Discusses a project that (1) uses telecommunications technology to link the river communities of the past with students today; and (2) uses thematic, interdisciplinary projects to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Notes that 20 school buildings in four Ohio school districts will be participating. (RS)

A curricular anchor is a complex problem that students acknowledge as worth solving and that validates learning a set of relevant skills and concepts. To motivate students, anchors must capture the imagination, be perceived as important by learners, legitimize the disciplinary content they integrate, and accommodate a variety of learning…

A Washington State first-grade teacher and her students created the Learning-Centered Curriculum-Making Project, developing each unit over a two-week period and highlighting language and thinking skills related to various subject disciplines. They used dialog, coaching, modeling, questioning, and reinforcing techniques. Students helped select…

Describes two approaches to connecting literature and problem solving with mathematics. One approach is to focus on a particular strategy of problem solving, then find a storybook related to the strategy. Another approach is to find a favorite children's book and develop the problem-solving portion of the lesson from the book. A resource list and…

Suggests a four-stage framework that teachers can use to integrate creative dance into the social studies curriculum. Discusses the four stages through the use of a sample dance about tornadoes that complements a thematic social studies unit about the impact of weather and natural disasters upon people and their environments. (CMK)

The National Humanities Faculty working papers in this document represent reports of faculty participation in humanities projects around the country and emphasize program content that might be useful to teachers developing their own humanities programs. Arleigh D. Richardson's report is a description of the program he visited and is written by the…

Interdisciplinary curriculum is a methodology that can help students gain the necessary content knowledge to support the following basic skills: (1) using language well and thoughtfully; (2) thinking through a problem and experimenting with solutions; (3) understanding scientific and technological ideas and using tools; (4) using imagination; (5)…

Describes the use of the Internet to investigate mathematical problems, create and share information, discover patterns and relationships, and find out more about the world. This unit investigates pet ownership and introduces children to telecommunications, the use of the computer as a tool, and scientific research methods. Other units address…

This syllabus, revised in 1967, presents a thematic approach to history instruction with emphasis on concept development and relevant understandings. Five major topics focus on these areas: (1) American People (Immigration and Reaction to Immigrants, American Culture Patterns, Population, Civil Rights; (2) Government and Politics (Constitutional…

A program developed by the Center for International Studies (CIS) at Cornell, focusing on world-based, political problems was evaluated for the ongoing improvement of the program. Of particular interest was whether the program was meeting its characterized goals of interdisciplinary content, problem orientation, and team teaching at the…

Casting students in grades 5 through 12 in the roles of reporters, lawyers, and detectives at the scene of a crime, this interdisciplinary activity involves participants in the intrigue and drama of crime investigation. Using a hands-on, step-by-step approach, students work in teams to investigate a crime and solve a mystery. Through role-playing…

The goals of this four-phased study were to enhance the quality of educational experience for under-represented (rural, low income, and female) secondary students (N=628), and to increase their participation in mathematics and science courses beginning at the middle school level. Teachers (N=28) were asked to expand their pedagogical content…