Surveys 224 elementary classroom teachers in the Tacoma, Washington, school district to determine perceptions and successful uses of 7 creative drama techniques. Finds that interest was greater than use for all seven. Discusses teachers' perceived obstacles, and indicates that teachers need more opportunities for training in creative drama as an…

Describes "collective creation," an instructional technique involving drama that is useful in a wide range of disciplines. Discusses choosing the topic, gathering material, exploration, refining the collective creation, rehearsal and performance, and reflection. (SR)

Describes the effect of first-year directing students using short, abstract poems rather than scenes from classic plays as the basis of their productions. Notes that the images in these poems speak loudly and intensely to the audience, in contrast to the usual "talking heads" result of producing scenes from classics. (RS)

Recommends helping reluctant readers learn to make videos as a strategy for helping them engage in language arts activities for authentic purposes. Discusses equipment needs, preproduction, storyboarding and script creation, production, and suggested topics for school videos. (SR)

Describes a class project in which elementary students create a database of children's literature as a way of organizing information about and responses to books they have read for easy retrieval by other readers searching for just the right book to enjoy. (SR)

Describes Word Storm, an activity that juxtaposes the use of vocabulary words in context with the students' speculation about each word's functional application. (SR)

Describes 21 activities for a unit on tall tales intended for use with young children in seven content areas: language arts, social studies, science, math, block activities, creative movement/dramatics, and art. (SR)

Describes benefits of planning field trips well in advance. Briefly describes nine steps for creating successful field trips. Emphasizes value of visiting site, discussing trip with site staff, and introducing topical material to students before trip. Recommends adequate supervision, enforcing student discipline, and planning meals. (TES)

Eight business Spanish texts were examined to learn about the cultural content of the business Spanish curriculum. Questions of cultural topics and themes, presentation of cultural information, activities and techniques, and use of authentic materials were considered. (16 references) (LB)

Presents a listing of historical books for elementary school students by author Jean Fritz; includes a poster and a calendar with daily class activities to teach students about famous historical figures. (SM)

Presents suggestions to help teachers enhance class trips to the museum, noting today's museum outreach programs are very useful. After describing what museums have to offer, the article explains how to plan such a trip and how to make the trip run smoothly. A list of must-see museums is included. (SM)

Successful development of a technology education program depends on the answers to these questions: Why should students take this class? and What long-term benefits should students gain from this class? (SK)

Offers suggestions for making students more aware of their own study styles and for helping them select appropriate strategies for various study tasks. (SR)

Presents a classroom demonstration illustrating the connection between spread and Pearson's r. Discusses different factors that may result in an increase, decrease, or no change in r. Describes an exercise using decks of playing cards to generate hypothetical data on variables of intelligence quotient (IQ) and grade point average (GPA). (DK)

Presents activities and games to teach students in grades K-6 how to throw and catch correctly. Because throwing and catching are developmental skills, teachers must pay attention to them, and students must practice them repeatedly. Activities are presented by grade level because children's skills vary between (and within) grades. (SM)