Describes a lab that introduces agarose electrophoresis techniques and basic information on proteins to middle school and high school students. Insists that, built around a scenario in which students must solve a crime, the lab has real-world applications that should spark student interest. (KHR)

Presents science activities that mirror real life issues relating to plants and sustainability. Describes how to turn seed growing activities into an environmental simulation. Discusses the advantages of cross-curriculum learning opportunities. Includes student references and notes for teachers. (KHR)

Discusses issues in implementing and evaluating an interdisciplinary curriculum. An integrated approach is time-intensive and difficult to evaluate, and requires changing teacher practices and beliefs. (Contains seven references.) (LMI)

Recommends using time bonding (finding a role model and researching the process and story behind that individual's accomplishments) as a means to interest students in history. Outlines the instructions covering the objectives of the writing assignments. Students researched a variety of biographies including Jackie Robinson and Lyndon Johnson. (MJP)

Describes two approaches to connecting literature and problem solving with mathematics. One approach is to focus on a particular strategy of problem solving, then find a storybook related to the strategy. Another approach is to find a favorite children's book and develop the problem-solving portion of the lesson from the book. A resource list and…

Presents numismatic experiments that cover a range of topics that tie physical science and chemistry to society and history. Discusses measuring length; measuring mass; metals, alloys, and amalgams; reactivity of metals and electrochemistry; reactions of metals with acids; money to burn; magnetic properties of coins; inertia; refraction;…

Describes five writing activities and assignments designed to help students understand the content of social studies and the process of writing. These include student journals, biographical poems, elaborate word games, and creative writing exercises. Illustrative examples relate these to social studies issues. (MJP)

Describes an activity in which students use data analysis and mathematical modeling to obtain insight into a geometrical question. Explores a simple case of the isoperimetric inequalities. (KHR)

Presents three fundamental ideas of calculus and explains using the coordinate plane geometrically. Uses Cabri Geometry II to show how computer geometry systems can facilitate student understanding of general conic objects and its dynamic algebraic equations. (KHR)

Presents a project used to help students make connections between linear and exponential models and between arithmetic and geometric sequences. (KHR)

Examines a collaborative language learning project that brought together elementary and middle school students in France, Canada, and a Basque school to communicate about monsters--a topic of concern to any child who has heard a fairy tale or watched a Disney movie. The Internet is used as the medium of interaction, allowing more students to…

Describes a week-long multidisciplinary program (in association with a theatre history survey course) called "Roman Holiday: Classical Comedy/Contemporary Commentary" which featured guest lectures; a student-directed production; a video screening; and the presentation of Hollywood films. Notes that the program addresses the disparity between the…

A national survey of medical schools (n=120) investigated the extent and design of organized training for students preparing for overseas rotations. Only 22 percent offered formal training in international health care, but many had other options, most interdisciplinary. Overall, the training provided was found to be inadequate. (MSE)

Maintains that young children view the world holistically, and thus the social studies curriculum should emphasize the concept of integration. Provides two sample lessons on soup in which students explore geographic concepts, history, economics, and the sociology of soup consumption and production. Includes teaching strategies and learning goals.…

Examines how interdisciplinary teaching teams were used in a midwestern middle school to produce a nontraditional work environment. Describes the following features of this environment: (1) interdisciplinary organization; (2) shared leadership; (3) focus on children; (4) principal's influence; and (5) integrated programing of children. (JS)