each year of a 12-year cycle with an animal, and…

This paper describes an inquiry-based, student-centered mathematics, science, and technology curriculum guide. It features activities addressing such environmental science topics as groundwater modeling, water filtration, soil permeability and porosity, water temperature and salinity, and quadrant studies. Activities are organized so that the…

This guide contains 30 lesson plans contributed by seven teachers and two curriculum specialists that exemplify how to make learning active, contextual, and career focused. Each lesson plan format identifies the SCANS (Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills) addressed by that lesson. The introductory section explains how to enhance…

This resource guide provides teachers of grades K-3 with ideas and materials to integrate agricultural concepts into classroom activities. The guide is organized into six categories: math, science, language arts, social studies, fine arts, and health/nutrition/safety. Each of the categories contains 10 lessons organized in the following topic…

This resource guide provides teachers of grades 4-6 with ideas and materials to integrate agricultural concepts into classroom activities. The guide is organized into six categories: math, science, language arts, social studies, fine arts, and health/nutrition/safety. Each category contains 10 lessons organized in the following topic order:…

This lesson focuses on the post-Reconstruction South and the social practices based on race and skin color that hindered the South's growth as a region and relegated many people to the status of second-class citizens, in spite of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments. The lesson provides historical background and outlines a task for students to…

This packet contains a unit on teaching about volcanoes. The following question is addressed: How do volcanoes affect human life? The unit covers approximately three weeks of instruction and strives to present volcanoes in an holistic form. The five subject areas of art, language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies are integrated into…

As a lesson in responsibility and parenting, seventh graders were given eggs as their "children" and told to give them 24-hour care. Since this was part of a unit on world families, students also investigated child rearing customs in five cultures. (SJL)

Suggests techniques and behaviors teachers can use to optimize the flow and pacing of their music lessons. Included are techniques for timing the lesson, keeping students involved, and minimizing interruptions and transitions. (SJL)

Presents a sample lesson from a junior high multi-ethnic women's studies unit and sample activities from a high school women's studies course. Also briefly describes the unit and course as a whole. (CK)

Three variables: subject area, day of the week, and academic activity, were examined to determine whether pupil involvement in academic learning activities is an indicator of pupil learning. Differences were found in each variable, implying that more effective use of allocated instruction time will increase academic achievement. (JD)

Two lessons illustrate the human dimension of Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt, showing them both as fathers through an account of Willie Lincoln's death and portions of Roosevelt's letters to his children. (CK)

Administrators in Red Bank, New Jersey, are confident that mastery learning is the key to their students' higher achievement. (Author)

Defines health education and its role in a comprehensive school health program, stressing the role of teachers in health education. For each of four health care content areas (community resources, personal health and hygiene, primary health care, social development), gives a brief lesson plan including concept objectives, content, and activities.…

Since Howard Gardner first published "Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences" (1983), educators began applying his theory in classrooms. This article describes the varied curricular approaches--multiple-intelligence-based lesson designs, interdisciplinary curricula, student projects, innovative assessments, and apprenticeships--that…