Describes a preresearch library instruction program designed to familiarize fourth-grade students with reference materials. Reflections on the importance of library instruction are offered. Examples of multiple choice preresearch questions for a study of Japan and suggestions for adapting questions for higher and lower grade levels are given.…

Presents activities to create designs with different arrangements of square tiles, which gives students an opportunity to make conjectures about perimeter and to make convincing arguments to justify those conjectures. Includes worksheets. (MKR)

Presents a role-playing activity based on political and legal issues surrounding a mutiny on a Spanish slave ship that landed on U.S. soil in 1839. Includes learning objectives, background information, and role descriptions. Suggests student writing assignments and further research projects. (CFR)

Asserts that price comparison is a good way to interest students in the study of cultural diversity and global understanding. Presents data comparing consumer goods prices in Japan, Hong Kong, and the United States. Includes 14 classroom activities and an 18-item annotated bibliography of children's fiction books on China and Japan. (CFR)

Presents a unit of study on the Holocaust designed by a team of teachers for sixth-grade students. Includes student objectives, suggested learning activities, and methods of student evaluation. Provides a full-page description of a culminating activity. (CFR)

Presents a program for teaching social studies through a simulated archaeological dig. Describes an integrated lesson in solving real problems through a variety of disciplines making full use of technology. Discusses objectives, project organization, and the necessary materials. Emphasizes student interest in learning through experience. Includes…

Provides a rationale for a learning environment in science classrooms that integrates science, mathematics, and technology while solving authentic problems. Describes activities that can be used in such an environment and presents data regarding students' attitudes toward the described activities. (MDH)

Presents four hands-on activities to teach geometric concepts to both honors and non-college-bound students. The activities are adaptable to various levels and use manipulatives and technology to explore the concepts of enlargement, area, maximum volume, and figure duplication in a cooperative setting. (MDH)

Describes a kit containing mathematical enrichment activities and activity evaluation sheets that kindergarten students can complete at home. Thirteen sample activities involving weather, pattern recognition, counting, money, estimation, observation skills, weight, temperature, measurement, and time are included. Suggestions for utilization, care,…

Introduces ways to assess students' reading ability and improve reading of social studies textbooks. Combines reading scores from Iowa Tests of Basic Skills and individual sessions to understand students' reading ability levels. Uses cooperative reading groups, reading labs, and whole-class oral reading to improve skills. Suggests pre- and…

Maintains that controversial issues related to social studies can be addressed using a three-step process. Step one consists of expressing the issue as a dilemma. In step two the students analyze every aspect of the dilemma, engaging in discussion and argument. Step three, the class reaches a consensus. (MJP)

Presents a fascinating combination of learning activities and instructional materials investigating urban ethnic enclaves in developing countries. Briefly profiles Chinatown, Little India, and the Arab Quarter, ethnic enclaves in Singapore. Activities and discussion questions incorporate geographic, economic, and historical information. (MJP)

The qualitative study examined the processes and approaches to collaboration, reflection, and dialogue of preservice and mentoring teachers who were engaged in a yearlong internship experience. Within the context of a university course grounded in constructivism, social constructivism, and the concept of teacher as researcher, the study explored…

A common report from anecdotal writing over many generations of educators is that it is the teacher who usually learns the most during the process of gathering content materials, designing, teaching and evaluating student performance. In this project we address this issue by developing an innovative instructional design in which collaborative…

The benefits of play in the learning and development of young children has long been recognized by researchers and early childhood educators. As new teachers face the challenges of increasingly diverse classrooms, in an increasingly demanding political climate, the potential of play has implications for teacher educators who prepare those new…