Before the 2008 presidential election, when an African American friend asked him whether he thought whites would vote for Barack Obama, the author found himself answering by going back to the 17th century, to the invention of the white race as a buffer class to keep those at the bottom divided, and the way that his own white working-class people…

Emily was then in kindergarten age when a nationally recognized, local center for gifted children confirmed she was gifted, and her comprehension and technical skills were those of a 3rd grader. Emily's parents, who were concerned because nobody at school cared about her needs, called the author, the school's headmaster, to inform him about their…

Applies the idea of the theme booktalk to "Wuthering Heights," which serves as a springboard for talking about themes of family rage, confrontation, quarrel and rebellion in other works of literature with relevance to contemporary young people. (JK)

Discusses how two M. Wojciechowska novels, "Shadow of a Bull" and "A Single Light," breathe a myth quality that makes some sense of a violent world of pain, uncertainty, and rejection. (HOD)

Teachers can give children a learning experience by (1) providing a concept; (2) selecting an activity; (3) generating a learning task; (4) formulating a cognitive challenge; (5) creating small groups; (6) debriefing the meanings learned; and (7) using the feedback to modify the original idea. (DG)

Math Journey, a creative, mathematical trip centered around a theme, can be integrated into a school's existing science and social studies curriculum. A teacher would only need a copy of their school's curriculum to design his or her Math Journey. In this article, the author discusses several strategies on how to integrate Math Journey into…

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,…

Examines the problems of course content in a biology class at a large metropolitan high school in the Southwest that teaches students the major ideas of biology rather than specific topics, but uses specific topics to develop the major themes and unifying principles. (Author/CCM)

Comments on a previously published article on the ethical treatment of English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) writers, disagreeing with the author's view that it is inappropriate for ESL/EFL teachers to focus on themes such as peace education or conflict resolution in their writing classes. The author of the article being critiqued then responds to…

The concept of whole language instruction is explained by means of examples from a kindergarten unit on the grocery store. Activities include visiting the supermarket, making stone soup, and creating a grocery store. Activities teach reading, writing, oral language, phonics, and word recognition. (DG)

Defines "Theme Study" with three essential elements: use of broad, powerful ideas; inquiry-based approaches to curricula; and a community of inquiry of students and teacher. Shares experiences in applying these elements and discusses essential aspects of classroom instruction. (DSK)

Science fiction offers many perspectives on human communication, including (1) a recurring theme about intrapersonal communication, (2) a nontraditional perspective on "family" communication, and (3) a philosophy of communication that can be drawn from some fantasy literature. Although numerous science fiction stories describe alien creatures who…

Presents an approach to articulating foreign languages in the elementary grades based on the content-enriched foreign language in the elementary school program model that links language, content, and culture through thematic units about francophone countries. Describes a curriculum design of a unit titled, "La Martinique" and illustrates…

Remarks are made on learning objectives in teaching manuals for second language instruction. These issues are addressed: goals of communication, factors in the communicative situation, the intention behind the expression, focusing on the students, relating content to student experience, and the importance of these factors in learning objectives.…