A teacher recounts a summer school program for 9 students (ages 9-16), all with hearing loss and several with other learning problems. Stressed is the role of the summer program in maintaining academic skills. Specific activities around the theme of "rivers" are detailed. (DB)

Discusses problems with existing social studies curriculum, including the dichotomy between in-depth studies and coverage studies, lack of correlation with other fields of instruction, and uncertainty about the appropriate sequential development of concepts. A master plan for social studies curriculum, focusing on grades five through eight, is…

Describes one approach to teaching an American literature survey course that focuses attention on authors' responses to business. (HOD)

Discussion of the use of theme cycles in the teaching of students with hearing impairments first compares holistic theme cycles with traditional, reductionist theme units. The development of theme cycle components and issues is then related to locating needed materials, assisting hearing-impaired students in accessing information, managing data,…

Describes six alternatives to the one-year chronological survey course on world history in secondary grades. The alternatives are topical or thematic courses, conceptual or generalization-centered courses, world regions or world cultures courses, problems approach courses, case study courses, and depth studies or patch-work courses. (RM)

Argues that U.S. public schools urgently need lessons dealing with religious liberty. Describes a new curriculum that was developed around the theme. Outlines the project's goals. Defines the curriculum's five major themes or "big ideas": (1) coming to America; (2) the Constitution; (3) U.S. pluralism; (4) for better, for worse; and (5)…

Describes method of presenting theme booktalks to high school students to appeal to their various reading levels and interests. Excerpts from various forms of adult classics and young adult literature illustrate a technique to link the works by themes pertinent to teenage readers. (CD)

A thematic approach to creating learning activities for learning disabled students is described, and three curricular outlines are presented. The thematic approach, whereby instruction in all Ss revolves around a common theme, is discussed in terms of curricular mode, instructional setting, the specific population, and generalizability of results.…

Suggesting that teachers who encourage students to use many kinds of trade books across the curriculum are likely to be rewarded with students who are excited about learning, this fastback focuses on using children's literature across the curriculum. The fastback discusses reader response theory, connecting the curriculum through literature,…

Designed to help foster new research and facilitate a wider dissemination of research and ideas, this fifth volume in an ongoing series of working papers explores selected themes on the relationship between technology and literature. Three papers are presented which represent a sampling of the themes that could be pursued through literature in a…

Describes how a word processor helped children with reading and writing difficulties to improve their language skills. Concludes that the computer can be a powerful tool for learning. (FL)

Telling stories from secondary and college English classrooms, this book explores the new possibilities for teaching and learning generated by bringing together reader-response and cultural-studies approaches. The book connects William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, and other canonical figures to multicultural writers, popular culture,…

This essay examines issues of giftedness and excellence, beginning with classical references to human striving toward the "good," the attraction of gifted children to quality, and the recent discovery of the oldest known cave art with its manifest excellence. Classroom activities related to cave art and language arts, social studies,…

This social studies unit about discovering Germany is intended for use with elementary students. The unit states objectives; discusses strategies and evaluation; lists materials needed; addresses national social studies and geography standards; and cites the contents. It introduces the five fundamental themes of geography: (1) location, (2) place,…

Recommends that teachers present the years 1000 to 1750 as the "Traditional Europe" period, rather than as a combination of several periods. Identifies shared religious, intellectual, and artistic traditions; landed aristocracy; a peasant economic base; and an urban mercantile class as the era's distinctive characteristics. (DK)