For six weeks, 25 Connecticut seventh graders interviewed senior citizens from a nearby assisted-independent-living facility. By celebrating their senior partners' life experiences, students formulated a better understanding of major events in 20th century American history. During the fifth and sixth weeks, students shared something from their own…

Purpose-centered learning, which requires students to use their studies to address challenges they identify in their community, is effective in all types of schools and with diverse students. The system can generally be implemented simply by reallocating existing resources and rethinking traditional approaches. Purpose-centered education connects…

Presents research founded on a socio-ecological approach to environmental education that includes individual and structural aspects of environmental awareness and problem solving. Presents one instrument used in discussions with teacher teams. Contains 23 references. (DDR)

Describes a graphing activity that promotes mathematical connections with social studies lessons. Students should be familiar with graphing on the Cartesian coordinate system to play this variation of the game Battleship on maps of various regions of the world. (AIM)

Discusses aspects of the concept of sustainable development that students must be taught if they are to appreciate its application. Asserts that developmental stage reached by particular peoples and places should be the focus. This can be broken into four parts in order to examine sustainable development: (1) People; (2) Environment; (3)…

Addresses the teaching of environmental education in the British National Curriculum after the 1995 revisions. Environmental education is required only where it appears in National Curriculum subject requirements--geography and science in particular--but each individual school must decide how content is to be taught and what further action should…

Describes the Semester at Sea Program of the Institute for Shipboard Education in which over 20,000 college students have participated over the past 30 years. The ship's geologist/geographer presented geological briefings in a daily interdisciplinary core course during 60 days at sea. He also guided field trips during 43 days ashore. Visits to…

Explores how to know when children think mathematically, how to establish a setting that elicits mathematical thinking, and what to learn about children as a result. Fourth grade students think and talk mathematically while tackling a real-life PACKETS program. Addresses content standards involving proportional reasoning as well as the process…

Cites Mandelbrot as an example of one who learned the language of mathematics, biding his time until he could employ his knowledge both as a means of creative expression and as a tool for comprehending the intricacies of the world around us. (KHR)

Describes a unit primarily for third through sixth grade students that can be used in music or language arts classrooms. Introduces students to children's literature about string instruments and teaches them music listening skills. Includes the selection criteria for literature as well as bibliographies of resources. (CMK)

Describes an art activity for third-grade students in which they learned about African animals in one class period and spent time in another class period creating a picture of a giraffe. Explains that the students learned about watercolor wash and the wet-on-wet technique. (CMK)

Includes four articles that address issues related to digital libraries. Highlights include a framework for evaluating digital library services, particularly academic research libraries; interdisciplinary approaches to education about digital libraries that includes library and information science and computing; digital rights management; and the…

Introduces a laboratory experiment that investigates the key factors in determining the depth or diameter of an impact crater. (YDS)

States that the alliance between story and music within Native American culture can be carried over into the curriculum. Provides a rationale for utilizing story while teaching Native American music, specifically related to the multicultural curriculum. Discusses the value of cultural music to the multicultural curriculum. (CMK)

Addresses how the National Standards can be incorporated into band rehearsals using the music piece, "Balladair" (Frank Erickson), as an example when teaching techniques and musical concepts. Provides ideas such as using material from "Balladair" to create warm-ups or relating the piece to other arts. (CMK)