Developed in cooperation with the World Wildlife Fund, "Taking Action" inspires ideas and provides models for conducting effective environmental projects--projects that dynamically engage students from start to finish. From adopting species to protecting habitats to saving energy and creating publications, this guide will help educators plan,…

Mentoring is an integral part of SERVE's Senior Project program. Mentors provide support and guidance to students as they complete the requirements of Senior Project by meeting with them to offer input on their research papers and assistance with the design and implementation of their projects. Approximately 100 schools in SERVE's 6-state region…

Describes the successes and difficulties of a project in which students from ninth to twelfth grades, over the course of a school year, wrote a book on the African American community of Louisville, Kentucky. (SR)

Elementary teachers can increase public awareness of the value of social studies by having students conduct a sidewalk fair in a local shopping mall. One exemplary fair used the "Revolutionary Times" in American history theme; students read stories, showed filmstrips, and sang songs. Considerations for implementing a fair are discussed. (RM)

In an attempt to infuse career education into the existing school program, teachers were given the opportunity to prepare a unit of career exploration and receive a small career education grant ($75-$100) in order to carry out the unit. Most career exploration units involved the community. (KC)

Describes interdisciplinary strategies that develop civic literacy by empowering students as members of a democratic community. Concludes that civic writing, using the research skills of inquiry and advocacy, is a successful catalyst for developing civic community. (MM)

Describes ArcView, a Geographic Information System (GIS) that enables K-12 classrooms to access electronic maps and information databases for specific communities. Presents actual applications of ArcView at an elementary school and a high school. Finds that students are using GIS technology to collect, analyze, and apply local data to real…

An artist-in-residence helped junior high school art students design, engineer, and construct an outdoor sculpture for their school in Ft. Dodge, Iowa. The project was actively supported by the community, with funding coming from the local Fine Arts Council and supplies donated by a lumber company. (IS)

This bulletin focuses on the method that teacher/authors use to connect curriculum with community: service-learning. The bulletin's introduction notes that, although service-learning projects can occur within any subject area, they have a particular suitability for the social studies, given the discipline's focus on the skills, values, and…

Describes an eighth grade class history project in which students researched, wrote, and published a history of their town based on interviews with residents. The project increased personal interest in history and improved the school's relationship with the community. Suggestions for project organization and interviewing techniques are included.…

Details a program sponsored by the Potomac Region Solar Energy Association (PREA) that provides local high school students with access to photovoltaic kits and encourages them to learn more about photovoltaics through a design competition. The purpose of this article is to inspire groups in other communities to initiate similar projects. (DDR)

Describes two projects undertaken with the author's high school English classes in which students chose writing they wished to share with their own community, and then published it, in one case selling their class anthology to selected businesses around town. Describes the increase in enthusiasm for writing and care and professionalism caused by…

This packet contains lesson plans with real-life service projects that students can do throughout the school year, from September 2000 to August 2001. The lesson plans in the packet provide teachers with flexibility to offer them to students as young as grade 5 and as old as grade 12. The lesson plans, although essentially social studies, service…

Describes lessons and units that allow the author's high school English students to make important connections with members of their community, publish their efforts, and thus bridge the gap between young adults and their communities. Describes a "literary cookbook" (published and distributed in their community) in which each student wrote one…

Describes the "Postcards from America" project carried out by a class of high school students, all recent immigrants to the United States with little or no prior English. Discusses two events (an exhibit of students' photographs and writing, and a multimedia performance of nine performance pieces portraying personal stories of the immigrant…