To become an integral part of the school program, local resources must be identified, documented, and cataloged at the school or district level. A form for collecting data and sample activities and ideas for using these community resources in interdisciplinary social studies/language arts courses in the elementary grades are presented. (RM)

To help students meet the demands of society, the University of Houston is using the framework of learning communities and constructivism to create a cross-disciplinary approach to teaching to provide media-rich thematically linked courses to engage a diverse student population. A case study investigated three semesters of thematically linked…

Presented are ideas for eight environmental and conservation education programs, many of which span grade levels and skill areas. For each program described, there is a person listed to contact for additional information. (KC)

Describes a beginning course in clinical geriatrics for medical students and student physician's assistants, physical therapists and nurse practitioners. The course will increase students' ability to identify basic physical, psychological, and social characteristics of the normal aging process; and to recognize prevalent myths and negative…

Developed by a graduate seminar class, this guide is intended to help teachers use museums to integrate the arts into the elementary social studies curriculum. Although many of the resources included pertain specifically to Pennsylvania, the guide can serve as a model for educators in other states. Many different resources are provided. There is…

Contends that imagination and creativity go hand in hand and that creativity can and must be cultivated among students at all levels of education. Presents a classroom approach where students are the experts on a variety of global issues and projects. Includes 7 tables illustrating the approach and 21 descriptions of student roles. (CFR)

Contends that public monuments and memorials provide excellent opportunities to teach historical geography and community studies. Illustrates this view with examples of monuments and memorials in the United States and other nations. Provides teaching strategies and a four-step process to use memorials and monuments in the classroom. (CFR)

Delineates the need to make rural education more relevant to rural students in developing nations, stressing limitations in traditional Western approaches. Advocates rural pedagogy that encourages lifelong learning and develops community resources. Provides a case study of a rural pedagogy program in Sri Lanka. (CH)

A junior high school geography class in La Palma, California, offers extensive field trip experiences to teach students methods of historical-geographical research. Resulting from a course that develops research methods in social studies, a club was formed that provides overnight excursions in various field activities. The club is open to 9th and…

This article focuses on open schools or schools without walls, those experiments within the public school system involving a reconceptualization of the role of the school in the educational process. A brief review of the free school movement (those experiments outside public schools) is also included. The stated goal of the open school is to help…

This paper is concerned with the educational responsibility of changing present negative attitudes toward the aging process and toward aged persons. In spite of the dramatic increase in the number of older people, contemporary influences foster a belief that aging is a process of decline rather than of fulfillment. These influences include the…

This guide attempts to show educators and parents how elementary school industrial arts (ESIA) activities in the classroom can increase a child's competencies in basic skills, computer applications, and other class assignments, while also expanding the child's knowledge of careers and the rapidly changing world of work. The guide provides…