This article describes The Bare Book Project, a writing and research project that challenged pre-service and in-service teachers to create their own original pieces of children's literature, and use aspects of their personal writing as models for students in elementary school classrooms. Building on research regarding teacher modeling in writing…

Project-based learning (PBL) takes student engagement to a higher level through reflective collaboration, inquiry, critical thinking, problem solving, and personal relevance. This article explains how six high school teachers developed an interconnected, interdisciplinary STEM-focused PBL called "Sculpting the Barnyard Gene Pool." The…

This white paper describes instructional approaches that apply to successful teaching with the Smithsonian "Learning Lab." After defining its use of terms such as "deeper learning" and "authentic resources" the authors review the research basis of three broad approaches that support integrating digital resources into…

The process of digital storytelling allows basic writers to take a personal narrative and translate it into a multimodal and multidimensional experience, motivating a diverse group of writers with different learning styles to engage more creatively and meaningfully in the writing process. Digital storytelling has the capacity to contextualize…

Describes the development of WebSchool, a summer teacher institute designed to teach collaboration using Web-based resources so that teachers could develop their own intranets where students could upload their work, teachers could upload projects, and students could download assignments and information about tests. (LRW)

This curriculum unit is part of a larger unit on women's history that allows students to explore the many ways that history has been recorded, including quilting. The unit teaches students how women used quilts as their pens to record issues of their time. Students then connect this to their own lives by expressing contemporary issues through a…

A German language class project designed to develop individual learner autonomy involved a third-year class and a sixth-year class of girls in the production of a fashion show using slides and narration. A variety of related class activities were used: choosing pictures, making suggestions to people about what to wear, analyzing clothing types,…

A critical exploration of the meaning and function of community is the focus of this curriculum unit. It is proposed that students develop projects that are designed to contribute to a community in which they are involved, positing that the leadership and networking skills these students develop over the course of the semester provide them with…

Describes the creation of a computer-assisted course in introductory psychology. Discusses cost, availability, and requirements for hardware and software development. Provides a guide for teachers interested in developing such a course. Discusses student projects, a homework checker, exercises, and examinations. Argues that the technology frees…

This monthlong interdisciplinary, award winning project was designed to help kindergarten children in Kentucky understand basic economic principles that affect their daily lives. The children study about the poverty-stricken people of the Appalachian mountain area of the state. Through the operation of a classroom coal mine and company store, the…

Describes a historical research project for students in secondary grades. Provides recommendations for evaluating student projects. Includes a student project guide and evaluation scale. (CFR)

Maintains that photographs can be used to enhance instruction at all grade levels. Discusses the hardware, software, and process necessary to create both teacher-developed and student-developed photo compact disks. Also maintains that many commercial photo CDs are available royalty-free for the classroom. (CFR)

Contends that feature films can heighten student interest in history. Proposes having students create film presentations based on historical topics. Includes a model research unit on Roman civilization. (CFR)

Asserts that presidential elections and the Electoral College provide opportunities to combine instruction in government and geography. Presents a week-long unit designed for grades 6-12 that utilizes 4 different instructional strategies. Includes relevant excerpts from the U.S. Constitution and data sheets, maps, and charts. (CFR)

Discusses the motivation, implementation, and impressions of involving college students in written and oral field guide contributions in two geography classes. Concludes that students learn more from participating, obtain written and oral communication opportunities, and acquire self-esteem by using the approach. (CFR)