Maintains that prepackaged sets of strategies and tactics, as well as step-by-step procedures for teaching thinking skills, often lead to ritualistic and routinized practices that curtail thinking by both children and teachers. (BB)

Discusses "Students Discovering Cities" and related activities, explaining how the program evolved into a city planning project for fourth graders in West Jordan, Utah. Describes the final stage of the project in which students "built" their city inside the school gymnasium, complete with streets, lights, cardboard buildings,…

Presents a world climate simulation game in which students demonstrate knowledge of the Koppen System of Climate Classification, ability to read and interpret a climograph, and ability to locate places by means of longitude and latitude coordinates in an effort to locate a ring of spies who have planted a bomb in an unidentified city. Clues and…

Describes the use of past educational experiences and resulting attitudes to illustrate effective teaching methods to students in social studies methods courses. Positive memories center around a hands-on approach, whereas negative memories focused on memorization and rote learning. (LS)

Describes the Reporter's Reading Method, a student-directed reading system that requires students to write questions as they read, and use those questions as the basis for classroom discussion. (MM)

Describes an activity in which students write guided-imagery scripts that are related to works of literature. (MM)

Describes how to make the moral application from the vices in Dante's "Inferno" to contemporary examples drawn from newspapers. Argues that in order for students to evaluate the conduct of their peers and of the larger community, they must join another community of their own choosing that transcends time. (RS)

Describes how a "radio" presentation of a basal play or favorite story fosters oral reading in reluctant readers. (MM)

Urges high school English departments to integrate literature by and about women into the English curriculum. Describes several activities that bring this literature into the classroom, and provides a list of available materials to balance the curriculum. (MM)

Describes an approach that pairs every male-authored novel, play, short story, or poem taught in the English curriculum with one written by a woman. Illustrates this approach in a course pairing Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman. Provides an annotated list of works that examine the subject of gender issues in schools. (MM)

Provides numerous ideas for helping students write about special memories in the following categories: growing up--future dreams; authors and illustrators; family history; special places; and special memories. Describes how to write a "bio poem," and includes a bibliography of children's books that enhance and enrich student learning and…

Focuses on ways in which students' writing is enhanced when literature becomes an integral part of the elementary classroom. (SR)

Presents a case study of a dry cleaning firm that can be used as a classroom activity. Provides a 12-question exercise based upon data collected. Activities are designed for both individuals and groups. (KO)

Discusses ways picture books can be utilized to teach social studies to elementary students. Discusses specific books and their uses in teaching anthropology, geography, history, and sociology. (SR)

Profiles the author of 28 science books for children, teachers, and parents. Most of the books focus on science fair projects, teaching science to elementary school students, and fun science activities that parents and teachers can use with students. (MDM)