Describes a week-long "Mapping Natural Disasters" workshop offered to K-12 teachers to promote inquiry-based teaching approaches. The workshop modeled the integration of hands-on activities, internet-based data, and the use of geographic information systems (GIS) software. (Author/MM)

Discussed are the deficiencies of teaching laboratories in science education and the feasibility study and development of the Institute for Teaching Experimental Chemistry at Carnegie Mellon University. The primary goals of the program and its significant elements are presented. (CW)

Reports the results of a year-long program incorporating intensive journalistic writing into Advanced Placement English courses. Notes that most students who took the course received high scores on the Advanced Placement English Language and Composition test, and that all students in the course improved their writing. (MM)

Describes the author's experiences when incorporating an intensive journalistic writing program into her high school English class. (MM)

Shows how the addition of intensive journalistic writing can enliven the traditional high school English class. (MM)

A course at the University of Georgia is described that helps students acquire problem-solving skills so that ultimately the entire remedial program would be improved, giving students with major deficiencies in basic skills a better chance to succeed in their regular university courses. (MLW)

Describes a business-writing course based on academic and industrial collaboration and the conceptual model of social communities. (MM)

Offers some revisions and alternatives to Heath and Atkinson's 1988 model for designing a course on the family treatment of alcohol and drug problems in order to make it generalizable to a greater number of contexts. Suggests the two papers together could serve as a guide for self-study in the area for clinicians. (Author/ABL)

Topics for conversation courses include conversational rules and structure, conversational strategies, functions and meaning in conversation, and social and cultural contexts. The direct teaching of conversational skills involves adding specific language input, increasing the role of consciousness raising, and sequencing communicative tasks…

Described are modifications made in a traditional introductory biology course and the resulting improvement in student achievement and attitude. The use of cooperative learning groups is stressed. (CW)

An introductory Natural Science course with a focus on the laboratory is described. The main function of the course is getting students prepared for required individual projects in science. A copy of the syllabus, a description of laboratory experiments, and the context of the course are included. (KR)

Describes a four-credit college course for preservice elementary and secondary teachers. Declares that the course is a model that integrates basic geography content with appropriate teaching strategies. Outlines the origins and development of the course and includes a copy of the class syllabus. (CFR)

Argues that teaching methods usually associated with art history are not appropriate for the subject. Contends that the learning cycle method, based on active, exploratory learning, is much more conducive to student learning. Contends that students learn more and enjoy the course more with this approach. (CFR)

Describes a sociology major curriculum at Alverno College in Milwaukee (Wisconsin) designed around ability-based and assessment-based learning. Explores the daily teaching practices and curriculum development. States that students learn to evaluate their development. Includes portions of the syllabi and learning assessments from two courses. (NL)

The implementation and results of the use of videotapes in introductory biochemical engineering classes are discussed. The topics of the videotapes and the results of a questionnaire about this instructional method are presented. (CW)