Describes "CultureGrams" and "StateGrams", sources that provide practical cultural information including attitudes, appearances, greetings, gestures, dating, family life, transportation, health, and education. Focuses on the edition suitable for elementary school students, explaining specific features and suggesting assignments…

Investigated what differentiated higher quality from lower-quality negotiation of meaning interactions as well as the consequences of these interactions in a storytelling task. Participants were students enrolled in English-as-a-Second-Language classes who told a personal narrative to a small audience consisting of he teacher and two classmates.…

Discusses the life of Ezra Jack Keats in relation to his children's books, both as illustrator and author. Presents extension ideas for activities and includes an annotated bibliography of his works, including videos based on Keats's work, biographies, biographical information, and Web resources. (LRW)

This article suggests using drama activities to teach target vocabulary words to students with limited vocabulary development. It presents specific drama activities to implement when introducing new vocabulary, conducting guided practice, facilitating cooperative learning groups, and assigning independent practice. Suggestions are also offered for…

Measures the relative influence of engaging in various learning activities--spanning the "life-wide" spectrum of learning--on economic and social benefits. Finds that relationship between formal education and economic and social outcomes is complex, with confounding effects, indicating that different types of learning activities taken…

Investigates how much time primary schools spend on science, what should count as science, and what the different ways are that science appears in the curriculum. Uses findings from a survey conducted with schools in the Victorian Science in Schools (SIS) research project as well as case studies. (KHR)

A physics teacher in a technical high school describes how he teaches outside the book through lab involvement, student projects, and thematic lessons. Describes a roller coaster construction project. (JOW)

Discussion of information literacy and education focuses on a module developed to provide instruction related to Web searching. Highlights include basic Web search strategies; Web search tools, including directories, search engines, specialized search tools, and the use of pathfinder pages; and suggested practice activities. (Author/LRW)

Offers some suggestions for articulating curricular objectives and activities based on the theoretical principles underlying emergent literacy. Suggests readings for extending and strengthening the knowledge and understanding needed to foster young children's language and literacy. (MG)

Describes a game using synonyms designed to build students' vocabulary by developing concepts for new words and by repeating exposure to the new words. (RS)

Goals of the Children's Museum of Boston are to encourage curiosity, skepticism, and realism while providing opportunities for discoveries and new insights. The museum addresses the needs of young children through adolescents by providing a multicultural environment and participatory learning centers. (JDD)

The inquiry approach of Discovery Place of Birmingham, Inc., in Birmingham, Alabama, invites children of all ages to explore the excitement of science, technology, art, and humanities. The educational resource center provides interactive exhibits, hands-on materials, teacher workshops, and family programs. (JDD)

Argues that writing parodies of poetry is a productive, nonthreatening introduction to the creative effort of poem making. Provides several suggestions that may help in the parody-writing process. (RS)

States that writing is the one language outlet that enables a person to capture and examine thoughts. Notes the growing number of studies that help teachers evaluate writing as a learning technique. (MG)

The Policy and the Higher Literacies project reviewed state and local "thoughtfulness" mandates, interviewed appropriate administrators, and visited schools and classrooms boasting higher literacy activities. While most interviewees believed in commercial test validity, those engaged in higher literacy activities largely ignored such…