The Periodic Table of the Elements (PTE) is arguably one of the most central topics in chemistry. This article provides a critical review of current teaching practices of the PTE to high-school students and undergraduate university students. It also provides a new teaching model, the "periodic universe", for understanding of the PTE…

Discusses five innovative social studies projects which employ conceptual frameworks, discovery learning, and multimedia presentations. The projects generally reflect the ideas of the "new social studies." Projects discussed are The Family of Man, From Subject to Citizen, Patterns in Human History, Geography in an Urban Age, and…

Designed for instruction of emotionally handicapped children and youth, these six articles present concepts and activities relative to social studies and outdoor education. Defining social studies as the study of man and his relationship with his environment, the first article emphasizes a site analysis approach. Activity suggestions utilize a…

Insights gained from experience and research on language minority students' academic success are reviewed as background for presentation of a curriculum that is bilingual and content-based and uses cooperative learning techniques. First, findings on three elements of success (interest and motivation, intelligence and development, and psychosocial…

Maintains that student-centered curriculum embodies the progressive and constructivist principles of active, participatory learning. Advocates emphasizing the importance of context as part of a constructivist approach. Includes instructional examples of connecting contextual information about artworks to constructivist activities. (MJP)

The history of philosophy is examined, and what the practice of philosophy may portend for the future of education is discussed. The traditional prohibition of philosophy being taught to children is much indebted to citations from Plato's "Republic." Plato thought that the dialectic would subvert and corrupt children. But just as…