Creating a class book can be an effective way to stimulate early elementary students' creativity and self-expression. The six steps are to: introduce the project; create the story; decide who does what; get it down on paper; put it all together; and share the experience. (SM)

By introducing students to the idea of inventing their own celebrations, teachers encourage creativity and help them sort out values and make decisions. Students can savor a sense of community as they share discoveries with classmates. Examples of several invented celebrations are recounted. (MT)

A close involvement with the arts helps students develop skills useful for any area of the curriculum. Techniques are suggested for making the arts more than just extracurricular activities. (DF)

Teachers do not have to be musicians to help their students learn basic musical concepts. Activities are suggested that provide experiences with visualizing sounds, conducting, performing, and composing. These lessons can start a foundation on which to build more formal studies. (DF)

Using ordinary household items--vinegar, ammonia, and cabbage juice--teachers can demonstrate properties of acids, bases, and neutrals. Students are encouraged to discuss results and hypothesize about experiments. A guide to the project is provided. (JL)

Puppets can be used in the classroom to teach, to tell stories, to introduce new students or books, and to develop children's cooperation, creativity, and coordination. Instruction on how to make and manipulate puppets, plan puppet plays, and locate information on puppetry are given. (PP)

A fourth grade teacher commemorated Black History Month with a study of African culture and geography. Students were assigned to make a chosen African country come alive through an oral presentation. Finger puppets, which students outfitted in traditional tribal attire, were used to enhance the project. (SM)

A teaching unit on transportation compares the costs of various modes of transportation--private automobile, bus, and bicycle--in terms of energy efficiency and air pollution. Class projects on transportation are suggested, along with sources of further information and a reading list for children. (PP)

Ways to make historical figures come to life through classroom simulations are described. They include: (1) teacher impersonations of time-machine visitors; (2) public-address-system voices from the past; (3) writing about historical personages from different perspectives; (4) mock trials; and (5) role playing by students. (PP)

Children need to understand the role forests play in human life and ecology, and the competing claims of industry, recreationists, and conservationists for this resource. Class projects and discussion topics are suggested to bring these issues to life in the classroom. Other sources of information and children's books are also listed. (PP)

Activities are described for helping students not just to recognize the historical significance of the Mayflower voyage but also to understand the actual courage of its passengers, through reliving the planning, principles, motivation, technicalities, and conditions of the voyage. (CB)

A Maryland teacher used Alaska's Iditarod sled-dog race to spark learning and bring adventure into a fourth grade history and geography course. Students followed the Iditarod, conducted reading races on related material, studied race strategies, and considered necessary mathematics. They learned about Alaska while experiencing cooperation and…

Ways in which childrens' literature may be used to help students become better spellers are discussed and suggestions are made for innovative class activities involving spelling skills. (JD)

Suggestions are made for creative class activities that help students become more familiar with punctuation marks and their use. (JD)

The article describes innovative activities for presenting legal principles to fifth- and sixth-grade students involving the importance of rules and rulemaking. (CB)