Explains why free-choice time, also called child-initiated time, is an essential daily part of all Head Start programs. Children have the freedom to initiate their own activities among the learning centers in the classroom, allowing them to develop their intellectual abilities, find solutions to problems, explore, inquire, and become adept at…

Defines ecological restoration and offers a plan for prairie restoration as a schoolyard project. Steps include researching and planning the site, preparation and planting, and continuing management of the site. Ecological concepts in this activity also relate to science, language arts, math, social studies, art, and music for K-12 students. (AIM)

Describes a unit where children first master the basic concepts inherent in restaurant transactions, then organize and run a classroom restaurant. Discusses project accomplishments and extensions and ways to modify the model to fit the needs and strengths of children in any classroom. (JRH)

In western North Carolina, 24 summer camps, business leaders, and a local community arts council collaborated on a project celebrating the visual and performing arts created by campers. Campers' art in every media was displayed in Hendersonville to highlight the benefits of summer camps to the community, including their economic, educational,…

Adventure therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy share elements, including transformation of distorted thinking patterns, a focus on current and future functioning, consideration of the counselor-client relationship, and the use of stress in the change process. Recognizing cognitive behavioral therapy as an empirically sound theory underlying…

Tim Horton Children's Foundation operates camps for disadvantaged children that build their self-confidence. The newest camp, Onondaga Farms in Ontario, is also a year-round outdoor education center. Its five program streams--environmental education, creative arts, agriculture, adventure, and recreation--all have direct links to Ontario's…

Discusses electronic learning and what makes it different from learning in traditional classrooms. Topics include information architecture; user interface design; the importance of focusing on content; constructivism; self-directed learning; learning motivation; reflective approach; learning styles; and experiential learning. (LRW)

In Appalachian Alabama, AlabamaREAL helps individuals, schools, and rural communities grow through hands-on entrepreneurship education. School-based businesses teach students to recognize business opportunities; encourage participatory learning; and meet the needs of small, rural communities. The Appalachian Regional Commission provides schools…

Describes a science activity in which students study stream profiles of an imaginary aquatic environment, measure the stream depth, and graph the cross section both in classroom simulations and on a field trip. (YDS)

Unit of study about rocks and the layers of the Earth focuses on building children's respect for nature by developing feelings of intimate relationship. Lesson plans include science activities (rock gathering, Earth models); "drama from the outside" (ritual to promote respect); literature readings; and "dramas from the inside"…

Describes the Semester at Sea Program of the Institute for Shipboard Education in which over 20,000 college students have participated over the past 30 years. The ship's geologist/geographer presented geological briefings in a daily interdisciplinary core course during 60 days at sea. He also guided field trips during 43 days ashore. Visits to…

Discusses the teaching method of students studying a topic, then explaining the meaning of the concept to each other in their own words using examples from their everyday lives. The instructor acts as a coordinator, mediator, and a resource person. Concludes with the disadvantages of this interactive learning technique on a habitat tour, among…

Moving active learning forward calls for a focus on learners' actorship, not program activities, and requires distinguishing between active learning and active teaching. Experiential education offers an alternative to didactic approaches, not a more attractive form of it. Accepting traditional principles and procedures of…

Describes research that students can undertake while studying history in a cemetery. Explains that, for example, students can study the changes in the cemetery, select a tombstone and write a biography of the person identified on the headstone, and learn about the memorial park and what it says about society. Includes a bibliography. (CMK)

Discusses the teaching technique, "authentic instruction," in which students learn to analyze historical documents. Describes how to teach elementary students to analyze historical photographs. Explains how teachers can locate historical photographs using the World Wide Web or family photographs. (CMK)