This curriculum guide for preschool teachers was designed for use with wooden unit and hollow blocks to foster a variety of math, science, language, and social skills. Following an introduction to the curriculum and a discussion of cooperative learning and stages of block building, the guide is divided into three parts. Part 1 of the guide,…

These two magazines, written entirely in Spanish, are designed for classroom use in the elementary grades. Number 10, focuses on ecology, discussing such topics as the greenhouse effect, endangered species, protecting the natural environment, tree planting, earthworms, natural waste, books on environmental subjects, saving the earth, and…

The purpose of this paper is to define leadership through "followership." The paper begins by defining "leader,""follower," and "symbiosis." It explores: what followers do; what followers want; and what followers and leaders expect from each other. From these perspectives, the paper presents a rationale for…

This paper delineates an exercise where students are encouraged to give their point of view to a quotation received (the activity is an adaptation from the Impromptu Speaking event in Competitive Forensics). The paper states that students are to explain the meaning of a quotation (topic themes may be from ecology, education, environment, life,…

Spelling is only beneficial when it is connected to reading and writing. Upper elementary and middle grade students have a tremendous need to be heard, and teachers should focus on spelling for the power it holds in communication--people spell to communicate more effectively in writing. To teach spelling separate and apart from writing and reading…

Authentic or popular texts--such as newspapers, grocery lists, magazines, and pamphlets--can be used effectively in reading instruction. This article first discusses the importance and usefulness of environmental print, or authentic texts, in the context of formal schooling. It then presents a list of authentic texts (several kinds of texts for…

Teaching Organizational Culture is a powerful way to take students beyond a basic understanding of organizations. Students not only are able to glean insights to help them select an organization that best matches their own career direction, but they stand to gain a better sense of the impact they can have as leaders in the organization. This paper…

Good citizens need good communication skills, and the task is left to departments of communication to give students the communicative skills they need to take part effectively in a participative democracy. This paper presents a short discussion of the pedagogical issue that is of supreme importance for the citizens of democracies--the issue of how…

This teaching guide for "Where the Lilies Bloom" provides an introduction, a plot summary, and a conclusion as background information. The guide furnishes questions for discussion which focus on plot, point of view, setting, characters, interpretation and symbolism, ethical questions, and conclusion. (NKA)

Boom! Br-r-ring! Cluck! Moo!--exciting sounds are everywhere. Whether visiting online sites that play sounds or taking a "sound hike," ask your students to notice the sounds they hear, then write their own book, using sound words, based on Dr. Seuss's "Mr. Brown Can MOO! Can You?" During the three 45-minute sessions, grade K-2…

For every individual, stories are one of the earliest and most enduring ways of sharing and constructing meaning. Narrative schemes, overt and hidden, are at work in all children's lives as they try to connect new information and concepts with their existing understandings. They are also at work in primary classrooms in ways both small (an…

Research indicates that incorporating both pre-reading and post-reading activities into the English curriculum contributes to a more successful reading experience for students of all ages and backgrounds. The primary advantage of using either (or both) strategies is that they actively involve students in what they are reading and studying,…

This book offers countless practical ideas for student activities in the areas of literature, reading, writing, and thematic units, from the exploration of ghostly themes, to the writing of resumes for heroes, to devising yearbook entries or Web pages for famous literary characters. The book provides the middle school or secondary school classroom…

Designed to meet the fundamental state standards and reform agreed upon by educators, this book, with its unique approach to writing, offers teachers an essential resource to spark creativity and skillful writing in all students. Each chapter in the book begins with a question, giving students a hands-on opportunity to explore a specific writing…

An instructor uses a class activity to increase student understanding of the implications of sexual harassment in interpersonal relationships. Students read a dialogue inspired by a newspaper report about the disciplinary action against five senior government officials at the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center who had participated in repeated…