Students can learn the concepts of descriptive language, "group think," and how to overcome communication apprehension painlessly by using human interest stories with humerous elements. A public relations teacher uses two audio tapes and a true story about a former student in her classroom. Garrison Keillor's 12-minute story "Tomato…

This digest presents a technique and activities for using Spanish language ads and public service announcements in the Spanish foreign language classroom. The technique has been used successfully with students in the Galveston-Houston, Texas area. Segments of the scripts of one announcement and one commercial advertisement are provided, as well as…

The Wheel of Right Action and the "WHOOPS! Quotient" both offer students an opportunity to integrate values and ethics into real world situations. The Whoops! Quotient asks students to respond to questions regarding how often they have heard or have made statements of a "white lie" nature within the past week. Responses are…

First in a series of books that illustrate the functions of words in sentences, this book uses cartoon characters (a different "Humpty" for each part of speech) to help make learning grammar easier by associating an abstract concept with a visual image. The book introduces each part of speech and offers practice pages where students can reinforce…

This book has an easy-to-follow-format. It supports teachers through six workshops by sharing specific strategies, procedures, and materials that worked best for students and teachers in classroom writing workshops. The book discusses the routines that helped organize and support a workshop; and presents strategies for anecdotal record-keeping,…

A communication instructor designed the "Organizational Feud" game to emphasize the variety and pervasive influence of organizations upon students' lives. In this game, students complete surveys indicating the organizations to which they belong and the values reflected in the organizations. The instructor codes the responses on the…

This workbook is intended as a text for the learner of German as a foreign language. The workbook is complete with exercises that require students to provide information about themselves. Students provide information by reading questions and filling in the blanks. Questions are asked about families, friends, likes and dislikes, hobbies, and even…

One of the challenges of a communication instructor is how to initiate the discussion of ethics in the university classroom. The classic film, "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," has proved a useful tool for initiating discussion of ethical decision-making in leadership. This film presents a young and idealistic leader of boy ranger clubs…

Choral reading has a place as an adjunct in a total reading program at all levels of education and can serve to help keep alive the enthusiasm and efficiency for learning which children show at home in the first years of life. Many education scholars have noted its usefulness and suggested activities to develop it. Examples of the successful use…

The supplementary activities guide was written to coordinate with a kindergarten textbook in English as a Second Language (ESL) used in the Houston (Texas) Independent School District. It contains eight instructional units with worksheets, alternative activities, and blackline masters for convenient reproduction. Each unit consists of a series of…

This paper presents an outline of a five-day program designed to introduce first-grade children to decision-making processes. Included in the paper are: (1) lists of assumptions, goals, and strategies; (2) a day-by-day outline of activities; and (3) a reader's theater script based on "The Legend of the Bluebonnet" for use by the…

The play activity of 20 children was videotaped and annotated. The children were questioned about their play and artifacts of the play were collected. Data revealed a qualitative organization similar to a hierarchy. This structure reflected themes, domains of literate behavior, functions, and skills. A vignette of an episode of spontaneous play is…

This is a compilation of ten multicultural instructional booklets that were prepared and published by the Seattle, Washington, School District. The first booklet, entitled "Selected Multi-ethnic/Multicultural Events and Personalities," lists and describes (1) major holidays and events celebrated in the United States, and (2) American…

Describes a card game intended to give practice in detecting and controlling non-verbal behaviors. (NHM)

Discusses ways to incorporate interview assignments into the beginning speech course as a method of enhancing communication skills. (MH)