Presents some suggestions to secondary teachers on organizing small group instruction projects and provides a sample set of conduct guidelines for students participating in group work. (SJL)

Describes a unit on Ancient Greece designed to make social studies meaningful to fourth and fifth graders. Individual projects and group activities helped students learn about ancient Greek culture. (AM)

College faculty can minimize problems in grading students' cooperative projects by carefully structuring the five basic elements of formal cooperative learning groups: positive interdependence; individual and group accountability; face-to-face promotive interaction; teamwork skills; and group processing. There must also be sufficient reason for…

Guidelines for two group activities are presented, one for high school and one for junior high school. The purpose of the activities, both of which follow the same format, is to introduce or review causes of the Civil War while reviewing and applying previously acquired skills and information about the newspaper. The procedure is described as…

Successful small group science teaching techniques at the State University of New York (Plattsburgh) are described, including use of small groups for problem-solving, discussion, and research projects. Majors and nonmajors appeared to profit from this approach, and further use of small groups with diverse populations and large classes is planned.…

This eighth-grade lesson teaches about military battles and the lives of women during the U.S. Civil War. Students work both individually and in groups, assuming the perspective of a young woman who has left home to join the war effort. The lesson progresses along the following steps: (1) "Getting Started" (Focus on a particular woman's role); (2)…

A group project to build a model of the South Carolina state capitol building led to improved basic skills, high levels of student participation, an understanding of the importance of planning, and increased self-esteem among five 10th-grade students with mild mental retardation in a resource room program. (DB)

Second language teachers are encouraged to assign multimedia projects to their students. They are challenging for the student to create, can effectively reinforce learning, and are a fun way for students to practice language skills. Rather than have students draw a poster or write a paper, the teacher can assign a presentation using a combination…

Provides a series of guidelines for overcoming resistance and problems with cooperative projects in an introductory sociology course. These include coordinating common interests and common free time between team members, requiring allocation of various roles (presider, scribe, coordinator), and ongoing monitoring of the research teams. (MJP)

Maintains that cooperative learning produces higher achievement, more positive relationships among students, and healthier psychological adjustment than do competitive or individualistic experiences. Describes a cooperative learning core module complete with course content and assessment strategies. Discusses advantages, disadvantages, and student…

Uses of pre-recorded and student-generated videotape recordings in the foreign language (FL) classroom are described and discussed from the perspective of their utility in helping students achieve target language communicative competence. It is suggested that viewing authentic video materials provides an opportunity to observe extralinguistic…

Poster and group activities help students understand the concept of wetlands. Activities involve students in classifying, defining, and depicting wetlands. (MDH)

A strategy for English second language instruction in the Greek schools of Cyprus at the elementary and secondary level is described. Central to the strategy is assignment of student projects, either individual or small-group, integrating independent language learning and use of research and planning skills. An introductory section presents the…

An integrated curriculum geometry unit, "Beyond the Surface," is presented and built around four principles promoting students' mental connections. The principles include a significant problem context, assignment of concrete, active tasks, employing tools embodying the mathematical concept, and reflection on established connections…

Outlines a unit of study in which students undertake a scavenger hunt for data about the civil liberties guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. Lists 36 activities (e.g., obtain a copy of a search warrant) and assigns points for the completion of each. Explains that student groups attempt to earn a 200-point total by completing activities. (CH)