Each year, about 57 ninth graders cooperate with the managers of Mason Neck Wildlife Refuge, an eastern deciduous forest near the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in northern Virginia. Pursuing integrated studies in English, biology and technology, the students have inventoried a pond's biota, collected deer browse data, and…

Describes the development of product design engineering, a successful student-centered interdisciplinary elective that blends critical thinking with curriculum integration, authentic assessment, practical problem solving, and hands-on engagement in a Virginia high school. The goal is to analyze the meaning of engineering as a profession and…

This report describes a concept for providing innovative opportunities for Virginia students identified as gifted in the technical arts or other areas. The approach unites the areas of vocational education, programs for the gifted, and career education and guidance in a partnership to: encourage gifted students to pursue offerings in vocational…