Defines semiotics and outlines its implications for teaching language arts. (PRA)

Provides content area teachers with teaching strategies designed to integrate writing instruction into their classes, not only to improve student writing skills but also to enhance subject matter learning. (RL)

Intended for administrators and policy makers, as well as teachers, this digest examines the current state of humanities instruction and the evolving place of humanities in the high school English classroom. The digest first explores differing definitions of the humanities, and discusses reasons for the decline in emphasis on humanities…

Learning science through design offers students the opportunity to engage in real-life problems from an interdisciplinary perspective. This ERIC Digest explains the power of "design" as a teaching tool, what it brings to teaching, and what learning through design entails. (YDS)

During the past century, one distinctive effort to improve science and mathematics education is an approach that recognizes the commonalities between science and mathematics and seeks to appropriately and effectively integrate these two disciplines in teaching and learning. Philosophically and theoretically, there is strong support for the…

A growing number of education reformers are justifying their reform strategies by pointing to the findings of developmental brain research, theories of information processing, and the needs dictated by today's information-rich world. They advocate integrative education, which places students in a holistic context. This digest describes the…

This digest discusses Language Across the Curriculum (LAC), an approach to teaching language that works with faculty in other content areas to identify the specific vocabulary and genres that students need in order to function effectively in another language in their respective disciplines. LAC also draws from the content-based approach to…

Presents a case for incorporating humanities instruction into the study of literature and suggests activities by which teachers can go beyond literary devices in individual works to encompass the humanistic components of the cultures that produced them. (EL)

This digest focuses on foreign language instruction at the middle school level. In general, middle school foreign language programs have received relatively little attention. However, the increased emphasis within the field on longer sequences of instruction, combined with the conversion of junior high schools to middle schools has necessitated a…

This bulletin discusses the aspects of curriculum development that relate to environmental education. The first of five sections establishes the need for curriculum development that addresses the emotional, cultural, and sociological factors that influence the curriculum framework in view of the need for educational reform. The second section…

This digest summarizes what is known about gifted children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It identifies three subtypes of ADHD, noting both criteria for diagnosis and the subjective determination of what constitutes significant impairment. Discussion of differences in gifted and non-gifted children with ADHD reports findings…

Citing recent studies which decry the historical knowledge and writing ability of U.S. students, Seiter states that writing can be used to introduce more social studies content into the classroom--mainly by using primary/historical sources as the basis for writing assignments. Highlights several ERIC resources which deal with improving writing…

The critical thinking movement is responding nationwide to the challenge of teaching thought processes to students. This volume contains 10 articles addressing critical thinking and the instruction of higher-level thinking skills: (1) "Critical Thinking: What, Why, and How," by Richard Paul; (2) "Teaching Critical Thinking across the Curriculum,"…

Provides a rationale for content area writing, and suggests ways it can be used for social studies instruction. (JC)

During 1987 the ERIC Clearinghouse for Science, Mathematics, and Environmental Education (ERIC/SMEAC) conducted a survey of the state education agencies, asking respondents to summarize their perceptions as to how schools include environmental topics in their curricula by responding to a questionnaire. Also requested was information concerning…