Suggestions are made for using traditional Halloween activities, such as jack-o'-lantern carving, bobbing for apples, and trick-or-treating, for classroom learning. (SJL)

Provides activities for the study of light as a theme for December, which encompasses Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. Includes science activities and suggested books for children and teachers. (HTH)

Describes the Viva Kids! Program, in an inner-city elementary school in Florida, in which students create and produce their own opera, engendering great enthusiasm and giving students a new sense of responsibility. (SR)

Designed to introduce students to the world through nonfiction, this book presents easy-to-follow suggestions for class projects, activities, strategies, and learning centers. The book uses an integrated approach to promoting inquiry in the classroom through the use of quality nonfiction. Aimed at middle grade students and using vignettes which…

Describes a second-grade classroom activity in which children took photographs of their school while focusing on common themes generated by their teacher. Includes discussion of materials and costs for the activity, children's expectations, parental help, class sessions involved (instructions, taking pictures, developing photographs, sharing…

This teaching guide is for use with two novels of young adult literature, "A Far-Off Land" (Rebecca Caudill) and "The Trail on Which They Wept" (Dorothy Hoobler). The teaching guide is divided into three sections: Major Themes (8 themes are listed); Interdisciplinary Topics (9 topics are suggested); and Significant Quotations…

This book offers countless practical ideas for student activities in the areas of literature, reading, writing, and thematic units, from the exploration of ghostly themes, to the writing of resumes for heroes, to devising yearbook entries or Web pages for famous literary characters. The book provides the middle school or secondary school classroom…

Reviews examples of projects, thematic units, and specific activities that preschool teachers can use to enhance the educational opportunities of gifted and talented students in their classrooms. (MDM)

Noting the need for children's librarians, preschool teachers, and storytellers to keep their programs interesting and fresh, this guide is comprised of 48 theme-based units for preschool-level programs in libraries, early childhood settings, or at home. The guide is presented in two parts. Part 1 contains tips for theme-based program planning and…

Describes Literature Learning Ladders, a project that uses books for children and young adults as the focal point for technology-rich thematic activities. Explains the use of Internet Web sites to find book information as well as sties that demonstrate how resources can be used as part of technology-based classroom activities. (LRW)

The celebration of an annual event turned into a 5-week project on medieval life for a kindergarten class. Children were active participants in the planning and execution of the project in which they created a medieval kingdom. A variety of activities enabled the children to further develop skills and expand their knowledge of the topic. (TJQ)

In this teaching activity, students track and present information about specific regions in the world on a bi-weekly basis. Emphasis is placed on the five themes of geography to develop a working knowledge of assigned regions. Students use Microsoft Publisher and PowerPoint to create presentations. The activity packet contains several documents…

One of the major problems with the English curriculum is that literature, language, and composition, the three major strands of the curriculum, have been separated rather than integrated within the curriculum. This inservice program, which was given for English teachers at Niles High School in Skokie, Illinois, advocates the use of conceptual or…

This thematic unit for teaching descriptive writing is organized around 10 days of lesson plans. The unit begins by asking key questions about descriptive writing and providing information on grade level, ability level, number of lessons and length of classes, and prior knowledge students should have. It also offers a unit rationale and key…

A joint publication of the New York and New Jersey State Councils for the Social Studies, "Social Science Docket" presents K-12 teachers with resources covering the social science disciplines, including history, economics, political science, sociology, geography, anthropology, and psychology. Each issue includes theme-related and…