The authors examined teachers' beliefs and classroom practices during a 2-year professional development program that required middle-school teachers to develop, implement, and revise problem-based, interdisciplinary curricula focusing on locally relevant environmental health issues. The results of the study indicate that over the course of the…

The authors--a second grade classroom teacher and a university professor of education--decided to collaborate. Melanie wanted to find out if she could help her students increase their reading and writing comprehension by presenting a sequence of events in an activity (for example, the steps in building a house) and then have the students write the…

This booklet summarizes research on best practices for implementing successful small learning communities and career academies. When well implemented, improvements in instructional and personalization strategies in combination with structural supports have demonstrated improved student attendance and learning. "From High School to Learning…

This mixed method case study provides insights about how the professional development of middle school teachers is facilitated through their participation in content-focused online communities of practice. A key finding from this research reveals that the online community provided teachers with enhanced opportunities to share ideas, to discuss…

This paper presents an empirical study of how Second Life (SL) was utilized for a highly successful project-based graduate interdisciplinary communication course. Researchers found that an integrated threefold approach emphasizing project-based pedagogy, technical training and support, and assessment/research was effective in cultivating and…

This curriculum guide offers an interdisciplinary approach to law-related education (LRE) intended to assist teachers with introducing LRE into a variety of social studies and language arts courses. The materials are designed for a secondary school audience, with adaptations included to make the materials work with "average" readers, fundamental…

This practicum was designed to utilize local outdoor resources as a teaching tool and an extension of the classroom. The single goal was to make utilization of this instructional strategy a permanent part of the school curriculum. On-site research, coupled with an extensive review of current literature, produced the finding that the problem lay in…

Descriptions of global education tend to be either fragmented or nebulous. Consequently, the educator is left with little tangible basis for developing instructional programs. As a corrective measure, this paper advocates using fundamental ideas from the disciplines of geography and environmental sociology that collectively contribute to the…

An innovative interdisciplinary undergraduate history designed to increase student interest is described. The modular course studies a number of current interest topics from the point of view of history and other academic disciplines. (DE)

Reports on one technical institution which awards a B.S. in science degree when a student can display competencies in selected fields of engineering and a project which interrelates the problems of society with technology. This latter requirement, the interactive qualifying project, and the development of the program from the historian's point of…

Describes the teaching of drug interactions to a college science class, using supplementary literary and historical information provided by a literature professor. (MLH)

The implications of the use of historical research in elementary grades are examined. The study of the family as a beginning for a historical research project is suggested. (JR)

Twenty techniques for teaching reading in social studies classes and eight suggestions for making social studies more interesting and relevant for the student are included. (DE)

Focusing on synthesis--the ability to recognize and create new ideas that subsume and relate to others--as one of the most sophisticated skills writers can attain, the articles in this journal present many ideas for teaching synthesis and a number of classroom approaches that combine the study of English with other fields. The following titles and…

Higher order thinking is active and sustained cognitive effort directed at solving a complex problem and requires a student to integrate different sources of information, consider alternative perspectives, make critical judgments, and develop and test hypotheses. The important questions in higher order thinking are the ways learners incorporate…