Despite student interest, the heart is often a poorly understood topic in biology. To help students understand this vital organ's physiology, the author created this investigation activity involving the mammalian heart and its role in the circulatory system. Students design, build, and demonstrate working artificial "hearts" to exhibit what they…

As language learning theory has shifted from a highly guided to a more open learning process, this paper presents the teaching/learning philosophy called Learning for Life (L for L) as a great way to motivate native Spanish speaker students learning English as a foreign language, and to help them be the constructors of their own knowledge. The…

This study was designed as a confirmatory study of work on "productive failure" (Kapur, "Cognition and Instruction," 26(3), 379-424, 2008). N = 177, 11th-grade science students were randomly assigned to solve either well- or ill-structured problems in a computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environment without the provision of any…

Learning through play is as natural and important for young children as breathing. With this book, parents and teachers can create toys that help children become more confident, develop their intellect, and encourage play and exploration--all with materials easily found at the local hardware store or home center. Written by two experienced family…

In extra-curriculum activities, the nature of the instructor-learner relationship differs from that in class. This constellation, if accompanied by a smaller gap between the mathematical skills of tutor and learner, has an impact on motivational aspects and on the choice of contents in these activities: The use of problem questions of competition…

This performance guide is designed for teachers to use with students before and after a performance of "The Nightingale," a dance-theater performance conceived and choreographed by Dana Tai Soon Burgess, written and directed by Mary Hall Surface, and adapted from the story by Hans Christian Andersen. The guide, called a…

Uses the context of rock climbing to discuss the science concept of friction. Presents the mathematics equations that describe the concept. Examines the physics of different rock climbing situations encountered and equipment used. A series of related problems with answers is provided. (MDH)

This unit is designed to strengthen critical thinking and problem-solving skills by allowing students to assume the roles of 1992 Winter Olympic Games planners who make preparations for the event. A reproducible data sheet serves as a resource. Hands-on activities and a critical television viewing activity are included. (IAH)

This article compares Creative Problem Solving (CPS) to the investigative procedure of Type III enrichment in the Schoolwide Enrichment Model to show that the two models are complimentary. Training in and use of the CPS heuristic with Type III enrichment is offered as an integrated approach for authenticating problem-solving activity and enhancing…

Science fairs offer students the opportunity to develop skills in inquiry, writing research proposals, working with peers, verifying results, and sharing experimental findings. However, the science fair itself does not necessarily translate into a student's attainment of such skills. Project quality and a student's successful achievement of good…

In this article, the author presents lively and interesting ideas on renewing children's interest in group-time meetings. Come springtime, teachers usually find that interest is flagging at their class group-time meetings. It is at this time of year that children often need something extra special to inspire and motivate them in the classroom. The…

The purposes of this research were to determine the rate at which school psychologists engage in parent training/education with the parents of children with chronic behavior problems and to determine the relationships between school psychologists' demographic variables, professional practice, training, and perception of barriers and their…

Through directing concerted efforts and educational services of seven Faculties of Helwan University towards socially underprivileged pupils in slum areas (EL-Marg area in big Cairo) this research project had two main aims: firstly, modifying a set of arbitrary behaviors of those pupils, in a trial to develop some behavior skills associated with…

Compiled for teachers whose sixth grade students participate in the resident camping program of the Dixon Public Schools (Dixon, Illinois), this guide offers extensive and detailed information for use in planning the camp curriculum. Activities are suggested for environmental study, group socialization, and recreation. Environmental study units…

This document guides teachers through the production of a docu-drama designed to raise environmental awareness for primary school children aged 5-9 years old. The play is a narrated account of seven environmental problems and solutions that is acted in mime, rhyme, and song and could be adapted as a dramatic environmental awareness exercise. The…