As every elementary teacher knows, an elementary classroom is a busy place. While literacy and mathematics command the majority of hours of the school day, many schools are left with an inadequate amount of time to devote to science. In an urban district, students in grades K-5 receive a mere 30 minutes a day for science and social studies. There…

A theme issue of the Iowa State Historical Department magazine focuses on elementary readings and activities about prehistoric Iowa. The issue contains a total of 16 articles. In "History Makers," a ten-year-old recounts his family's discovery of a mammoth bone on their farm. "Imagine a Camping Trip Long Ago" looks at how the…

The Iowa Clean SWEEP program is designed to provide educators, K-12, with a series of activities focusing upon critical concepts related to Iowa's solid waste problem. This activity packet contains 19 activities for grades K-6, and 25 activities for grades 7-12. Key concepts addressed throughout the activity packet include: (1) an overview, the…

Most of the material for this issue of the "Goldfinch," which explores the life of Carrie Chapman Catt, came from the archives of the State Historical Society of Iowa. Carrie Chapman Catt (1859-1947) was an Iowan who advocated woman suffrage and spent 26 years actively working for that cause. The issue contains a biography of Catt, and…

This education kit was compiled by Iowa's Nongame Program to celebrate the successful reintroduction of the peregrine falcon (Cedar Rapids, July 1989) after its near extinction in the state in the 1960s. This resource unit was developed to enhance the education of students and teachers in Iowa about endangered species and specifically the…

This issue of the children's quarterly magazine, "The Goldfinch," focuses on World War I. A brief discussion of how the United States came to enter the War is followed by a discussion of propaganda. An article on the use of posters to encourage citizens to participate in the war effort is illustrated with reproductions of several of…

Prepared for elementary and secondary teachers, this guide provides an annotated list of 72 instructional materials for teaching about farming and the products of Iowa farms. Entries, listed under the organization that provides the materials, state type of instructional material, major topics addressed, grades for which materials are appropriate,…

Realizing that there is virtually no acknowledgement of the theater arts as part of the educational program in the public schools of Iowa, this guide is intended to be a model for instruction in theater beginning in the earliest grades and continuing beyond the school years. It is organized so that it is the theater teacher/director who makes the…

Thirty-eight energy related classroom activities for sixth to twelfth grade are included in this document. The activities are based on the following conceptual themes: (1) energy is basic; (2) energy's usefulness is limited; (3) energy exchanges affect the environment; (4) energy conservation is essential; and (5) people can develop and share…

Designed for use with intermediate students, this unit presents eight 45-minute lessons in which students learn about Iowa's history, economic factors, governmental functions, geography, and people. Although the unit is intended primarily for fifth grade students residing in Iowa, it can be used as a model for those interested in developing…

Designed to aid teachers and administrators in developing curriculum and improving instruction in the K-12 social studies, this guide is intended to help districts enhance and build upon their current local curriculum. It is also designed to assist educators in developing social studies programs to meet children's educational needs. The guide is…

The revised Iowa Developed Energy Activity Sampler (IDEAS) was compiled using the original IDEAS program and the Energy Conservation Activity Packets (ECAPS). This document is one of the series of revised IDEAS booklets, and provides activities for teaching industrial arts/technology education. The activities are intended to present energy…

This leader's guide contains materials for conducting a 1-, 2-, or 3-hour workshop to help teachers develop techniques and classroom activities that will address and alleviate student stress resulting from the rural crisis. Resources for the 1-hour program include introductory remarks, a 28-minute videotape about how the agricultural economic…

Procedures to help intermediate-grade social studies teachers implement a local history unit are provided. Although intended for teachers in Iowa, the guide can easily be used by educators in any state. The procedures are organized around three major generalizations: (1) buildings and artifacts are resources in explaining the history of a…

Designed to accompany a 28-minute videotape about the impact of the Iowa agricultural crisis on the school setting, this publication offers suggestions for classroom activities and ways teachers can become effective in reducing student stress. Teachers are encouraged to deal with students with problems by showing sensitivity and warmth,…