Includes a dandelion poem that is designed to stimulate elementary students' creativity and abstract-thinking skills. Offers several exercises to go with the poem: creating mental pictures, drawing first images, and performing for better understanding. A reproducible for creating a dandelion-shaped poem is included. (SM)

Part of a series of philosophical readers, this story for elementary school children presents two characters, Kio and Gus, who are sensitive to ideas, language, and the world around them. The book consists largely of dialogue as each character narrates his/her story. In the course of a summer, Kio visits his grandfather's farm and befriends Gus,…

This book shows students how to increase their power to analyze problems and comprehend what they read. First it outlines and illustrates methods that good problem solvers use in attacking complex ideas, then it provides practice in applying these methods to a variety of comprehension and reasoning questions. The "Whimbey Method" of teaching…

The 16 units of this book are designed as textbook supplements to encourage students to think mathematically and as mathematicians. Each unit begins with an orientation session which raises general concerns that always occur within mathematical exploration. This is followed by a short, original text in which a mathematician creates a particular…

Students in grades three and four are introduced to the concepts of abstract reasoning, ambiguity, and interpersonal relationships in this philosophic reader. The story involves mystery and myth and works with literary techniques of similie and metaphor. Pixie is introduced as a precocious character who is impatient with other people, a tease, and…

The guide contains six episodes, suitable for the secondary level, designed to focus attention on the moral issues involved in war. It is presented in two sections. Section I discusses four objectives of values education and how the suggested activities contribute to their attainment. These objectives are: (1) differentiating value judgments,…

Challenges the readers comprehension of mathematical induction by presenting four examples of arguments that misrepresent the concept. Discusses the reasons why the arguments lead to false conclusions. (MDH)

This paper describes the rationale behind and the development and utilization of a bibliographic instruction course which incorporates formal abstract reasoning skills. The limitations of the search strategy technique of bibliographic instruction are discussed as well as the fact that many college students have not developed sophisticated…

One of three related documents produced in response to a need for direct instruction in thinking skills at the secondary level, this program for high school students bases its approach on involvement of students in direct experiences. Designed to build on the thinking skills that the student already possesses and, ideally, on the experience gained…

One of three related documents produced in response to a need for direct instruction in thinking skills, this program for middle school or junior high school students bases its approach on involvement of students in direct experiences. The book contains four units. Focusing on perception, Unit 1: "Experiencing the Arts" begins with ways sensory…