Recent research indicates that reading comprehension is the interaction of the reader's knowledge of the topic and the language with the writer's choice of content and use of the language. Classroom activities based on this research can lead to foreign language learners' successful construction of meaning from a written passage through oral and…

The lures and the risks of using personal stories in research and pedagogy are considerable. One danger of using experience as evidence is that "an experience" becomes the foundation for the construction of an essentialized identity: for example, a woman's experience becomes woman's experience. Despite the risks, however, telling stories…

Intended for classroom teachers, parents, theater people, and the general public, this book is an account of teaching a fifth grade class to write, direct, and perform their own plays as staged readings, videotapes, radio plays, and full stage productions. It can be read as a story or it can be used as a step-by-step guide for teachers. Each…

This discussion and activity guide is intended to accompany the third season (1991-92) of "Long Ago & Far Away," a dramatic series on public television which combines animation, live action, and puppetry to invite children ages 5 to 9 into the magical land of storytelling. The guide seeks to help teachers, librarians, or parents to…

J. Pfeiffer and J. Jones' experiential learning model can be modified to direct students toward learning principles, processes and skills which have an influence on relationship dynamics. Students have a particular relationship in mind (called a focus partner) as they study the concepts. Students are encouraged to watch how the concepts would…

This paper asserts that multicultural literature must not be set aside as "other" literature, or worse, be dismissed as second class literature. The paper argues the intrinsic value of multicultural literature, and outlines class and individual activities that show the vast possibilities of stories from around the world. The following…

The role of context in language is so obvious that, paradoxically, it often goes unnoticed by students who are studying it. Newspaper headlines (real and contrived) can be used to demonstrate to students the context dependency of language. The simplest version of such a demonstration takes 5 minutes; the longest version takes about 20 minutes.…

Materials and activities for teaching about patriotism, the American flag, and the Pledge of Allegiance are offered in this compilation of articles taken from issues of "Grade Teacher" (Feb. 1952, Jun. 1954, Feb. 1958, Jun. 1960, Jun. 1962, Sep. 1971), and "Instructor" (Jun. 1962, Feb. 1975, Feb. 1983), magazines. The…

This guide is designed to provide elementary school teachers with safe learning activities concerning bees and wasps. The following topics are included: (1) the importance of a positive teacher attitude towards bees and wasps; (2) special problems posed by paper wasps; (3) what to do when a child is bothered by a wasp; (4) what to do if a wasp…

Carefully constructed puzzles, in this case crosswords, bring success and enjoyment to the practice of basic skills. (Editor/RK)

The handbook is a text and organizational framework for developing and teaching a graduate level course on state geography. This paper describes how the handbook can be used in a geography course for teacher education. (Author/RM)

Contains a pull out section of ideas, activities, and resources useful to elementary and secondary teachers instructing students on writing for magazines, what to do with the mass media, how to plan field trips, and how to stimulate exercises by presenting sense experiences. (RB)

Described are classroom activities using different materials to provide diversity and create interest in learning for the retarded child. (CL)

Describes a teaching method which included using the newspaper as part of the instructional materials in a secondary remedial reading class. (RB)

Presents one teacher's observations on the activities happening in the writing and drawing classes in New York's P. S. 84. (RB)