Scientist William J. Dreyer has hypothesized that the cell surface proteins in the nose that detect odors also help assemble embryos. These olfactory receptors and related proteins act as identifiers, much like the last few digits of a telephone number, that help cells to find their intended neighbors in a developing embryo. Discusses the research…

Studied the effects of reading the "Weekly Reader" on children's knowledge of current events. Results from 2,331 urban and suburban elementary school students, aged 8 to 12, show increased knowledge of current events among younger children who used the "Weekly Reader," but the effect was less in grades 4 through 6. (SLD)

Capital punishment is the most severe criminal penalty, yet we know little about the factors that produce jurisdictional differences in the use of the death sentence. Political explanations emphasize conservative values and the strength of more conservative political parties. Threat accounts suggest that this sentence will be more likely in…

This paper examines educational development in East Timor. It is particularly concerned with the period between October 1999 and May 2002 when the country was governed by the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET). The paper argues that UNTAET missed an important opportunity to implement the transformation in education…

This article describes how a teacher changed all his plans to teach the hurricane. When the Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, kids become naturally curious and seek answers in an event this big. The author suggests the use of tragedies to help them grow as students and as citizens.

This study examined the perspectives of a sample of Appalachian middle and high school social studies teachers regarding the teaching of controversial current events. Specifically, the survey ascertained the teachers' familiarity with school district administrative policies regarding the teaching of controversial current events, their perceptions…

During December 2007, 35 professionals from research, policy, practice and the media were interviewed about a range of literacy issues. Interviewees were asked to indicate whether a certain topic was "hot" (i.e. currently a topic of debate and research) or "not hot" (i.e. not currently receiving a lot of attention). One of the…

The purpose of this study was to apply psychobiography to the lives of Hillary Clinton and Condoleezza Rice. Psychobiography can be applied as a method of teaching personality theory and it can also be used as a research method. Most political personas are crafted through 20 second sound bites from the radio, Internet, and television. However, a…

Rice University has created a team-taught interactive biology course for nonmajors with a focus on cutting edge biology in the news--advances in biotechnology, medicine, and science policy, along with the biological principles and methodology upon which these advances are based. The challenges inherent to teaching current topics were minimized by…

Political scientists should use all the resources, trivia, of the real world of politics as teaching devices and relate them to the discipline's general knowledge and theory. (Author/ND)

Four tapes with interviews with experts in the designated fields comprise the series: a) Canada's Foreign Relations, 1867-1919; b) Canada's Foreign Relations, 1919-1945; c) Canada and China, and d) Canadian Diplomacy and Foreign Policy. (JA)

Suggestions for the effective use of current events in moral education build on Piaget and Kohlberg and include procedures to follow and specific aids for clarifying discussion. (JH)

The Chinese university students who protested in Spring 1989 were concerned about inflation, shortages of goods and services, and pay inequities. They disliked corruption, bribery, and unfair favoritism, and wanted more press freedom and more independence for their student organizations. Most of all, they wanted more dialogue with aging leaders…

In the past, rhetorical criticism relied heavily on an Aristotelian approach; critics judged a speech by how well it fulfilled the speaker's purpose and persuasion was the accepted goal of rhetoric. Political and academic forces have brought about a methodological perspectivism or pluralism of rhetorical theory, and in turn, caused a shift from…

This Newspaper in Education Development Plan begins with a set of evaluation forms intended to help determine the direction of the Newspaper in Education (NIE) program. The plan covers all major aspects of NIE administration, promotion, and curriculum design. The plan encompasses the following areas: (1) "Establishing NIE Priorities";…