What if teachers not only made clear the learning expectations at the start of each unit, but also helped students see where they stand in relation to those expectations? Students would realize what specific skills and understandings they most needed to work on and would clearly see the need for differentiation in the class. Dobbertin describes…

Discusses problems in finding appropriate projects for an economics fair. Offers guidelines for planning such projects, focusing particularly on the selection of topics. Concludes by stressing the importance of establishing a good start for continued motivation and high quality projects. (BR)

Instead of deciding what should be taught, music educators should allow students to discover what they know about music. A project that requires students to compose musical commercials and a project that requires students to invent a notation system for writing music allow students to discover answers instead of memorizing them. (Author/AM)

American government should be taught using an experiential approach. Activities are suggested. For example, student representatives to school boards can be given responsibility for researching student attitudes and involving others in interaction with the board and administration. (RM)

A teacher introduced folklore to multiage groups of students aged 5-12 by encouraging them to work together on projects that included locating family origins on a map, collecting family recipes for a cookbook, compiling a photo album, and writing a play based on war stories gathered from relatives. (LP)

Interview with Lilian Katz, one of the foremost authorities on the project approach to learning. Discusses the misconceptions and advantages of the project approach, the teacher's role in project-based work, and the qualities teachers need to insure its success. Gives historical background on the development of the approach, and some common…

Defines and describes project-based learning (activity in which students develop understanding of topic through involvement in actual problem or issue) and notes models of project work (project exercise, project component, and project orientation); dimensions; philosophical and psychological bases; and implications of project-based learning.…

This resource handbook provides a brief overview of ideas, facts, and resources offered during the Partnership for Academic and Career Education's (PACE) 10th annual Summer Institute. The institute's goal was to inform participants about nontraditional careers open to students, with special emphasis on midlevel technology careers and to recommend…

This article explores the principles of structuring student classroom and library research. It is presented in the form of a workshop activity suitable for use in a geography department staff workshop. (JDH)

Describes some of the author's observations about information technology trends and their impact on her two grandchildren's classroom experiences. Topics include the shift from acquisition to information access, the shift from paper to electronic format, networked communications and computerized collaborative projects, and the emerging portability…

Provides accounts from readers of "Arts and Activities" on how articles from the journal have helped them. Includes the title of each article and states that the original articles are available online for other readers to use. (CMK)

A high school teacher describes the learning activities his students initiated to make math more meaningful. Students determined the height of objects without direct measurement, graphed statistical information from the presidential primaries, studied the evolution of architecture by building gingerbread models, and researched land-use problems at…

Describes a workshop offered by elementary library media specialists for teachers and administrators which illustrated ways in which media specialists can support and enhance curriculum. Included are detailed examples of activities and projects in social science, language arts, and science which have been implemented in Maryland schools. (CLB)

Presents "fail-safe" lessons for emergencies and substitutes. Describes an experimental design with six steps, designed to help teachers teach students some things about themselves, such as whether boys are better spellers than girls. Offers other examples from the classroom. (EL)

This Korean-language digest addresses the question of what young children should be learning that will best serve their development and learning in the long term. Two major dimensions of development--normative and dynamic--are explored, and four categories of learning goals are discussed: (1) knowledge; (2) skills; (3) dispositions; and (4)…