Describes a writing activity in which students write and perform their own television shows. (MM)

Describes how students enjoy poetry by writing cinquain poems. Provides an example lesson leading to a completed cinquain poem about tulips. (MM)

Despite teachers' most valiant efforts, the taught and the experienced curricula are not always the same. Most tests are inappropriate measures of the experienced curriculum. A Vermont elementary school has been assembling classroom activity data to help educators understand how children process the curriculum. Helpful assessment activities are…

Argues that Fritz Lang's film "Metropolis" deserves exploration and analysis because of its outlandish plot, dazzling visual and technical elements, and its reflection of the closing days of Weimar Germany. Presents a brief study guide designed to stimulate student curiosity and facilitate further interest in the film. (RS)

Argues that the most important thing that teachers can teach their students about writing letters is to write in a way that reflects the writer's personality, ideas, and visions. Notes that student letter writers should also practice thoughtfulness and good manners. (RS)

Considers two characteristics of forms: uses and functions and information sources/types. (RS)

Discusses electronic spreadsheets and how they can be useful as a classroom tool for mathematical calculations and creating text matrices. Provides examples of electronic spreadsheets for plotting genealogy, comparing types of crocodilians, compiling data for "mystery liquids," and charting the differences and similarities among three…

Discusses how to promote students' active participation when studying a theater text. Suggests activities for exploring Shakespeare's "Macbeth" (activities which can be used with any theater text), focusing on the role of the playwright, visual design in stagecraft, and casting the play. (MM)

The discussion of techniques for teaching listening skills in the special education classroom offers a rationale and specific activities. It outlines steps in the listening process, the purposes of listening, effective practices in listening instruction, and lessons and procedures incorporating those practices. (MSE)

A French language class activity in which students create a village and its inhabitants is described. Use of diverse activities, integration of different disciplines, and the role of the teacher are discussed. (MSE)

Relates the author's observations of her third- and fourth-grade class as they studied the history of language, inventing primitive languages as part of their study of early man. (MM)

Describes how teachers can use drafts of their own writing to teach revision. Uses several examples from the author's fiction and professional correspondence to illustrate the following: (1) differences between revision and recopying; (2) fleshing out a description; (3) reflecting audience needs; and (4) revising for clarity of purpose. (MM)

Describes a model for generating solution features, or karren, on gypsum blocks within 24-48 hours in order to illustrate terrain-forming processes. This method for replicating landforms provides hands-on experience for students, and can be varied to demonstrate a number of principles. (LS)

Describes an approach that adds literature and related activities to language arts programs. Emphasizes connections--between ideas in a book and ideas in students' heads, between what they are reading and what they are struggling to write, and among topics. (SR)

Describes advantages of using newspapers as reading material for disturbed adolescents. Outlines various classroom activities using newspapers, such as a newspaper scavenger hunt, celebrity scrapbooks, and student advice columns. Notes that newspapers are successful because they contain current, relevant information, with none of the negative…