The purposes of this study were: to examine the terms "intrinsic motivation" and "extrinsic motivation" by defining and analyzing characteristics of each; to investigate their relevance to classroom practice; and to determine if students' motivational orientations can be changed. A modified version of Harter's Self-Report Scale of Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Orientation in the Classroom was administered to two groups of 6th-grade social studies students (N=49). Students were asked to rank themselves along a continuum as being extrinsically or intrinsically motivated. A 2-week unit was then presented using intrinsic motivators for the first group (called the endogonous group) and extrinsic motivators for the second (called the exogenous group). The final step in the study was to determine if the motivational orientations of the students, as measured by readministration of the survey, changed during the course of the unit. Findings indicate that student motivational orientation can be changed based upon exposure over time to an environment with a particular motivational orientation. Appendices provide the survey questions as categorized; the survey as given to students; the contract and questions given to students in the endogenous group; and suggestions for increasing student motivation. Fourteen figures displaying seven categories of data for each group are included. (Author/LL)