Basic education in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) seems to be characterized by lecture methods of instruction, a lack of interdisciplinary approaches and a disconnection with local community problems. During 2008, a "My Community, Our Earth" (MyCOE) workshop was organized in the MENA region and involved teachers of geography,…

The Future Problem Solving Program involves teams of students from grades 4-12 in creative problem solving. The teams complete practice problems and competitive problems. Winning teams go on to state and international competitions. Other program components include noncompetitive problem solving for primary-level students, community problem…

This curriculum guide uses the study of individual systems to build a basis for students to understand larger systems. Using sites in the school yard and the community, students investigate insect, bird, and dog populations, as well as one physical system, weather, as entry points to the broader subject of how natural systems interact. The degree…

This curriculum guide is a resource for teachers and students who wish to understand watersheds: what they are, what natural elements comprise them, and how social and political activities can influence the environmental quality within a watershed. The process of watershed study is explored, including the theories, goals and objectives of…

Prevention is the ultimate key to reversing the upward trend in the use of drugs and to empowering communities to address their drug problems. An essential factor is the development and implementation of initiatives to prevent illicit drug use. A goal of prevention for youth is to provide them with a set of skills and tools to help them resist the…

The Future Problem Solving Program develops students' problem-solving and thinking skills as student teams undertake a step-by-step process which involves assessing the teams' existing knowledge of the topic, determining the knowledge they need, gathering information, organizing their knowledge, and using the knowledge to solve specific problems.…

This book is intended to introduce teachers to the practices of "environmental education," and is the first in a series published by the Institute for Environmental Education. The series focus is on problem-solving in the community as the subject matter for environmental education. Problem-solving is used as a process of investigatory…

This document presents a program designed to provide students with a comprehensive and interesting way to study their community. Although developed for secondary students, the program activities, with slight modification, should be equally successful with intermediate-level students. Using the community as the area to be studied, a major focus of…

Because demographic and social changes in rural communities also affect small and rural school environments, schools must consider the impact of community change and plan accordingly. Rural school administrators, who are visible and respected, know how to work with groups, and understand the local community, are well qualified to provide their…

Following a brief introduction, chapter 1 of this study seeks to establish a framework for building stronger links between school and the workplace by calling attention to the need for (1) an ongoing analysis of the local economy in the context of the regional, national, and global economy; (2) a standing representative community consultation,…

The goal of this civic education program, written for six through ninth grade students in the form of an instructional guide/student workbook, is to help students develop citizenship skills important for intelligent and effective participation in a self-governing society. Specific educational objectives include helping students learn: (1) how to…