Describes how a role-playing approach may be used to capture the style, flavor, and conversation of nineteenth-century British life through the staging of a Victorian tea. Examines the economic, social, and cultural questions addressed through the technique. Also discusses evaluation and student impact and recommends the activity for any…

The activity uses an area model to analyze probabilities associated with games of chance. Three activity sheets are included, with teaching suggestions. (MNS)

Use of compatible numbers resulting in easy mental computations is described, along with related teaching and testing tips. (MNS)

Discussed is an approach in which algebra and geometry are interwoven in a series of problems that develop one from another. The two main concepts are the algebraic concept of function and the geometric concept of the "family of quadrilaterals." (MNS)

Language arts skills and writing projects can be combined with activities that teach the fundamentals of word processing to improve the language arts curriculum. Suggested lessons cover five writing and editing operations common to most word processing software. (DF)

Strategies to strengthen elementary students' perceptions of the past are discussed. These include conducting a personal home furnishings inventory, creating a "then" and "now" class museum, planning an "old objects" with "new uses" survey, organizing a grandpa's garage and granny's attic day, and conducting a neighborhood architectural treasure…

Suggestions to help social studies teachers use historical fiction and biography to teach critical reading to intermediate grade students are made. For example, teachers should help students to check various sources for the author's qualifications, purpose, and bias and assist students in analyzing language and writing style. (RM)

Folksongs can be used with all students at all grade levels. Teacher guidelines are provided and three musical themes--whaling in New England, the California Gold Rush, and loggers and lumbering--are used to illustrate how to use folksongs in the classroom. (RM)

The importance of encouraging students to think about their actions in playing educational games is noted. A game is presented with mathematical topics that could be explored and variations on the game described. (MNS)

The focus is on providing an automatic way of varying the opponents and setting up a competitive framework that is easy to organize and manage. Eight techniques are discussed. (MNS)

Presents an in-class activity which uses videotaped television shows to teach time sampling, event sampling, and trait rating techniques. Students responded favorably to this activity, and many reported that it increased their understanding of the different observation techniques. (Author/JDH)

Children often come to school with undesirable social skills. To help the classroom operate more smoothly, good manners are necessary. Activities and ideas to help teachers develop acceptable behaviors in students are offered. (DF)

The first article discusses three types of pair work activities in language classes: (1) role play, (2) "social interaction," and (3) "information gap." The second article describes semiscripted dialogues and dialogues that indicate the structure and direction of the discourse, but allow the speakers to improvise their language as they proceed.…

Discusses four prevalent misconceptions about critical reading and thinking and presents classroom strategies to foster an awareness of each. (EL)

Journals are proving their worth as tools for learning. Students who keep journals for class purposes can think more clearly about what they learn and can define problems for themselves. The use of a journal for 100 percent of a grade is described. (MLW)