This chapter examines the revitalization of the cultural commons in one Massachusetts community. The adult learning theory of situated cognition, specifically communities of practice and cognitive apprenticeship, provides a lens through which to better understand how knowledge sharing can effectively promote localization in an effort to mitigate…

Murals are particularly visually captivating forms of public art due to their size and accessibility. Mural images also capture public attention and provoke viewers to explore layers of meaning and find hidden stories. They are often in places that people come to visit, study, play, congregate and discuss matters that may relate to the content of…

Strapped for cash, a Massachusetts high school creates its own venture capital fund to incentivize teachers to create programs that improve student learning. The result has been higher test scores and higher job satisfaction. One important program is credited with helping close the achievement gap at the school, while others have helped ambitious…

Examining data provides a unique opportunity to have students work actively with various technologies, such as computers or graphing calculators. Students can import data into spreadsheet software, execute mathematical calculations, create data graphs, and use this material in reports to present the results of their inquiry. Reinforcing the use of…

This report evaluates the impact of two types of initiatives for involving real estate developers in building or supporting new child care facilities. These initiatives are: (1) linkage, a legislative mandate that requires developers to construct a child care space or contribute to a child care fund; and (2) bonuses, or zoning incentives that…

Describes a number of projects through which elementary school students in Massachusetts learned about their local and state community and gained skills needed for active citizenship. (PRA)

This analysis is the third of a series of seven reports on the ways that the urban fiscal crisis has affected children. There has been little reorganization of government services on the state, regional, or local level to compensate for the benefits to children lost as a result of local property tax limitations enacted under Proposition 2-1/2 in…

The current (1972) status of cable television (CATV) in Massachusetts is reviewed in this guide. The tone of the guide is oriented toward more citizen participation and public access to CATV operations throughout the state. The legal and technical CATV considerations are briefly discussed. Short illustrated chapters on the possibilities of local…

A local history course offered as a semester elective to seniors has as its purpose the study of the local community as a microcosm of the United States. The basic principle is to reinforce what the student has already learned in previous history courses. The course proceeds through a chronological sequence of units about various periods of the…

A history of Chelmsford, Massachusetts, from 1655 to 1970 is presented. Written as an historiography exercise by students at Chelmsford High School, the study is intended to acquaint residents and students of Chelmsford with the town's past and its relationship with surrounding communities and the United States. Chapter one, "A Colonial…