The "IDRA Newsletter" serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children across the United States. The focus of this issue is "Teaching Quality." Contents include: (1) Using Project-Based Learning and STEAM…

What if you could remove time and space pressures from the process of teaching and learning? The authors of "Off the Clock" not only suggest this, but they have implemented it in New Hampshire. Due in part to their work, the New England Consortium won the 2011 Frank Newman Award for State Innovation through the Education Commission of…

Step-by-step, schools from the elementary through high school levels are making the transition to 21st-century learning. Some have crossed the threshold almost entirely. In today's progressive classrooms, yesterday's rows of quiet listeners have given way to small groups of active learners, thoroughly engaged in discussions and explorations. And…

One goal of 21st-century education is to develop mature citizens who can identify issues, solve problems, and communicate solutions. What better way for students to learn these skills than by participating in a science and engineering fair? Fair participants face the same challenges as professional scientists and engineers, even Nobel laureates.…

Spring is the season when thousands of creased cardboard pests can be found lodged under the armpits of students and teachers as they observe the educational rite of spring known as the school science fair. A recent visit to a local school's gymnasium to witness one of these events reminded the authors of why they so dislike science fairs. In this…

This book is a resource for parents and teachers who want to teach about recycling and composting by setting up and maintaining a worm composting system. It is designed to be a detailed yet simple manual of vermicomposting. The manual covers the basics of vermicomposting and answers such questions as where to store a composting container, what…

This illustrated book presents the natural world that exists right outside the door through a series of projects, experiments, and activities that are simple enough for young children to do. Activities are divided into six sections: (1) Insects and Worms; (2) Birds; (3) Backyard Animals; (4) Seeds; (5) Plant Magic; and (6) Soil, Air, and Water.…

The purpose of this manual is to provide guidelines and suggestions for people organizing an environmental action conference for high school students. The format and planning suggestions are based on the methods used for a conference organized by the Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education in 1991. The bulk of the manual provides structure…

In school library research programs, a challenge for students doing research emerges when they take their projects home and turn to their parents for assistance. Often parents lack sufficient knowledge of the research process to be able to effectively help their children. Moreover, teachers expect parents to monitor student homework but rarely…

This fastback describes the Publishing Center, a center designed to publish student writings, located in the Douglas Grafflin Elementary School in Chappaqua, New York. Following a brief introduction, the first section of the fastback outlines the steps in the process approach to teaching writing. The next section describes how the Publishing…

This book is designed to provide guidance and ideas for science projects to help students learn more about science as they search for answers to specific problems. The 20 topics on electricity in this book suggest many possible problems to solve. Each topic has one detailed experiment followed by a section that provides additional questions about…

This book focuses on everyday math and parent involvement. It is divided into three parts and contains activities that help teachers involve parents in everyday math. Part I, Getting Started, describes the organization of the book and includes a curriculum chart. Part II, Involving Parents, discusses how children learn math and strategies for…

For young people, service to others can develop important habits and skills that help them become an asset to their neighborhoods. This guide was created to help adults teachers, parents, after-school providers, and members of community-based organizations to find and create opportunities for young people to answer President George W. Bush's call…

This book contains 49 science fair projects designed for 6th to 9th grade students. Projects are organized by the topics of soil, ecology (projects in habitat and life cycles), pests and controls (projects in weeds and insects), recycling (projects in resources and conservation), waste products (projects in decomposition), microscopic organisms,…

This collection of 20 articles from "The Science Teacher" and "Science and Children" is provided to assist teachers, students, and parents in preparing for science fairs. Four major questions about science fairs are addressed in the articles. They are: (1) Who should participate in a science fair? (2) How should a fair be organized? (3) What makes…