Seventy second-grade children who had succeeded on pretests involving liquid conservation observed a nonconserving model and were subsequently retested. Regression to nonconservation was obtained only among some of the children who had been submitted to maximal pressure in the presence of an adult model. (Author/JMB)

A simple lesson on magnetism can foster childrens' natural enthusiasm for science and set the stage for discoveries that parallel those of famous scientists. (JD)

Examined four variables affecting children's resistance to deviation: (1) modeling resistance to deviation, (2) modeling alternative activity incompatible with deviation; (3) availability of alternative activity, and (4) attractiveness of alternative activity. It was concluded that the modeling of behavioral inhibition and incompatible responses…

A milk processing plant is described. Starter and advanced lesson activities using milk for observation are presented. (MT)

Demonstrates the process whereby creative drama is used to develop and enhance both self- and group observation skills, awareness, and insight, emphasizing the role of videotape recordings in aiding this development. (Author/BL)

Results suggest that the age composition of peer groups influences the performance of peer-modeled information, thus providing an indication that imitation of peers is a selective process influenced by the relative age of the model to the observer. Data also suggest that observational learning is a complex process involving considerable…

Suggests ways to teach reading skills in context by drawing students' attention to general text elements, such as semantics, syntactics, graphophonics, print conventions, and creativity. (MM)

The study compared the effectiveness of peer and adult models in teaching an expressive language task to four autistic boys (9-11 years old). Ss had well developed imitative repertoires and some spontaneous language. Using a BCBC design, counterbalanced across modeling conditions and replicated across Ss, autistic Ss were taught to respond to…

In a naturalistic setting, boys and girls were exposed to a same- or opposite-sex live adult model who played with sex inappropriate toys. The results are explained in terms of the inappropriateness of toy playing for adults and the theoretical importance of adult vs. peer influences. (GO)

This guide is designed to provide elementary school teachers with a harmless, inexpensive, clean, odorless, and easy-to-care-for insect-rearing project for the classroom. The following topics are included: (1) instructions for the care and feeding of the beetle larvae; (2) student activities for observing larval characteristics and behavior…

This guide is designed to provide elementary school teachers with safe learning activities concerning bees and wasps. The following topics are included: (1) the importance of a positive teacher attitude towards bees and wasps; (2) special problems posed by paper wasps; (3) what to do when a child is bothered by a wasp; (4) what to do if a wasp…

Twenty first-graders observed an adult model perform a quantity conservation task. The children were then tested on a series of generalization tasks immediately, after one week, and after three months. The results suggested that the social experience of observation appeared to activate a cognitive restructuring of the children's mental operations.…

Two experiments studied five- to eight-year-old children's capacity to resist temptation as a function of observing a deviant model. (CM)

The University of Wyoming elementary teacher education program, Professional Semester I, is designed to relate college theory to classroom practice. Two college instructors and three university school teachers work with students in 4-hour blocks 4 days a week. The students study basic teaching methods relating to the four educative…

The purpose of this study was to determine the differential effects of imitating versus not imitating children on their subsequent tendency to imitate a model. Subjects were 54 kindergarten children. (MS)