In this introduction, the author sets the tone for a series of articles which are intended to stimulate elementary teachers and school personnel to recognize the value of community resources and to undertake steps to make full utilization of such resources. (Author/JR)

A model is provided which shows how the community can become a laboratory in which the learner studies data and makes decisions. In the community laboratory, learners are both participants and observers, helping them understand why they live as they do and how citizens work together to improve community life. (Author/JR)

Examines how the objectives of open schools and those of contemporary social studies are similar in trying to make the individual a functioning member of society with a high level of participation. One is to guide the children in learning activities that emerge from their own interests and involve the community as a resource and a laboratory.…

Provides some ideas for developing an arts program and suggests some sources of funding. (IRT)

This article examines social studies in the primary grades and shows how community resources can facilitate social learning. A three-stage model is examined which addresses the issues of citizenship and community involvement in the primary grades. It provides for teacher/school, parent/community, and learner involvement in all stages of…

An effective and comprehensive guide to possible field trips for Nassau County (New York) elementary and secondary students covers places of interest in Nassau and Suffolk counties and in New York City. Recognizing that field trips can have great importance in the learning process, especially if they are directly related to the curriculum, the…

This environmental education community resource guide is an illustration of the rich potentialities offered by the child's immediate environment. Although the guide focuses on a Philadelphia community, it is written in such a format and approach for adaptation by other teachers in other localities. The goal of the guide is to broaden the teacher's…

Students discover science resources in their neighborhood that help them see the relevance and long-term applications of concepts learned in the classroom. Students explore people, objects, and geographic resources beginning in the school and extending out into the community. (MDH)

Discusses a program developed by the Seattle (Washington) Art Museum which conducts teacher workshops and student tours so that museum resources can be used effectively in the educational process. Including lectures by museum officials and University of Washington scholars, the program provides resources and strategies for teaching about the tea…

This collection of twelve elementary-level career guidance practices consists of four activities which may be grouped under the heading of novel practices, three activities involving community volunteers, a field trip, a career day activity, and three mobile activities. A standard format (including a description of the practice, its objectives, a…

The curriculum materials for kindergarten through the fifth grade presented in the guide have been classroom developed and tested; they are the result of a project to establish a comprehensive career education program in the Cashmere and Peshastin-Dryden, Washington School Districts. An introduction discusses program goals, and is supplemented by…

Two topics that are important for improving the teaching of science in the elementary grades are: (1) the availability of classroom science materials and equpment; and (2) teacher improvement in subject matter competencies, instructional skills, and familiarity with technology. A workshop was developed to help teachers develop instructional…

The curriculum materials for grades 6-8 presented in the guide have been classroom developed and tested; they are the result of a project to establish a comprehensive career education program in the Cashmere and Peshastin-Dryden, Washington School Districts. An introduction discusses goals and is supplemented by the National Standard Career…

This guide attempts to show educators and parents how elementary school industrial arts (ESIA) activities in the classroom can increase a child's competencies in basic skills, computer applications, and other class assignments, while also expanding the child's knowledge of careers and the rapidly changing world of work. The guide provides…