This article describes leadership development activities with gifted preschool and kindergarten children enrolled in the University of Redlands (California) summer school program and a local private elementary school. Methods of teaching the skills of social sensitivity, problem solving, and conflict resolution are described, including role…

The calendar provides elementary mathematics students with open-ended questions intended to engage them mathematically in high-interest activities. No answers are provided so that students are encouraged to look alone, or in small groups, for significant mathematical evidence to develop confidence and the necessary critical thinking skills. (JJK)

Two scheduling problems, one involving setting up an examination schedule and the other describing traffic light problems, are modeled as colorings of graphs consisting of a set of vertices and edges. The chromatic number, the least number of colors necessary for coloring a graph, is employed in the solutions. (MDH)

Describes the three phases of the learning cycle (exploration, conceptual invention, and expansion) and explains how they can be used in educational assessment. The use of semantic mapping, concept mapping, and mental modeling in the evaluation of student learning is described. (PR)

Applies a theory of analogical thinking as satisfaction of multiple constraints to the use of analogies in instruction. It shows how the strengths of particularly good analogies and the weaknesses of particularly bad ones can be understood in terms of pragmatic, semantic, and structural constraints. The constraints suggest lessons for how…

Discusses the ability of young children to engage in critical decision making. Reviews the steps in the decision-making process. Presents a lesson plan requiring children in grades four through six to analyze and decide whether the United States should take control of a mythical island. Provides instructions on procedures, handouts, and evaluation…

The Game of Institutional Long-Term Care helps health care students learn to solve patient-management problems in nursing homes by (1) teaching problem solving and identification of goals and motivations of decision makers; (2) teaching negotiation, compromise, and cooperation; and (3) exposing students to the feelings and frustrations involved in…

Focuses on status of drug education as change agent; complexities of education and research as partners; and need for compelling alternatives to provide solution choices to drug problem. Claims future can be commanded by putting values of democracy back on drawing board, as an overarching context in the search for ideas and compelling alternatives…

Intermediate-grade gifted students (n=139) who participated in the Future Problem Solving Program were compared to other gifted or average ability students. Participants were found to be interested in more global issues than nonparticipants and were more positive about their control over the future. (Author/JDD)

The first part of this plenary lecture describes the activities of the Committee on Education of the International Union of Biochemistry. The second part describes the Educational Credo, standards for the PhD Degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and recommendations of the report "Physicians for the Twenty-First Century." (PR)

Describes some experiences of 30 teachers who met at the Tsongas Industrial History Center in Lowell, Massachusetts, to develop motivating, interdisciplinary activities for middle school students around science, technology, and industry. Discusses interdisciplinary problem solving using the design loop and presents six problems related to corn and…

Explains how a simple three-step algorithm can aid college students in solving synapse transmission problems. Reports that all of the students did not completely understand the algorithm. However, many learn a simple working model of synaptic transmission and understand why an impulse will pass across a synapse quantitatively. Students also see…

Discusses ways to simulate a probability problem of interest to middle school students in which students calculate the average number of packets of trading cards purchased to obtain a complete set of cards. Simulations utilize a spinner, a table of random numbers, and a computer. Includes the BASIC program utilized in the simulation. (MDH)

Discusses the problem-solving heuristics of examining for special cases, utilizing dimensions to make sense of proposed solutions, and symmetry. Presents examples to illustrate the use of one or combinations of these heuristics. (MDH)

Utilizes the problem of determining the number of different ice cream cones and cups that can be made from a choice of 31 flavors to investigate the concepts of combinations and permutations. Provides a set of six related problems with their answers. (MDH)