Determining the appropriate amount and type of teacher and student input is a complex curriculum and instructional challenge for writing teachers. This paper describes a teacher-researcher's experiences while teaching a fifth-grade class and studying a developing writer's workshop approach to writing instruction. She investigated: (1) how students…

The responses of elementary and secondary students drawn from two school districts, one with a student population that is primarily African American and the other with a student population that is primarily Caucasian, were analyzed to examine student perceptions of teacher influence. A total of 682 students (388 fifth graders and 294 eleventh…

The present study attempts to expand current question categorization schemes to identify question types that discriminate good learners from their peers in collaborative problem-solving groups. The study also explores the effects of person and task variables on students' question-asking behaviors in an effort to identify those that facilitate…

This document is a unit for introducing students to the achievements and historical significance of the Sumerian civilization, located in Mesopotamia, "the land between the rivers," in present day Iraq, and reaching back in time to approximately 3500 BC. Divided into 5 sections, the unit's first three sections concentrate on historical…

The continuation of an earlier study examined to what extent students change in their use of evaluative criteria in writing between the fifth and sixth grade. Twenty-five students were interviewed in fifth and sixth grade. In the fifth grade, all students were taught writing by the same teacher who emphasized student choice of topic, recursive…

This interdisciplinary study examined socialization of first and fifth grade elementary school children into the student role. The study focuses on the effects of teachers' socializing communication on childrens' views of norms for classroom life by means of observation and questionnares. Data of several types are analyzed and interrelated:…

An ecological approach was used to gather data about properties of purpose, human behavior, and setting as they unfolded in classrooms. Participating were 11 elementary school districts in the Chicago Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area; districts were stratified by median family income (low, middle, high) and per pupil expenditure (low, high).…

This paper highlights measurement issues faced when attempting to assess and interpret results of a school improvement project. Based on the assumption that to measure effectiveness, one must measure a wide variety of school factors, the paper presents a broad perspective on measurement problems and dilemmas in analyzing norm-referenced test data…

Academic and social problems of the children of migrant workers are compounded when these families remigrate to their home countries. This study explores patterns of Greek remigrant children's social adjustment and integration in Greek public schools after their families' return to Greece, principally from the Federal Republic of Germany. The…

A study determined whether instruction on story elements within rich contexts can increase students' understanding of the characters' traits and motives, their comprehension of stories, and their ability to write causally coherent stories. Instruction was organized around an "anchor" (a story rich with embedded information presented on…

The school curriculum has been under scrutiny in an attempt to improve the educational experiences of children, often in the form of federal and state control to make schools accountable for students' education. The goal of standardization is to increase minimum standards in all classrooms and to make sure that all students receive a foundation of…

The empirical validity of generalizability theory was investigated by applying two three-facet designs to data obtained in 1988 from administration of the Scientific Thinking and Research Skill Test (STRST). The decision validity of the STRST was also examined. Subjects were 125 fifth-grade and 125 sixth-grade students who were administered the…

A group of elementary teachers enrolled in a graduate class in language arts at the University of North Dakota explored how children construct their own meanings as they interact with texts. One teacher regularly read to her 20-month-old grandson, and excerpts from the journal she kept reveal that his understanding of a specific text evolved to…

A fifth grade unit presents the history of immigration to the United States from a legal perspective. The eight sections are suitable for a comprehensive unit but may also be used selectively. Section A contains teacher materials: a chronological chart tying immigration laws to historical and cultural events, an overview of immigration…

Designed to accompany the "Elementary Art Curriculum Guide," this resource is divided into 3 levels: level 1 grades 1-2, level 2 grades 3-4, and level 3 grades 5-6. The material is presented in a standardized format which includes four major components: reflection, depiction, composition, and expression. Once a concept has been chosen,…